Pennsylvania Senate Bill SB954

Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 7/23/25
• Refer: 7/23/25

Caption

In sustainable mobility options, further providing for operating program.

Summary

SB 954 amends Pennsylvania’s transportation code in the section governing the operating program for sustainable mobility options. The bill directs the Department of Transportation to establish additional minimum system performance criteria specifically for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Those criteria must be designed to improve fare evasion, public-private transportation partnerships, and bus routes, and the department must issue regulations— including temporary regulations—setting the standards based on comparisons to SEPTA’s past performance and to peer transit authorities. If SEPTA fails to meet the new minimum performance criteria, the bill requires the department to apply the existing enforcement procedure in subsection (g). The bill takes effect 60 days after enactment. In practical terms, it would add a new performance-accountability layer to state oversight of SEPTA and could affect how the authority is evaluated for funding, compliance, or other program consequences tied to the operating program.

Impact

SB 954 would amend Title 74 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes by adding a new subsection to section 1513, thereby expanding the Department of Transportation’s authority to set performance benchmarks for SEPTA. The bill would not broadly rewrite transit law statewide, but it would create a targeted oversight mechanism for one transit authority and tie noncompliance to existing statutory enforcement procedures. Its effects would be felt by SEPTA, the Department of Transportation, and potentially riders and transit partners if the new criteria influence service planning, fare enforcement, or partnership arrangements.

Sentiment

The available record shows no committee transcript, vote tally, or recorded floor debate, so there is no direct evidence of support or opposition in the materials provided. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to reflect a policy preference for stronger accountability and operational performance standards for SEPTA. Because the bill is narrowly focused and framed around improving fare evasion, partnerships, and bus routes, the general sentiment inferred from the text is managerial and reform-oriented rather than expansive or ideological.

Contention

The main points of potential contention are the bill’s focus on SEPTA alone, the creation of additional performance criteria, and the possibility that failure to meet those criteria could trigger enforcement consequences under subsection (g). Supporters are likely to view the bill as a way to improve accountability, reduce fare evasion, and encourage better service and partnerships. Critics may argue that the standards could be punitive, that they single out one transit authority, or that they could pressure SEPTA without addressing underlying funding or operational constraints. However, no explicit objections or endorsements are included in the provided materials.