Bill Text: NJ S919 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes "New Jersey Transit ADA Task Force."
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Transportation Committee [S919 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S919-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator KRISTIN M. CORRADO
District 40 (Bergen, Essex and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes "New Jersey Transit ADA Task Force."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act establishing the "New Jersey Transit ADA Task Force."
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. There is established the "New Jersey Transit ADA Task Force."
a. The task force shall consist of the following nine members:
(1) the Commissioner of Transportation, ex officio, or the commissioner's designee;
(2) the Executive Director of the New Jersey Transit Corporation, ex officio, or the executive director's designee;
(3) three public members appointed by the Governor, including one member who shall be a representative from an organization whose members advocate for persons with disabilities;
(4) two public members appointed by the President of the Senate; and
(5) two public members appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly.
b. The members of the task force shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for necessary and actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties to the extent that funds are made available for that purpose.
2. a. The task force shall organize as soon as practicable following the appointment of a majority of its members, but no later than 60 days after the effective date of this act. Vacancies in the membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made. The task force shall select a chairperson from among its members and may appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the task force. The task force shall meet at the call of the chairperson.
b. The New Jersey Transit Corporation shall provide stenographic, clerical, and other administrative assistance and professional staff, including but not limited to corporation engineers and architects, as the task force requires to carry out its work. The task force shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available for its purposes.
3. a. For purposes of this section, "Americans with Disabilities Act" means the "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990" (42 U.S.C. s.12101 et seq.), any acts amendatory or supplementary thereto, and any regulations and standards adopted thereunder.
b. The task force shall study all terminals, stations, stops, and equipment owned or operated by the New Jersey Transit Corporation and all terminals, stations, stops, and equipment owned or operated by an entity under contract with the corporation for compliance with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The task force shall:
(1) study and compile a list of all upgrades that need to be completed in order to ensure that the terminals, stations, stops, and equipment owned or operated by the corporation or an entity under contract with the corporation are in full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act;
(2) study and determine the cost to complete each upgrade identified in paragraph (1) of subsection b. of this section; and
(3) study and determine whether ramps may be installed at terminals, stations, and stops where elevators are not available or where elevators are not in compliance with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
4. The task force shall prepare and submit a report of its findings and recommendations that comply with the provisions of section 3 of this act to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature no later than two years after the effective date of this act. The task force shall expire upon submission of this report.
5. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon submission of the report required by section 4 of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes a nine member "New Jersey Transit ADA Task Force" (task force) to study all terminals, stations, stops, and equipment owned or operated by the New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) and all terminals, stations, stops, and equipment owned or operated by an entity under contract with NJ Transit for compliance with the federal requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Under the bill, the task force is required to utilize the assistance of professional staff as needed to study and compile a list of all upgrades that need to be completed in order to ensure that the terminals, stations, stops, and equipment owned or operated by NJ Transit or an entity under contract with NJ Transit are in full compliance with the ADA. The task force is also required to study and determine the cost to complete each upgrade and study and determine whether ramps may be installed at certain terminals, stations, and stops.
The task force is to prepare and submit a report of its findings and recommendations no later than two years after the bill's effective date. The task force expires upon submission of the report.
