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Last week, the House passed a resolution to continue funding federal programs at fiscal-year 2012 levels until March 27, 2013, according to an American Public Transportation Association (APTA) legislative update.

The move will enable federal agencies to implement the transit and highway programmatic changes made under Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21). However, the continuing resolution does not provide for the increased inflationary funding that MAP-21 authorizes, according to APTA.

The resolution, which covers a 178-day period that's just shy of the fiscal year's first six months, includes a 0.6 percent increase over FY2012 funding levels for most federal pogroms. Transit programs are estimated to be funded at $5.117 billion, up from $5.086 billion during the same FY2012 period.

The Senate is expected to pass the continuing resolution this week, APTA officials said in the legislative update.

Meanwhile, the House passed the Public Transportation Security and Local Law Enforcement Support Act (H.R. 3857), which reauthorizes the Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP) at $400 million for FY2012 and FY2013.  

The TSGP is the primary source of federal security capital and operating assistance for public transportation agencies, providing funds that serve as the backbone for securing the public transportation network, according to APTA. The bill also codifies a provision allowing transit agencies to use grant funds to sustain the operations of specialized patrol teams.

"H.R. 3857 will make it easier for law enforcement agencies to keep our transportation systems secure," said U.S. Rep. Bob Turner (R-N.Y.), who serves on the House Committee on Homeland Security, in a prepared statement. "This bill will streamline the process allowing specialized patrol teams … to gain access to the funding necessary to keep them operational."

Finally, the Senate Finance Committee approved legislation containing a number of tax provisions, including two that benefit public transit: the restoration of the parity between transit commuter benefits and the parking benefit, and the alternative fuels excise tax credit, APTA officials said.

If approved by Congress, the transit commuter benefit would be restored to the same level as the parking tax benefit and would help ease transportation costs. The alternative fuels tax credit helps transit agencies cover the costs of switching to alternative fuels.