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Bill to extend fare-free transit to community‑college students draws support and fiscal questions
Summary
SB 6,252 would expand fare‑free transit eligibility under the transit support grant program to degree- and certificate‑seeking community and technical college students. Proponents highlighted education and workforce benefits; transit groups flagged local revenue losses and implementation barriers, with a preliminary local revenue loss estimate of $10.9M–$12.2M annually and higher estimates from King County Metro.
Senators heard testimony on SB 6,252, which would add degree- and certificate-seeking students enrolled at community and technical colleges to the list of passengers who must be allowed to ride free under the transit support grant program.
Clint McCarthy summarized the bill’s intent and background, noting that the 2021 program made transit free for children under 18 as part of a zero‑fare policy; SB 6,252 would broaden that eligibility to many older and nontraditional students enrolled in community and technical colleges as defined by statute (reference to "28B" in committee discussion).
Senator Claire Wilson, the sponsor, said the change would improve affordability and access for students in second‑career and retraining programs and boost ridership. "Many of them are individuals in their second careers or in careers they're having to do retraining for," she said, adding that the measure would reduce traffic and pollution while opening educational opportunities.
Transit representatives and advocates supported the bill’s goals but urged the legislature to ensure agencies are fully compensated. The Washington State Transit Association signed in "other with concerns" and, in committee testimony, Justin Layton said updated King County Metro information suggests lost fare revenue could rise above earlier estimates — staff noted an estimated annual local revenue reduction between $10.9 million and $12.2 million, with expectations of a higher revised fiscal note.
Public testimony included students, rural residents and advocacy groups describing how fare-free transit can improve access to higher education and jobs; witnesses also raised operational concerns for smaller agencies without ORCA tap-to-ride systems and suggested low-barrier verification methods such as stickers or linked ORCA cards.
The committee closed the public hearing after extensive proponent testimony; committee staff said a revised fiscal note may be forthcoming and implementation details (eligibility definitions and verification) will be considered in follow-up work.
The hearing produced no final committee action; fiscal impacts for local transit agencies and practical identification systems were flagged for further work.
