Safe Transit for All Act of 2026

Bill overview

• Bill: HR 8699, the Safe Transit for All Act of 2026
• Session: 119th Congress
• Jurisdiction: United States
• Purpose: Amend title 49 of the U.S. Code to require certain recipients of federal public transit assistance to establish programs collecting data on street harassment of passengers on public transit, and to expand data reporting and safety measures related to such harassment.

Main purpose and intent

• To improve safety and equity in public transit by systematically collecting data on passenger harassment (including street harassment) and making it publicly accessible in a timely manner.
• Aims to enhance transparency, enable better understanding of safety concerns, and support targeted improvements in public transit safety for riders, including riders with limited English proficiency and marginalized groups.

Key provisions and changes

1. Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (Section 5329(d) of title 49, U.S. Code)

   • For recipients receiving assistance under section 5307 and serving urbanized areas with populations of 200,000 or more, the bill adds:
     • A program to collect data on street harassment of passengers, including:
     • Accessible reporting mechanisms (digital and in-person) for passengers who have experienced or witnessed street harassment.
     • Data points collected, such as:
       • Frequency, type (verbal harassment, physical assault, sexual assault), location, and time of incidents.
       • Demographic information of affected passengers (race, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, income, primary language, sex, sexual orientation).
       • Actual or perceived characteristics relevant to the incident.
       • Impact on transit use by the passenger (behavioral effects).
     • Multilingual outreach and data collection to include passengers with limited English proficiency.
     • Timely publication of collected data on a publicly accessible website, excluding personally identifiable information.
     • Protocols for responding to reports received through the new reporting mechanisms.
     • Definition of "street harassment":
     • Any word, gesture, or action directed at an individual because of actual or perceived personal characteristics, occurring in a public place without consent, and experienced as intimidating or threatening to safety.
     • Covers characteristics protected under Title VI or VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.

2. National Transit Database (Section 5335)

   • Amend subsection (c) to add:
     • Data on street harassment collected by recipients (as described above) to be included in the National Transit Database.
     • This data addition would be in addition to existing data reporting requirements.

Who/what would be affected

• Public transit agencies receiving federal assistance under section 5307 (urbanized areas) and serving populations of 200,000 or more.
• These recipients would be required to:
  • Establish and operate a data collection program on street harassment.
  • Provide multilingual outreach and reporting options.
  • Publish aggregated data publicly (excluding personal identifiers) and maintain response protocols.
• The data would also be reported to the National Transit Database (NTD) to inform national safety data and oversight.

Procedural and timeline considerations

• The bill was introduced May 7, 2026, and referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
• If enacted, federal regulations and agency guidance would be needed to implement:
  • Specific reporting mechanisms and data standards.
  • Compliance timelines for affected agencies.
  • Processes for public data publication and privacy protections.
• The scope is limited to urbanized areas with populations of 200,000+ that receive Section 5307 assistance from the federal government.

Potential impacts

• Benefits:
  • More comprehensive understanding of street harassment in transit and its impact on rider safety and utilization.
  • Improved ability to target safety improvements, security measures, and rider support services.
  • Enhanced transparency and accountability through public data availability.
• Considerations:
  • Privacy safeguards to avoid exposing personal information.
  • Ensuring language accessibility and inclusion for diverse rider populations.
  • Resource and administrative burden on affected transit agencies to collect, analyze, and publish data.

Summary

HR 8699 would require large urban transit recipients receiving federal funds to implement a data collection program on street harassment, with multilingual reporting options, timely public release of de-identified data, and established response protocols. It would also mandate inclusion of this harassment data in the National Transit Database, thereby expanding national safety data and oversight. The bill defines street harassment broadly and ties its reporting to protected characteristics under civil rights laws to support equity-focused safety improvements.