Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Transportation Committee
HB 2550
Brief Description: Adding certain students at certain community and technical colleges to the passengers that must be allowed to ride transit for free under the transit support grant program.
Sponsors: Representatives Taylor, Entenman, Reed, Macri, Gregerson, Parshley, Pollet, Leavitt, Fosse, Scott and Bergquist.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Adds students enrolled in a degree-seeking or certificate-seeking program at community and technical colleges to the passengers that must be allowed to ride transit for free under the Transit Support Grant Program.
Hearing Date: 1/28/26
Staff: David Munnecke (786-7315).
Background:

The Transit Support Grant Program (Program) was established in 2022 to provide financial support to certain transit agencies for operating and capital expense.  To be eligible for Program funds, a transit agency must:

  • maintain or increase its local sales tax authority for transit at or above January 1, 2022 levels and may not delay or suspend collection of voter-approved sales taxes; and 
  • implement and maintain a zero-fare, low-barrier accessibility policy for 18 and under passengers, for all modes provided by the agency including paratransit.

 

Program grants are prorated based on the amount expended by the transit agencies for operations, and transit agencies receiving Program grants must report annually on the total trips taken as the result of funding from the Program.  No transit agency may receive more than 35 percent of the total grant funding available.

 

In the current biennium, 31 transit agencies were awarded a total of $188.9 million through the Program.
Summary of Bill:

Students enrolled in a degree-seeking or certificate-seeking program at community and technical colleges are added to the types of passengers that must be allowed to ride transit for free, in order for a transit agency to be eligible to receive grants under the Program.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on January 16, 2026.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.