Bills affecting Public transit user in Washington — 2026 session

Providing for enhanced municipal permitting tools for high capacity transit projects.

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.

Creating the educational transit access grant program to reduce the cost of public transportation for community and technical college students.

Establishing a passenger rail advisory committee.

Prohibiting the expenditure of Washington state funds for any capital costs of a transit agency created pursuant to the laws of an adjacent state.

Allowing the use of multiple award task order contracting by the department of transportation and regional transit authorities.

Expanding the locations where a person can be guilty of unlawful transit conduct to include the Washington state ferries.

Modifying the maximum terms of regional transit authority bond issues.

Promoting transit-oriented housing development.

Establishing intercity passenger rail improvement priorities.

Concerning assaults committed against transit employees or contractors.

Addressing regional transit authority accountability.

Concerning the responsibility of certain counties to include freight rail dependent use overlay as part of the transportation element of their comprehensive plan.

Adding two voting members that are transit users to the governing body of public transportation benefit areas.

Promoting transit-oriented development.

Authorizing a narrow modification to indebtedness limits for select inland port districts to ensure continued eligibility for federal funding for rail, power, and other critical public infrastructure improvements.