Transit Captions Innovations Act

This bill would help make buses and trains easier to use for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or not fluent in English. It tells the U.S. Department of Transportation to give grants so transit systems can roll out real-time transcription and translation technology. The goal is to improve riders’ experience by providing live captions or translations of announcements and other information on transit systems.

It also sets aside money for these projects from 2027 through 2031, starting at $4,000,000 in 2027 and rising slightly each year through 2031. These funds would support projects that deploy this kind of real-time language access technology on public transit.

Key points

• Who is affected: Transit riders who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have limited English proficiency; transit agencies that run buses and trains.
• What changes: New grants to deploy real-time transcription and translation tools on transit systems.
• When: Funding is authorized for fiscal years 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030, and 2031, with amounts increasing slightly each year.