The Fiscal Year 2026 Senate appropriations bill, S. 2465, “Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026,” would allocate $20 million dollars in funding for transit safety and security improvements and additional funding specifically dedicated to entities preparing for the 2028 Olympics and 2026 FIFA World Cup. If passed, the bill would provide a new opportunity for transit agencies to secure federal funding:

• The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) would make $20 million of transit funds available to 10 eligible recipients with the highest ridership in fiscal year 2024 for costs related to operating equipment and facilities for use in public transportation to improve public safety, reduce crime, and increase security in transit systems.
• An additional $68 million would be available for transportation assistance (including transit planning, capital projects, and operating assistance) for surface, commuter, and public transportation systems necessary to support the mobility needs of the Olympic and Paralympic events held in Los Angeles Summer 2028.
• Approximately $78 million would be available for costs related to the planning and operating equipment, as well as facilities for use in public transportation that supplement regular transit services in support of matches or other public events held in domestic host cities for the FIFA World Cup 2026 (Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco/Bay Area, and Seattle).

If the bill passes, Kaplan Kirsch is well positioned to support transit agencies seeking to obtain and utilize these funds, including funds for bolstering security in transit systems. Kaplan Kirsch can also help agencies understand and implement FTA regulations and guidance, including a recently released FTA video series concerning the Olympics and World Cup. Adding to the firm’s renowned transit and rail practice, which advises clients on safety, regulatory and compliance matters, Kaplan Kirsch recently deepened its expertise in transportation security issues. Laura Kilgarriff, former Assistant Chief Counsel for Security Policy and Acting Assistant Chief Counsel for Regulations and Security Standards for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), joined the firm this summer. Laura brings a decade of transportation security expertise to the firm, and along with other Kaplan Kirsch attorneys, could help U.S. transit agencies improve safety and security of their systems and prepare for the millions of people expected to travel for the upcoming events.

The Senate bill is available here. For questions, please reach out to Allison Ishihara Fultz, Ayelet Hirschkorn, John Putnam, Subash Iyer, Chuck Spitulnik, Christian Alexander, Casey Morris, Grant Glovin, or Laura Kilgarriff.