No Free Rides Act of 2026

This bill, titled the "No Free Rides Act of 2026," aims to amend title 49 of the United States Code by prohibiting public transportation providers that receive federal assistance from implementing universal fare-free policies . Such policies allow all users to ride public transportation services without paying a fare. The legislation seeks to ensure that federal funds are not used to support systems where no fares are collected from the general public. However, the bill explicitly permits targeted fare policies that allow specific groups of riders to use services for free or at a reduced charge. These groups include seniors low-income riders students and employees or members of organizations where use is paid through an agreement . Furthermore, the Secretary of Transportation can grant a waiver to the prohibition if a recipient identifies a dedicated non-federal source of operating revenue for a universal fare-free policy.