,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ebaf  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #h1       
#bjbe,ms4 ,titus introduced the         
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,transportation and   
,infrastructure  ,a ,,bill  ,to require 
the ,secretary of ,transportation1 to   
issue regulations and guidance to allow 
certain regional transportation planning
 organizations to increase spare bus    
ratios to #cj percent1 and for other    
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,bus ,utilization   
for ,fleet ,flexibility and ,emergency  
,resilience ,act or the ,,buffer ,act4  
#b4 ,findings ,congress finds the       
following3  7#a7 ,extreme weather events
 such as extreme heat and extreme cold  
threaten the lives and livelihoods of   
communities across the ,united ,states4 
7#b7 ,instances of extreme weather can  
increase vehicle repair and maintenance 
needs for transit buses4  7#c7          
,operational disruptions to fixed bus   

routes during extreme weather events are
 dangerous to people who rely on bus    
services to get around4  7#d7 ,transit  
agencies with high-frequency and        
high-intensity service1 including       
regions that are tourism and live       
entertainment hubs1 face additional     
operational challenges4  #c4 ,increase  
of spare bus ratio  7a7 ,in general ,not
 later than #a year after the date of   
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,transportation1 acting through the  
,administrator of the ,federal ,transit 
,administration1 shall issue such       
regulations and guidance as are         
necessary to allow1 upon request1 a     
regional transportation planning        
organization to increase the spare bus  
ratio of such organization to #cj       
percent4  7b7 ,eligibility for spare bus
 ratio increase ,to be eligible for an  
increase described under subsection 7a71
 a regional transportation planning     
organization shall submit to the        
,administrator--  7#a7 a certification  

that the region regularly experiences   
extreme weather events2  7#b7 a         
description of how extreme weather      
events have disrupted bus operations in 
the region2 and  7#c7 a description of  
how increasing the spare ratio will help
 ensure reliable services for users of  
fixed bus routes during incidents of    
extreme weather4