Sunday, February 8, 2026

Friedman’s Transit Safety Bill Joins Women’s Caucus Legislative Slate

Representative Laura Friedman [photo credit: Representative Laura Friedman]

The bipartisan measure, co-led with a New York Republican, would send $50 million a year to transit agencies for officers and safety upgrades

U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman’s bipartisan transit safety bill has been endorsed by the Democratic Women’s Caucus and included in the caucus’s Women’s Safety Legislative Slate, adding to a growing list of backers for legislation that would direct federal money toward policing and safety improvements on public transit systems including those serving Pasadena and Altadena.

Friedman represents portions of Altadena and Pasadena in Congress.

The Safe and Affordable Transit Act, H.R. 6298, would authorize $50 million per year in competitive federal grants for transit agencies to hire additional officers, contract with local police departments, and fund physical safety upgrades such as surveillance systems, operator shields, and visibility improvements, according to the bill text filed with Congress. Friedman, a Democrat who represents California’s 30th Congressional District including portions of Pasadena and Altadena, co-leads the bill with Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican from New York.

The DWC released its Women’s Safety Legislative Slate on January 21, 2026, as the first in a series of packages under the caucus’s Better Future Agenda, according to the caucus’s press release. The slate included bills from multiple members addressing topics ranging from gun safety to domestic violence to transit security. Friedman announced the endorsement Thursday, February 5, according to a press release from her office.

“I’m proud that my bipartisan Safe and Affordable Transit Act is included in this critical effort to advance women’s safety,” Friedman said in a statement included in the DWC press release. “Whether it’s going to the doctor, the grocery store, or to work, everyone deserves to feel safe on public transit. This bill makes that possible by investing in commonsense protections for riders and transit workers alike that we know actually work.”

The DWC endorsement is the latest in a series of institutional endorsements the bill has attracted since Friedman introduced it on November 25, 2025, at the Burbank Airport Metrolink station. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously endorsed the measure on January 21, 2026, in a motion submitted by Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Janice Hahn, according to a Friedman press release. The Amalgamated Transit Union and the Transit Workers Union have also endorsed the bill.

The five-year bill would authorize a total of $250 million in grants from fiscal year 2026 through 2030, funded by general fund dollars, according to the bill text and Friedman’s statements to The Center Square. It would also require the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies to study crime prevention practices at transit agencies nationwide, in consultation with labor organizations representing frontline transit workers.

LA Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins, who appeared at the bill’s announcement in November, said in a statement that the legislation “could help us accelerate the implementation of the safety and security initiatives we’re rolling out all over LA County,” according to a Friedman press release. Wiggins also pointed to upcoming international events. “As we look forward to hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2026 and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028, these type of investments will ensure Metro is safe, secure, and ready to make America proud,” Wiggins said.

Bill Scott, chief of police and emergency management at the Metro Department of Public Safety, said the agency “will need to hire more than 600 sworn officers over the next 4 years,” according to the same press release.

Friedman’s press release cited a statistic that serious crime on the Washington, D.C., Metro system dropped 43% in one year after the system increased visible officer presence. WMATA’s Service Excellence Report confirmed that serious crime across that system fell 43% between June 2024 and June 2025, a decline attributed to more visible officers, crisis intervention teams, and targeted fare enforcement.

The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, on which Friedman sits. No committee vote has been scheduled.

“This package reflects our commitment to protecting women in every part of their lives, in their homes, communities, and on their commutes,” Friedman said.