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PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is the intent of the
1 2 general assembly to create a flexible, accessible, affordable,
1 3 and equitable transportation system which will allow Iowans
1 4 who have disabilities or are elderly to have a choice in
1 5 accessing transportation regardless of geographic location.
1 6 Sec. 2. DEFINITIONS.
1 7 As used in this Act:
1 8 1. "Department" means the state department of
1 9 transportation.
1 10 2. "Disability" means, with respect to an individual, a
1 11 physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or
1 12 more of the major life activities of the individual, a record
1 13 of physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one
1 14 or more of the major life activities of the individual, or
1 15 being regarded as an individual with a physical or mental
1 16 impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major
1 17 life activities of the individual. "Disability" does not
1 18 include any of the following:
1 19 a. Homosexuality or bisexuality.
1 20 b. Transvestitism, transsexualism, pedophilia,
1 21 exhibitionism, voyeurism, gender identity disorders not
1 22 resulting from physical impairments, or other sexual behavior
1 23 disorders.
1 24 c. Compulsive gambling, kleptomania, or pyromania.
1 25 d. Psychoactive substance abuse disorders resulting from
1 26 current illegal use of drugs.
1 27 3. "Hours of operation" means the actual hours that a
1 28 service provider is open to provide transportation services.
1 29 4. "Major life activity" includes functions such as caring
1 30 for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing,
1 31 hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, or working.
1 32 5. "Senior citizen" means an individual who is sixty years
1 33 of age or older.
1 34 6. "Transit system" means a public transit system defined
1 35 in section 324A.1.
2 1 Sec. 3. SENIOR CITIZEN AND DISABLED PERSONS TRANSPORTATION
2 2 PILOT PROGRAM.
2 3 1. The department shall establish a pilot program to
2 4 provide transportation for senior citizens and persons with
2 5 disabilities. The pilot program shall involve four one-year
2 6 pilot projects commencing on July 1, 1998. The pilot program
2 7 shall be implemented by the department in cooperation with an
2 8 oversight committee established by the department as follows:
2 9 a. The committee shall be comprised of eleven members,
2 10 appointed by the director of the department in accordance with
2 11 sections 69.16 and 69.16A.
2 12 b. Eight members of the committee shall be senior citizens
2 13 and persons with disabilities who are currently transit system
2 14 users.
2 15 c. Three members of the committee shall be employees of
2 16 the department.
2 17 d. Membership on the committee shall, to the extent
2 18 possible, be geographically balanced.
2 19 2. The committee shall have the following duties:
2 20 a. To develop a request for proposals to be issued by the
2 21 department, not later than October 1, 1997, to all transit
2 22 systems in the state regarding participation in the pilot
2 23 program and develop requirements for submission of proposals.
2 24 b. To select, not later than April 1, 1998, four transit
2 25 systems to participate in the pilot program.
2 26 c. To oversee operation of the pilot program and report to
2 27 the department and the general assembly not later than
2 28 December 31, 1999, regarding the pilot program. The report
2 29 shall contain information regarding the utilization of
2 30 transportation services by senior citizens and persons with
2 31 disabilities which were provided by each participating transit
2 32 system, the costs of providing the services which are incurred
2 33 by each participating transit system, and recommendations
2 34 regarding whether the pilot program should be expanded,
2 35 modified, or eliminated.
3 1 d. To develop minimum required hours of operation and
3 2 service user fees for the four transit systems selected to
3 3 participate in the pilot program.
3 4 3. Public members of the committee shall receive their
3 5 actual and necessary expenses associated with their official
3 6 duties in serving on the committee.
3 7 Sec. 4. SELECTION OF TRANSIT SYSTEMS. The four transit
3 8 systems selected by the committee to participate in the pilot
3 9 program shall meet the following criteria:
3 10 1. Provide transportation services to all persons with
3 11 disabilities or senior citizens within the service area of the
3 12 transit system regardless of age or disability.
3 13 2. Provide transportation services seven days a week,
3 14 including holidays, with hours of operation that meet the
3 15 minimum requirements established by the committee and that are
3 16 sufficient to meet the needs of persons with disabilities and
3 17 senior citizens, including operation during evenings and on
3 18 weekends.
3 19 3. Have the capability to respond to individual requests
3 20 for transportation services, including door-to-door service.
3 21 4. Coordinate with neighboring transit systems to allow
3 22 persons with disabilities and senior citizens to travel
3 23 outside the service area of the pilot project transit system.
3 24 5. Be able to commence operations on July 1, 1998.
3 25 6. Establish a local advisory board to oversee the pilot
3 26 project consisting of five persons with disabilities, five
3 27 senior citizens, and one representative of the transit system.
3 28 The advisory board shall meet at least quarterly to address
3 29 service user and transit system concerns and shall develop a
3 30 service user survey and forward the results to the department.
3 31 Sec. 5. APPROPRIATION. There is appropriated from the
3 32 general fund of the state to the state department of
3 33 transportation for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1997, and
3 34 ending June 30, 1998, the following amount, or so much thereof
3 35 as is necessary, to be used for the purposes designated:
4 1 For the senior citizen and disabled persons transportation
4 2 pilot program, including official expenses of members of the
4 3 pilot program oversight committee, support, miscellaneous
4 4 purposes, and for providing $225,000 to each of the four
4 5 transit systems chosen for the pilot program:
4 6 .................................................. $ 1,000,000
4 7 The department may utilize up to $100,000 of the funds for
4 8 administrative costs and expenses of the oversight committee,
4 9 which may include the costs of a program administrator. Each
4 10 transit system selected for the pilot program may use up to
4 11 $50,000 of the funds allocated to the transit system for
4 12 administrative costs.
4 13 Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys appropriated in this
4 14 section which remain unexpended or unobligated at the close of
4 15 the fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund of the
4 16 state but shall remain available for expenditure in the
4 17 succeeding fiscal year. Funds remaining unobligated on June
4 18 30, 1999, shall revert to the general fund of the state.
4 19 Sec. 6. EFFECTIVE DATES. Section 3, subsection 1, of this
4 20 Act, being deemed of immediate importance, takes effect upon
4 21 enactment. The remainder of the Act takes effect on July 1,
4 22 1997.
4 23 EXPLANATION
4 24 This bill establishes a senior citizen and disabled persons
4 25 transportation pilot program in the state department of
4 26 transportation. The bill requires the department to establish
4 27 an oversight committee to implement the pilot program
4 28 consisting of eight members who are persons with disabilities
4 29 and senior citizens and three members who are department
4 30 employees. The committee is to develop a request for
4 31 proposals to be distributed to transit systems in the state,
4 32 select four transit systems to participate in the pilot
4 33 program, and prepare a report to the department and the
4 34 general assembly on the pilot program. The committee is to be
4 35 politically and gender balanced and as geographically balanced
5 1 as possible.
5 2 The committee is to select four transit systems to
5 3 participate in the pilot program based on their ability to
5 4 provide transportation services to senior citizens and persons
5 5 with disabilities in a flexible manner on a seven-days-a-week
5 6 basis and during sufficient hours of operation to meet the
5 7 needs of the senior citizens and persons with disabilities in
5 8 the transit system's service area. Each transit system
5 9 selected shall form an advisory board consisting of five
5 10 members who are senior citizens and five members who have
5 11 disabilities and one representative from the transit system.
5 12 The bill directs the department to issue the request for
5 13 proposals not later than October 1, 1997, and directs the
5 14 oversight committee to select the four participating transit
5 15 systems not later than April 1, 1998, and to provide a report
5 16 to the department and the general assembly not later than
5 17 December 31, 1999. The actual transportation service portion
5 18 of the pilot program shall last one year, from July 1, 1998,
5 19 to June 30, 1999.
5 20 The bill defines several terms, including "senior citizen"
5 21 (a person age 60 or older) and "transit system" (defined as a
5 22 public, regional, or urban transit system under Code chapter
5 23 324A). The bill defines the term "disability" the same as
5 24 defined in Code section 15.102, subsection 5.
5 25 The bill takes effect on July 1, 1997, except for the
5 26 provisions regarding the establishment of the committee by the
5 27 department, which take effect upon enactment.
5 28 LSB 1712SV 77
5 29 mk/cf/24
Text: SF00362 Text: SF00364 Text: SF00300 - SF00399 Text: SF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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