Bill Text: NJ S4010 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Authorizes funding for on-demand micro transit service under Senior Citizen and Disabled Resident Transportation Assistance Program.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-06-30 - Substituted by A4761 (1R) [S4010 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-S4010-Amended.html
Sponsored by:
Senator BENJIE E. WIMBERLY
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Senator ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Authorizes funding for on-demand micro transit service under Senior Citizen and Disabled Resident Transportation Assistance Program.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee on June 28, 2026, with amendments.
An Act concerning on-demand micro transit service funding and amending P.L.1983, c.578.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 3 of P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-27) is amended to read as follows:
3. As used in [this act] P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-25 et seq.):
[a.] "Accessible" means a service that can be used by all individuals, including those who cannot negotiate steps or who can negotiate steps with great difficulty.
"Board" means the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Transit Corporation.
"Corporation" means the New Jersey Transit Corporation.
[b. "Board" means Board of Directors of the New Jersey Transit Corporation.
c.] 1["Disabled resident" means any individual who, by reason of illness, injury, age, congenital malfunction, or other permanent or temporary incapacity or disability, is unable without special facilities or special planning on design to utilize mass transportation facilities and services as effectively as persons who are not so affected.]1
"Eligible counties" means counties submitting a proposal meeting the program guidelines.
[d.] "Geographic region" means one of the following regions of the State: the southern region encompassing the counties of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem; the central region encompassing the counties of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean 1,1 and Somerset; and the northern region encompassing those counties remaining in the State.
"New Jersey Special Services Citizen Advisory Committee" means a committee representing advocacy groups from senior citizens and [the] 1[disabled residents] people with disabilities1 and other interested parties appointed by the 1President and Chief1 Executive 1[Director] Officer1 of 1the1 New Jersey Transit 1Corporation1.
[e. "Accessible" means a service that can be used by all individuals including those who cannot negotiate steps or who can negotiate steps with great difficulty.
f. "Disabled" means any individual who, by reason of illness, injury, age, congenital malfunction, or other permanent or temporary incapacity or disability, is unable without special facilities or special planning on design to utilize mass transportation facilities and services as effectively as persons who are not so affected.
g. "Geographic region" means one of the following regions of the State: the southern region encompassing the counties of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem; the central region encompassing the counties of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and Somerset; and the northern region encompassing those counties remaining in the State.]
"On-demand micro transit" means 1[publicly-available, technology-enabled,]1 shared 1public1 transportation 1services1 provided by means of a motor vehicle to individuals selecting a pick-up and drop-off location by telephone or through a 1[mobile] software1 application, and which transportation is provided at a time selected by the individual or as soon as possible after the individual selects pick-up and drop-off locations for such transportation.
1"People with disabilities" means individuals who, by reason of illness, injury, age, congenital malfunction, or other permanent or temporary incapacity or disability, are unable without special facilities or special planning on design to utilize mass transportation facilities and services as effectively as persons who are not so affected.
"Software application" means technology that enables a county to provide on-demand micro transit service. "Software application" shall not include a digital network as that term is defined in section 2 of P.L.2017, c.26 (C.39:5H-2).1
(cf: P.L.1983, c.578, s.3)
2. Section 2 of P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-26) is amended to read as follows:
2. The Legislature finds and declares that many senior citizens and 1[disabled residents] people with disabilities1 in the State require assistance in meeting their need for available and accessible transportation so that they may obtain the necessities of life, including, but not limited to, employment, post-secondary education, social and recreational activities, shopping and medical service; and that the voters of this State recognized the need for such assistance when, in 1981, they approved an amendment [of] to the State Constitution [which provides] providing that State revenues derived from the taxation of gambling establishments in Atlantic City may be used, in addition to the purposes for which they were originally dedicated, for additional or expanded transportation services or benefits to senior citizens and [the] 1[disabled residents] people with disabilities1.
The Legislature further finds and declares that it is appropriate that the New Jersey Transit Corporation, in conjunction with its advisory bodies, representatives or associations of counties, and other interested parties, develop a plan for transportation assistance to senior citizens and [the] 1[disabled residents] people with disabilities1; that the instrumentalities of local government, particularly the counties of this State, should play a major role in facilitating the provision of that transportation assistance; and that the New Jersey Transit Corporation in conjunction with the New Jersey Department of Transportation's Office of Coordination, as well as the counties, should coordinate the assistance with existing transportation services, including, but not limited to, those services funded by any other State agency, at the local level and coordinate inter-county transportation services.
(cf: P.L.1983, c.578, s.2)
3. Section 4 of P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-28) is amended to read as follows:
4. a. The board shall establish and administer a program to be known as "The Senior Citizen and Disabled Resident Transportation Assistance Program" for the following purposes:
(1) [To] to assist counties to develop and provide accessible feeder transportation service to accessible fixed-route transportation services where such services are available, including, but not limited to, on-demand micro transit service, and accessible local transit service to senior citizens and [the] 1[disabled residents] people with disabilities1, which services may include, but shall not be limited to, door-to-door service, fixed route service, local fare subsidy, on-demand micro transit service, and user-side subsidy, which may include, but not be limited to, private ride or taxi fare subsidy; and to coordinate the activities of the various participants in this program in providing the services to be rendered at the county level and between counties; and
(2) [To] to enable the corporation to develop, provide, and maintain capital improvements that afford accessibility to fixed route and other transit services in order to make rail cars, rail stations, bus shelters, and other bus equipment accessible to senior citizens and [the] 1[disabled residents] people with disabilities1; to render technical information and assistance to counties eligible for assistance under [this act] P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-25 et seq.); and to coordinate the program within and among counties.
b. In the State fiscal year beginning July 1 following the effective date of P.L.2009, c.261, and in each fiscal year thereafter, there shall be appropriated to the corporation from the revenues deposited in the Casino Revenue Fund, established pursuant to section 145 of P.L.1977, c.110 (C.5:12-145), a sum equal to 8.5 percent of the revenues deposited in the fund during the preceding fiscal year, as determined by the State Treasurer, to effectuate the purposes and provisions of P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-25 et seq.).
Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, for [the] State Fiscal Years 2022, 2023, and 2024, appropriations to the corporation from the revenues deposited in the Casino Revenue Fund or the Property Tax Relief Fund, as appropriate, shall be given priority to ensure that the corporation receives an amount equal to 8.5 percent of the sum of the revenues deposited in the Casino Revenue Fund during the preceding fiscal year, adding back any reductions in revenues during the preceding fiscal year that directly resulted from the temporary credit allowable under section 1 of P.L.2021, c.314 or the temporary deduction allowable under section 3 of the P.L.2021, c.314, as determined by the State Treasurer, to effectuate the purposes and provisions of P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-25 et seq.).
(cf: P.L.2021, c.314, s.6)
4. Section 5 of P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-29) is amended to read as follows:
5. The corporation, in conjunction with the New Jersey Transit Special Services Citizen Advisory Committee, appropriate advisory committees of the corporation and with representatives or associations of counties in this State and other interested parties, as determined by the board, shall develop program guidelines to implement the program. The guidelines shall set implementation criteria and shall be adopted by the board at a public meeting. Commencing on the first anniversary of the effective date of [this act] P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-25 et seq.), the corporation shall annually conduct at least one public hearing in each geographic region in order to gather information from interested parties as to the efficacy of the program. The corporation shall submit an annual report to the Legislature by October 1 of each year covering the period of the previous State fiscal year. The report shall cover the status of this program including any recommendations concerning the general improvement of mass transit for [the] senior citizens and [the] 1[disabled residents] people with disabilities1.
1The guidelines shall specify that any driver providing on-demand micro transit service through an on-demand micro transit program that receives funding through "The Senior Citizen and Disabled Resident Transportation Assistance Program," established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-28), and is operated by a county, whether directly or indirectly through contract or subcontract, is required to receive a federal Internal Revenue Service W-2 form.1
(cf: P.L.1983, c.578, s.5)
5. Section 7 of P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-31) is amended to read as follows:
7. a. [Moneys] Monies under this program shall be allocated by the corporation in the following manner:
(1) 85 [%] percent shall be available to be allocated to eligible counties for the purposes specified under paragraph (1) of subsection a. of section 4 of [this act.] P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-28); and
(2) 15 [%] percent shall be available for use by the corporation for the purposes specified under paragraph (2) of subsection a. of section 4 of [this act] P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-28) and for the general administration of the program, but no more than 10 [%] percent of the total [moneys] monies allocated under this program shall be used for the general administration of the program.
b. The amount of money [which] that each eligible county may receive shall be based upon the number of persons resident in that county of 60 years of age or older expressed as a percentage of the whole number of persons resident in this State of 60 years or older, as provided by the U.S. [Bureau of the] Census Bureau. As similar data become available for 1[the disabled resident population] people with disabilities1, such data shall be used in conjunction with the senior citizen data to determine the county allocation formula. No eligible county shall receive less than [$150,000.00] $150,000 during a fiscal year under this program [, except that during]. However, during the first fiscal year, no county shall receive less than [$50,000.00] $50,000 nor more than [$150,000.00] $150,000.
c. The governing body of an eligible county, or a group or groups designated as an applicant or as applicants by the county after a public hearing in which senior citizens and [the] 1[disabled residents] people with disabilities1 shall have the opportunity to comment on the appropriateness of such designation, may [make application] apply to the board for [moneys] monies available under subsection b. of this section. The application shall be in the form of a proposal to the board for transportation assistance and shall specify the degree to which the proposal meets the purposes of the program under paragraph (1) of subsection a. of section 4 of [this act] P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-28) and the implementation criteria under the program guidelines and the proposal shall have been considered at a public hearing. The board shall allocate [moneys] monies based upon a review of the merits of the proposals in meeting the purposes of the program, and the implementation criteria, under the program guidelines. The governing body of an eligible county shall schedule a public hearing annually for interested parties to provide the governing body with any facts, materials, or recommendations that would be of assistance regarding the efficacy of the program established under paragraph (1) of subsection a. of section 4 of [this act] P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-28).
(cf: P.L.2009, c.261, s.2)
6. Section 8 of P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-32) is amended to read as follows:
8. a. The board shall promulgate, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c. 410 (C. 54:14B-1 et seq.), [such] rules and regulations as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of 1[this act] P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-25 et seq.)1.
b. The corporation shall be entitled to call upon the assistance, or contract for services, of any State department, board, bureau, commission 1,1 or agency as may be necessary to implement the provisions of [this act] P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-25 et seq.).
c. Notice of any public hearing required to be held pursuant to [this act] P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-25 et seq.) shall be published at least 30 days prior to the date in at least two newspapers circulating in the specific geographic area in which the meeting is to be held. Notice of any hearing shall also be transmitted, at least 30 days in advance thereof, to every municipal clerk within the specified geographic area where the meeting will be held.
d. All public hearings held pursuant to [this act] P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-25 et seq.) shall be held at locations [which] that are accessible to senior citizens and [the] 1[disabled residents] people with disabilities1.
(cf: P.L.1983, c.578, s.8)
7. This act shall take effect immediately.
