Overview
- The federal government formally transmitted a constitutional amendment proposal to Congress on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026 that would reserve roughly 25–26.8% of mandatory parliamentary amendments to fund free public transit on weekends and holidays.
- Under the plan the government uses the 2027 PLOA baseline of R$44.8 billion in obligatory emendas to estimate about R$11–11.2 billion for the program rather than creating a new budget line.
- As a constitutional change the PEC must win a three‑fifths supermajority in two rounds in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, so passage depends on intensive negotiation with parliamentarians who would lose some discretionary amendment funds.
- Implementation is intended to be gradual and municipal, starting with city buses and expanding to other modes only where local governments opt in, which means coverage will vary by municipality and depend on coordination and capacity at the local level.
- The government cites a May academic study by UnB and UFRJ estimating a R$60.3 billion annual economic boost if free transit reached 27 capitals, and frames the measure as expanding access to work, services and leisure while preserving health earmarks for individual emendas.