What This Bill Does
This bill requires the inspector general of the Department of Transportation to audit how certain public transit agencies spent federal money they received over the past five years. The inspector general must report the results to Congress within 180 days after the bill becomes law.
Who It Affects
The five largest public transportation agencies that carried the most passengers in 2019 and received federal funding are directly affected. Congress receives the audit report.
Key Provisions
• The inspector general of the Department of Transportation must conduct an audit of federal funds given to the five largest public transit agencies during the five fiscal years before this bill becomes law (Sec. 2(a)(1))
• The audit must show how much money each transit agency received under specific federal laws and describe how they spent that money (Sec. 2(a)(2))
• The inspector general must send a report with the audit results to Congress no later than 180 days after this bill becomes law (Sec. 2(a)(3))
What Changes
If this bill becomes law, an official review of public transit spending will be required that did not exist before. Transit agencies will have their federal fund spending documented and reported to Congress.
Important Definitions
Public transportation: Not defined in this bill text, but the bill says to use the meaning given in section 5302 of title 49, United States Code.
Specified transit agency: The five public transportation organizations that had the most unlinked passenger trips (individual trips taken by riders) in 2019 based on National Transit Database records, and that received federal money.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1592
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
MARCH 14, 2023
Ms. MALLIOTAKIS (for herself and Mr. GOTTHEIMER) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure
A BILL
To require the inspector general of the Department of Trans-
portation 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 Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Make Transportation
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Authorities Accountable and Transparent Act’’.
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•HR 1592 IH
SEC. 2. INSPECTOR GENERAL AUDIT ON PUBLIC TRANS-
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PORTATION CORONAVIRUS RELIEF SPEND-
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ING.
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(a) INSPECTOR GENERAL AUDIT.—
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(1) AUDIT REQUIRED.—The inspector general
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of the Department of Transportation shall conduct
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an audit of funds provided to each specified transit
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agency under the applicable laws during the 5 fiscal
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years ending before the date of enactment of this
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Act.
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(2) CONTENTS
OF
AUDIT.—The audit con-
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ducted under paragraph (1) shall include the
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amount of funds received under each of the applica-
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ble laws and a description of how such funds were
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spent.
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(3) REPORT
TO
CONGRESS.—Not later than
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180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the
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inspector general shall submit to Congress a report
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containing the results of the audit.
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(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act:
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(1) APPLICABLE LAWS.—The term ‘‘applicable
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laws’’ means the following:
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(A) Chapter 53 of title 49, United States
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Code.
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•HR 1592 IH
(B) The Coronavirus Preparedness and
1
Response Supplemental Appropriations Act,
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2020.
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(C) The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Eco-
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nomic Security Act.
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(D) The Consolidated Appropriations Act,
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2021.
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(E) The American Rescue Plan Act of
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2021.
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(2)
PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION.—The
term
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‘‘public transportation’’ has the meaning given the
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term in section 5302 of title 49, United States Code.
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(3) SPECIFIED
TRANSIT
AGENCY.—The term
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‘‘specified transit agency’’ means the 5 entities pro-
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viding public transportation with the most unlinked
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passenger trips for calendar year 2019, as reported
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to the National Transit Database, that received Fed-
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eral funds under any of the applicable laws.
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Æ
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