HR5957-119

What This Bill Does

The Connecting Veterans to Care Act of 2025 amends 49 U.S.C. 5307, the Federal Transit Administration urbanized-area formula grant program. Current operating assistance language is tied to public transportation in urbanized areas with populations below 200,000. The bill adds a second eligible category: public transportation that services a Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility. A recipient receiving operating-cost assistance under that VA-facility category must certify within 30 days after first receiving the grant funds, and every year afterward, that the operating costs will be used to provide public transportation serving a VA medical facility. If the Secretary finds that the recipient failed to provide the certified transportation during a fiscal year, the Secretary must suspend the operating-cost assistance.

Who Benefits and How

Veterans and VA patients benefit because transit routes serving Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities become eligible for operating-cost assistance. Public transportation agencies that serve VA medical facilities benefit because they can qualify for section 5307 operating support even outside the small-urbanized-area category. VA medical centers benefit if more transit operators can finance service that brings veterans and caregivers to appointments. Caregivers and family members of veterans benefit when operating assistance helps preserve routes to VA medical facilities.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Transit grant recipients must certify within 30 days and annually that the funds support public transportation serving a VA medical facility. Recipients that fail to provide the certified transportation during a fiscal year must lose or suspend assistance for those operating costs. The Secretary of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration staff must review certifications and enforce suspension when service is not provided. Federal taxpayers bear the cost of expanding operating assistance to routes serving VA medical facilities.

Key Provisions

• Amends section 5307 operating-assistance eligibility to include public transportation that services a VA medical facility.
• Requires recipients to certify within 30 days and each year that operating costs support VA-facility transit service.
• Directs the Secretary to suspend assistance when a recipient fails to provide the certified transportation during a fiscal year.
• Extends operating support beyond the existing small-urbanized-area pathway for qualifying VA medical facility service.