BUFFER Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 5216 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5216 To require the Secretary of Transportation, to issue regulations and guidance to allow certain regional transportation planning organizations to increase spare bus ratios to 30 percent, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 8, 2025 Ms. Titus introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To require the Secretary of Transportation, to issue regulations and guidance to allow certain regional transportation planning organizations to increase spare bus ratios to 30 percent, 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 ``Bus Utilization for Fleet Flexibility and Emergency Resilience Act'' or the ``BUFFER Act''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress finds the following: (1) Extreme weather events such as extreme heat and extreme cold threaten the lives and livelihoods of communities across the United States. (2) Instances of extreme weather can increase vehicle repair and maintenance needs for transit buses. (3) Operational disruptions to fixed bus routes during extreme weather events are dangerous to people who rely on bus services to get around. (4) Transit agencies with high-frequency and high-intensity service, including regions that are tourism and live entertainment hubs, face additional operational challenges. SEC. 3. INCREASE OF SPARE BUS RATIO. (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration, shall issue suc