Subchapter V. Transit Subsidies for District Residents.
§ 50–921.81. Definitions.
For the purposes of this subchapter, the term:
(1) "DDOT" means the District Department of Transportation.
(2) "Participant" means an individual who has applied and been determined eligible for the Program within the prior 12 months, pursuant to § 50-921.84.
(3) "Program" means the District Resident Transit Subsidy Program, established by § 50-921.82.
(4) "WMATA" means the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
§ 50–921.82. Transit Subsidy Program established. [Not Funded]
Not Funded.
§ 50–921.83. Transit subsidy payments. [Not Funded]
Not Funded.
§ 50–921.84. Eligibility. [Not Funded]
Not Funded.
§ 50–921.85. Authorization to negotiate fares.
The Mayor is authorized to enter into an agreement with WMATA or other agencies for reduced transit fares for participants.
§ 50–921.86. [Reserved]
§ 50–921.87. Fare-Free Bus Fund established.
(a) There is established as a special fund the Fare-Free Bus Service Fund ("Fund"), which shall be administered by the Mayor in accordance with subsection (c) of this section.
(b) Provided that the Chief Financial Officer certifies that sufficient revenue exists pursuant to section 11bb, there shall be deposited into the Fund general retail sales tax revenue collected pursuant to Chapter 20 of Title 47 of the D.C. Official Code as follows:
(1) In Fiscal Year 2023 -- $11 million;
(2) In Fiscal Year 2024 -- $43.03 million; and
(3) In Fiscal Year 2025 -- $45.18 million;
(4) In Fiscal Year 2026 -- $47.44 million; and
(5) For each succeeding fiscal year after Fiscal Year 2026, an amount equal to 105% of the prior year's amount.
(c) Money in the Fund shall be used to support the fare buydown agreement entered into pursuant to § 50-921.02(h) to provide fare-free Metrobus transportation within the District and 24-hour daily Metrobus service on Metrobus lines as specified by the fare buydown agreement.
(d)(1) The money deposited into the Fund but not expended in a fiscal year shall not revert to the unassigned fund balance of the General Fund of the District of Columbia at the end of a fiscal year, or at any other time.
(2) Subject to authorization in an approved budget and financial plan, any funds appropriated in the Fund shall be continually available without regard to fiscal year limitation.
§ 50–921.88. Bus Service Enhancement Fund established.
(a) There is established as a special fund the Bus Service Enhancement Fund ("Fund"), which shall be administered by DDOT in accordance with subsection (c) of this section.
(b) Provided that the Chief Financial Officer certifies that sufficient revenue exists pursuant to § 50-921.89, there shall be deposited into the Fund general retail sales tax revenue collected pursuant to Chapter 20 of Title 47 as follows:
(1) In Fiscal Year 2023, $2.5 million; and
(2) For each succeeding fiscal year after Fiscal Year 2023, $10 million.
(c) Money in the Fund shall be used to improve transit access or service in areas identified in DDOT's Multimodal Long-Range Transportation Plan as areas of high transportation need or historically underserved communities or to serve residents of those areas as follows:
(1) Making payments to WMATA to:
(A) Create new bus routes not in operation before July 1, 2023; or
(B) Extend service hours, shorten headways, or make other service improvements for an existing bus route;
(2) Used by DDOT to:
(A) Operate new DC Circulator or DC Streetcar routes not in operation before July 1, 2023;
(B) Extend service hours, shorten headways, or make other service improvements for an existing DC Circulator or DC Streetcar line; or
(C) Install, lease, maintain, or operate infrastructure that DDOT determines will increase ridership or improve transit service, including dedicated transit lanes, signal priority, bus shelters, payment kiosks, or other amenities; or
(3) Funding studies to support increased ridership or improved transit service.
(d)(1) The money deposited into the Fund but not expended in a fiscal year shall not revert to the unassigned fund balance of the General Fund of the District of Columbia at the end of a fiscal year, or at any other time.
(2) Subject to authorization in an approved budget and financial plan, any funds appropriated in the Fund shall be continually available without regard to fiscal year limitation.
§ 50–921.89. Revised revenue allocation for bus service.
(a)(1) The fiscal impact of the general sales tax dedication to the Fare-Free Bus Service Fund, established pursuant to § 50-921.87, and the general sales tax dedication to the Bus Service Enhancement Fund, established pursuant to § 50-921.88, shall be offset, in that order, by local fiscal year recurring revenues included in the Chief Financial Officer's December 2022 revenue estimate and, if necessary, the February 2023 revenue estimate, that exceed the local fund revenue incorporated in the Fiscal Year 2023 approved budget and financial plan.
(2) If the excess revenue included in the December 2022 revenue estimate is not sufficient to fully offset the dedication to the Fare-Free Bus Service Enhancement Fund and the Bus Service Enhancement Fund, the excess revenue shall be set aside first to the Fare-First Bus Service Enhancement Fund until that is fully funded.
(b) In the December 2022 revenue estimate, the Chief Financial Officer shall certify:
(1) Whether and by what amount local fiscal year revenues included in the revenue estimate exceed the annual revenue estimate for Fiscal Year 2023 through Fiscal Year 2026, as incorporated in the approved budget and financial plan for Fiscal Year 2023;
(2) Whether such excess revenues are in an amount sufficient to offset the general sales tax dedication identified in subsection (a) of this section; and if not, what amount has been set aside;
(3) That all such excess revenues have been set aside to ensure the general sales tax dedication identified in subsection (a) of this section is fully offset.
(c) In the February 2023 revenue estimate, the Chief Financial Officer shall certify:
(1) Whether and by what amount local fiscal year revenues included in the revenue estimate exceed the annual revenue estimate for Fiscal Year 2023 through Fiscal Year 2026, as incorporated in the approved budget and financial plan for Fiscal Year 2023;
(2) Whether such excess revenues, together with the excess revenues identified pursuant to this subsection in the December 2022 revenue estimate, are in an amount sufficient to offset the general sales tax dedication identified in subsection (a) of this section; and
(3) That all such excess revenues, together with the excess revenues identified pursuant to this subsection in the December 2022 revenue estimate, have been set aside to ensure the general sales tax dedication identified in subsection (a) of this section is fully offset.
§ 50–921.90. Rules.
The Mayor, pursuant to Title I of the District of Columbia Administrative Procedure Act, approved October 21, 1968 (82 Stat. 1204; D.C. Official Code § 2-501 et seq.), shall issue rules to implement the provisions of this subchapter.
§ 50–921.91. Reporting. [Not Funded]
Not Funded.
