Bill Text: NY S01509 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Relates to the appointees to the interagency coordinating committee on rural public transportation, and transportation of eligible persons residing in a rural area.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)

Status: (Passed) 2021-12-21 - SIGNED CHAP.691 [S01509 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-S01509-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         1509--A
            Cal. No. 280

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    January 12, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sens. MAY, O'MARA -- read twice and ordered printed, and
          when printed to be committed to the  Committee  on  Transportation  --
          reported  favorably  from  said committee, ordered to first and second
          report, ordered to a third reading, passed by Senate and delivered  to
          the  Assembly, recalled, vote reconsidered, restored to third reading,
          amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place  in  the  order  of
          third reading

        AN  ACT  to amend the transportation law, in relation to the interagency
          coordinating committee on rural public transportation;  and  to  amend
          the social services law, in relation to the transportation of eligible
          persons residing in a rural area

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Section 73-d of the transportation law, as amended by chap-
     2  ter 562 of the laws of 1987, subdivision 1 as amended by chapter 672  of
     3  the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
     4    § 73-d. Interagency coordinating committee on rural public transporta-
     5  tion.  1. There is hereby created a committee to be known as the "inter-
     6  agency  coordinating  committee  on  rural public transportation", to be
     7  comprised of nineteen members. The commissioner or his or  her  designee
     8  shall  serve as chairperson. Twelve of such members shall be the follow-
     9  ing or his or her duly designated representative: the  director  of  the
    10  office for the aging; the commissioner of education; the commissioner of
    11  labor;  the  commissioner  of  health; the commissioner of the office of
    12  mental health; the commissioner of the office of addiction services  and
    13  supports;  the  commissioner of the office for people with developmental
    14  disabilities; the commissioner of [social services; state  advocate  for
    15  the  disabled]  the  office for temporary and disability assistance; the
    16  executive director  of  the  New  York  state  justice  center  for  the
    17  protection of people with special needs; secretary of state; the commis-
    18  sioner  of agriculture and markets[; the director of the office of rural
    19  affairs] and the [director of the division for  youth]  commissioner  of
    20  the  office  of  children  and  family services. Six additional members,
    21  [all] five of  whom  shall  be  transportation  providers  or  consumers

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01858-06-1
        S. 1509--A                          2

     1  representing rural counties and one of whom shall be a representative of
     2  a  labor  union  affiliated  with  rural  public  transportation systems
     3  receiving mass transportation operating assistance pursuant  to  section
     4  eighteen-b  of this chapter, shall be appointed to serve a term of three
     5  years as follows:  two by the temporary president [pro-tempore]  of  the
     6  senate,  two  by the speaker of the assembly, one by the minority leader
     7  of the senate, and one by the minority leader of the  assembly.  Efforts
     8  shall be made to provide a broad representation of consumers and provid-
     9  ers  of  transportation  services  in  rural  counties  when making such
    10  appointments. Members of the committee shall receive  no  salary.    Any
    11  vacancies on the committee shall be filled in the manner provided for in
    12  the  initial  appointment. Beginning January first, two thousand twenty-
    13  two, the committee shall meet at least  once  every  three  months  and,
    14  beginning  January  first, two thousand twenty-four, the committee shall
    15  meet at least once every four months.
    16    The commissioner shall cause the department to provide  staff  assist-
    17  ance  necessary for the efficient and effective operation of the commit-
    18  tee.
    19    2. The committee shall:
    20    a. identify programs and the annual amounts and sources of funds  from
    21  such  programs  that  are  eligible  to be used to support a coordinated
    22  public transportation service, and the annual  amounts  and  sources  of
    23  such  funds  that  are  actually  used  for client transportation or for
    24  transportation of persons in connection with agency-affiliated  programs
    25  or services; such data shall be provided on a county basis;
    26    b.  identify restrictions on existing programs that inhibit funds from
    27  such programs being used to pay for a coordinated public  transportation
    28  service in rural counties;
    29    c.  recommend changes in state or local laws or regulations that would
    30  improve the coordination of funds, facilities, vehicles or equipment and
    31  other resources used for transportation at the local level;
    32    d. upon request, compile and forward to the commissioner any  data  or
    33  other information required by this section;
    34    e. conduct a study, in consultation with the department, of the avail-
    35  ability  of public transportation services in rural counties. Such study
    36  shall identify, examine and review the following: the efficiency, effec-
    37  tiveness, quality and availability of public transportation services  in
    38  rural  counties;  the current and projected operating and capital costs,
    39  revenues, subsidies, and ridership and service area data of each  public
    40  transportation  system operating within rural counties; the barriers and
    41  financial challenges to providing and  operating  public  transportation
    42  services  in  rural  counties;  and  the demographics of the populations
    43  which have, and  those  which  lack,  access  to  public  transportation
    44  services in rural counties. Such study shall include findings and recom-
    45  mendations to expand the level and availability of public transportation
    46  services  in  rural  counties.  On or before January first, two thousand
    47  twenty-three, the committee shall deliver such study  to  the  governor,
    48  the  temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, and
    49  the chairs of the senate and assembly transportation committees; and
    50    f. beginning June first, two thousand twenty-four and on the same date
    51  in each succeeding year, submit an annual report to  the  governor,  the
    52  temporary  president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, and the
    53  chairs of the senate and assembly transportation committees on the level
    54  and availability of public transportation services in rural counties.
    55    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.