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Bill would make all students and county employees eligible for fare-free passes, and raise income cutoff to 300% of poverty
Summary
Bill 95-20-26 would expand the fare-free transit program to students of any age and allow Maui County employees to ride fixed routes free; it also raises the program’s income eligibility from 200% to 300% of the federal poverty guideline.
Chair Gabe Johnson told the committee the bill expands eligibility for the fare-free bus pass program to allow "students of any age" and to permit Maui County employees to ride fixed routes without charge. He framed those changes as county initiatives to reduce dependence on single-occupant vehicles and support residents facing the benefits cliff.
The bill would raise the income-eligibility cutoff for the program from 200% to 300% of the poverty guideline, which Chair Johnson said will "support more of our community struggling with increased fuel costs." Members expressed support for the broader goal but asked the department and administration to clarify application processing, which currently involves MEO (the county’s processing partner). Miss Moniz recommended retaining director-designee language to preserve current application-processing practices.
