The current Federal Poverty Line – just $31,200 for a family of four in 2024 – does not accurately reflect what it takes for households to meet their basic needs and have an opportunity to achieve social and economic mobility. The Poverty Line Act would update the way the poverty line is calculated so it reflects today’s cost of living and is adjusted for regional differences across the country. This is critical to helping millions of hard-working families who earn too little to make ends meet, but for whom safety net programs have been out of reach.

This bill was first introduced in the 118^th Congress. Learn more about the Poverty Line Act. Full text of the bill is available at congress.gov.

Nearly 75 percent of the U.S. could experience a damaging earthquake in the next century. But many communities across America are not prepared to deal with this threat and earthquakes cost the U.S. on average $14.7 billion annually. To address these gaps, the Earthquake Resilience Act would require a national risk assessment of earthquake resilience and support the development of standards and guidelines to more quickly restore access to critical lifeline infrastructure following a disaster. It would also authorize the Federal government to use advanced earthquake monitoring technology.

This bill was first introduced in the 118^th Congress. Learn more about the Earthquake Resilience Act. Full text of the bill is available at congress.gov.

Families across America are facing housing challenges as the market is short 4.9 million homes and one in four renters spends more than half of their income on rent. One solution is to repurpose underutilized lots near transit into housing. The Empty Lots to Housing Act would help cut the bureaucratic red tape that has prevented local communities from developing housing on land previously acquired with funds from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) that is no longer needed for its original purpose. This could allow up to 276,000 acres of government owned land in transit rich areas to be redeveloped into transit-oriented housing. The bill was inspired by a real-world lot owned by the San Mateo Transit Authority (SamTrans).

Learn more about the Empty Lots to Housing Act. Full text of the bill is available at congress.gov.

Pedestrian injuries and fatalities from traffic accidents are at record highs. In 2022, the most recent year for which there is data, more than 7,500 pedestrians were killed and more than 67,000 pedestrians were injured. The vast majority of such accidents are occurring at night, and research has so far been unable to explain why. The Driver Technology and Pedestrian Safety Act would direct the Department of Transportation to conduct a study on the effects of driver technology – including touch screen-based systems and user interface design – and the impact of time of day and changes in traffic, weather, and the volume of commercial vehicles on the road as they relate to pedestrian injuries and fatalities.

This bill was first introduced in the 118^th Congress. Learn more about the Driver Technology and Pedestrian Safety Act. Full text of the bill is available at congress.gov.

According to the Federal Railroad Administration, there were 2,252 collisions at rail crossings in 2024. The SAFE Cross Act would require a study on the use of AI-enabled sensors to improve safety at rail crossings, building on successful local pilot projects like Caltrain’s low-cost deployment in California’s 15th District. This bill explores a promising, cost-effective interim measure to reduce rail-related accidents, which is especially helpful for communities that aren’t yet able to complete a full grade separation.

Full text of the bill is available at congress.gov.

The Transit Captions Innovations Act would fund a pilot program to deploy real-time captioning and translation services for transit riders who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have limited English proficiency. It would promote the testing of AI-driven technology solutions to eliminate communication barriers that leave many riders behind during unexpected schedule or route changes.

Full text of the bill is available at congress.gov.

The Language Access in Transit Act would codify requirements for public transit agencies to provide meaningful access to individuals with limited English proficiency. These protections for individuals who primarily speak a language other than English are at risk following President Trump’s Executive Order that overturned longstanding requirements to provide language access to federally-funded programs. This bill would ensure continued language access in transit programs regardless of actions the current or a future administration may take.

Full text of the bill is available at congress.gov.

Regenerative braking is a virtually untapped resource in the rail sector that could recoup up to 50% of the energy used by trains. The Battery and Regenerative Braking Act would expand eligibility under the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program to include commuter rail projects that use regenerative braking and energy storage projects. Harnessing this technology could cut rail energy usage, making passenger service more sustainable and efficient.

Full text of the bill is available at congress.gov.

The recent electrification of Caltrain has led to better service, improved air quality, and higher ridership. Seeking to promote these advancements across the country, the FARE Act would establishing an advisory committee to identify technical, regulatory, and economic barriers to railroad electrification. Building on a recent Department of Energy report, the bill would promote coordination among freight railroads, utilities, and federal agencies to accelerate electrification in the rail sector.

Full text of the bill is available at congress.gov.