The Democratic-controlled state House voted Monday to pass a transit funding bill, with support from several Republicans, that the legislation’s prime sponsor said could help stave off sweeping service cuts and fare hikes at Pennsylvania’s two largest transit agencies.

“If they become reality, these service cuts will hurt real people, destroy jobs and hurt businesses of every size, not just in my district, but in communities across all 67 counties,” state Rep. Sean Dougherty, D-Philadelphia, the bill’s prime sponsor, said in a statement.

The bill is similar to one proposed by Gov. Josh Shapiro and passed by the House last month. The plan would increase the share of existing sales and use tax revenues dedicated to public transit to generate about $293 million in new annual revenue for transit agencies across the state, while also including $325 million in additional funding for road and bridge work.

House Democrats said the bill also would require new oversight and accountability requirements for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA) and Pittsburgh Regional Transit. House Democrats said Senate Republicans demanded that accountability measures be included in any transit funding-related legislation.

The bill passed the House on a 108-95 vote and now goes to the Senate for consideration. Democrats hold a one-seat advantage in the House, while Republicans hold 27 of the Senate’s 50 seats.

Critics equated Monday’s vote to nothing more than political theater, noting the legislation has little chance of passing the Republican-controlled state Senate and wasn’t agreed to by parties involved in ongoing budget talks, including the governor’s office and leaders in the House and Senate. The state’s budget impasse has now reached 42 days, with lawmakers missing a June 30 deadline to adopt a spending plan.

“You cannot budget in a silo,” House Minority Leader Jesse Topper, a Republican from Bedford County, said Monday on the House floor.

“This bill addresses transportation needs in the commonwealth, and that must be done in context with the entirety of the budget. We must get back into that negotiating room for a final product. The passage of this bill does not help one single, solitary soul,” Topper added.

This is a developing story.