HR 171 · 119th CongressIn Committee

Make Transportation Authorities Accountable and Transparent Act

Latest updateJan 4, 2025

Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

Government Operations and Politics

Sponsor

Nicole Malliotakis

Introduced

January 3, 2025

Latest action

January 4, 2025

Legislative Progress

How far this bill has traveled through Congress

Introduced

Bill filed in chamber

Committee

Reviewed & reported

Passed Chamber

House or Senate vote

Passed Both

House & Senate agree

President

Sent to White House

Enacted

Signed into law

Introduced

Bill filed in chamber

Committee

Reviewed & reported

Passed Chamber

House or Senate vote

Passed Both

House & Senate agree

President

Sent to White House

Enacted

Signed into law

Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

Plain-Language Summary

AI Generated

Federal transit agencies have received substantial funding through multiple appropriations laws over the past five years, including regular transit grants under Chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, and emergency relief packages enacted during the coronavirus pandemic—the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. While these funds were intended to support public transportation operations and recovery, there has been limited systematic oversight of how the largest transit systems actually deployed this money, creating uncertainty about whether funds were used as intended.

The bill requires the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation to conduct a comprehensive audit of federal funding provided to the five largest public transit agencies—measured by unlinked passenger trips in 2019—over the five fiscal years preceding the bill's enactment. The audit must document the total amount each agency received under all applicable federal laws and provide a detailed description of how those funds were spent. The Inspector General must submit findings and conclusions to Congress within 180 days of the bill becoming law.

Once completed, the audit report will become public record available to Congress and the public, creating a baseline accounting of how major transit systems deployed federal coronavirus relief and regular operating grants. The 180-day timeline means results would likely emerge within six months of enactment. This audit does not create new funding streams or modify existing grant programs; rather, it establishes a one-time retrospective review that may inform future congressional decisions about transit funding accountability and oversight mechanisms.

Key Provisions

1Requires the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation to audit federal funds provided to the five largest public transit agencies over the five fiscal years before the bill's enactment.
2Directs the audit to document the total amount of funds each agency received under regular transit law and all coronavirus relief appropriations acts.
3Mandates the audit include a detailed description of how each specified transit agency spent the federal funds it received.
4Requires the Inspector General to submit a comprehensive report to Congress containing audit results no later than 180 days after the bill becomes law.

★ Why this matters

The audit creates the first systematic accounting of how the nation's largest transit systems used billions in federal coronavirus relief and regular operating grants. This transparency allows Congress and the public to assess whether funds reached their intended purposes and may reveal patterns of spending that inform future transit funding policy. The report establishes a factual baseline that could support decisions about grant conditions, oversight requirements, or accountability mechanisms in future appropriations.

● Who this affects

The five largest public transit agencies—primarily the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York, the Chicago Transit Authority, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Bay Area Rapid Transit District, and the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority—face direct audit scrutiny. Congress members on transportation committees will receive detailed spending data to evaluate agency performance. Riders of these major transit systems may benefit from increased transparency about how their systems deployed federal resources. State and local officials overseeing transit agencies will have documented records of federal fund deployment available for their own accountability processes.

Bill Text

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<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 171

To require the inspector general of the Department of Transportation to 
   conduct an audit on the use of Federal funds by certain entities 
        providing public transportation, and for other purposes.

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 3, 2025

    Ms. Malliotakis (for herself and Mr. Gottheimer) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
                           and Infrastructure

                                 A BILL

 
To require the inspector general of the Department of Transportation to 
   conduct an audit on the use of Federal funds by certain entities 
        providing public transportation, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Make Transportation Authorities 
Accountable and Transparent Act''.

SEC. 2. INSPECTOR GENERAL AUDIT ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION CORONAVIRUS 
              RELIEF SPENDING.

    (a) Inspector General Audit.--
            (1) Audit required.--The inspector general of the 
        Department of Transportation shall conduct an audit of funds 
        provided to each specified transit agency under the applicable 
        laws during the 5 fiscal years ending before the date of 
        enactment of this Act.
            (2) Contents of audit.--The audit conducted under paragraph 
        (1) shall include the amount of funds received under each of 
        the applicable laws and a description of how such funds were 
        spent.
            (3) Report to congress.--Not later than 180 days after the 
        date of enactment of this Act, the inspector general shall 
        submit to Congress a report containing the results of the 
        audit.
    (b) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Applicable laws.--The term ``applicable laws'' means 
        the following:
                    (A) Chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code.
                    (B) The Coronavirus Preparedness and Response 
                Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020.
                    (C) The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic 
                Security Act.
                    (D) The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.
                    (E) The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
            (2) Public transportation.--The term ``public 
        transportation'' has the meaning given the term in section 5302 
        of title 49, United States Code.
            (3) Specified transit agency.--The term ``specified transit 
        agency'' means the 5 entities providing public transportation 
        with the most unlinked passenger trips for calendar year 2019, 
        as reported to the National Transit Database, that received 
        Federal funds under any of the…

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448 tracked

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447

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Members whose public record points toward backing the bill.

Jason Crow

D-Colorado · District 6

Likely support

Representative Crow emphasizes 'Transparency' as a key issue on his website and lists it prominently among his priorities. The 'Make Transportation Authorities Accountable and Transparent Act' directly aligns with this stated commitment to transparency and accountability. Additionally, Crow has demonstrated a pattern of introducing legislation focused on government accountability (e.g., pressing the Defense Secretary on conflicts of interest). However, without explicit statements about this specific bill or a clear voting record on transportation-related transparency measures, confidence cannot be higher. His Democratic affiliation suggests likely support for government accountability measures, which would typically align with this bill's objectives.

Make Transportation Authorities Accountable and Transparent Act

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Make Transportation Authorities Accountable and Transparent Act

Legislative Progress

Plain-Language Summary

Key Provisions

★ Why this matters

● Who this affects

Bill Text

Where House representatives currently stand

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No Position

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Democratic Party

Republican Party

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