New York A 6976: Extends the metropolitan transportation authority's half fare rate program to persons receiving benefits from the supplemental nutrition assistance program

Bill Text

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A06976 Summary:

BILL NOA06976 

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SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORRaga

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Amd §1266, Pub Auth L

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Extends the metropolitan transportation authority's half fare rate program to persons receiving benefits from the supplemental nutrition assistance program.

Go to top A06976 Actions:

BILL NOA06976 

&nbsp

03/18/2025referred to corporations, authorities and commissions

01/07/2026referred to corporations, authorities and commissions

Go to topA06976 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA06976 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topA06976 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 6976

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 March 18, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. RAGA -- read once and referred to the Committee
 on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions

 AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to extending the
 metropolitan transportation authority's half fare rate program to
 persons receiving benefits from the supplemental nutrition assistance
 program

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "reduced
 2 fares for SNAP enrollees act".
 3 § 2. Legislative findings and intent. The Supplemental Nutrition
 4 Assistance Program (SNAP) is an essential government program that
 5 provides low-income individuals and families financial support to
 6 purchase groceries. This nutrition assistance is imperative for the
 7 health and well-being of the over one million New York recipients of
 8 SNAP. Those who receive SNAP are arguably one of the most vulnerable
 9 groups in the state, with a majority of their money being allocated to
 10 necessary household expenses. Importantly, SNAP recipients operate
 11 between tight fiscal margins: a nationwide Brookings study found that
 12 33% of SNAP recipients with incomes less than $25,000 a year would not
 13 be able to pay for an unexpected $400 expense. SNAP recipients often
 14 live paycheck to paycheck, thus their reception of the 50% reduced fare
 15 will allow them to save money and help alleviate their public transpor-
 16 tation costs. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) currently
 17 offers Reduced Fares- which offers up to a 50% discount on buses,
 18 subways and the LIRR- for those who are 65 or older or have qualifying
 19 disabilities. In New York City, low income individuals between the ages
 20 of 18 - 64 are able to receive a 50% discount on MTA fare through the
 21 Fair Fares program.
 22 This act targets low-income families that do not qualify either for
 23 the MTA reduced fare or Fair Fare programs income guidelines, but will

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD10376-01-5

 A. 6976 2

 1 add them using SNAP income guidelines. Currently, the SNAP benefits are
 2 extended to those at 145 percent of the federal poverty line (FPL) while
 3 Fair Fares benefits extended to those at 120 of the FPL. This means that
 4 an individual household at 145 percent of the FPL would miss qualifying
 5 for Fair Fare benefits by making a paltry six-thousand more dollars. In
 6 other words, with SNAP income guidelines being slightly higher than Fair
 7 Fare's guidelines, there could be households that do receive SNAP bene-
 8 fits, based solely on income and number of family members in their
 9 household, but are ineligible for MTA reduced fares due to restrictive
 10 Fair Fare income guidelines. Therefore, by implementing the new expanded
 11 reduced fare program that takes into account SNAP income guidelines,
 12 this adjustment would allow people who work and receive SNAP benefits to
 13 receive the reduced fare 50% benefit that live within the MTA region and
 14 would benefit and provide a transportation equity solution to assist
 15 with their costs of transportation.
 16 § 3. Subdivision 16 of section 1266 of the public authorities law, as
 17 amended by chapter 25 of the laws of 2000, is amended to read as
 18 follows:
 19 16. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the authority and any
 20 of its subsidiary corporations sha