Senate Bill 1492

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 1492

    By Senator Hargrett





    21-1503D-98

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the transportation

  3         disadvantaged (RAB); amending s. 427.011, F.S.;

  4         revising definitions; amending s. 427.012,

  5         F.S.; revising the membership of the Commission

  6         for the Transportation Disadvantaged; amending

  7         s. 427.013, F.S.; revising the purpose and

  8         responsibilities of the commission; amending s.

  9         427.0135, F.S.; revising the duties and

10         responsibilities of agencies that purchase

11         transportation disadvantaged services; amending

12         s. 427.015, F.S.; revising the function of the

13         metropolitan planning organization or

14         designated official planning agency in

15         coordinating transportation for the

16         transportation disadvantaged; amending s.

17         427.0155, F.S.; revising the powers and duties

18         of community transportation coordinators;

19         amending s. 427.0157, F.S.; revising the powers

20         and duties of local coordinating boards;

21         amending s. 427.0159, F.S.; revising provisions

22         with respect to the Transportation

23         Disadvantaged Trust Fund; amending s. 427.016,

24         F.S.; revising provisions with regard to the

25         expenditure of funds for the transportation

26         disadvantaged; conforming provisions; providing

27         an effective date.

28

29  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

30

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  1         Section 1.  Subsection (7) of section 427.011, Florida

  2  Statutes, is amended to read:

  3         427.011  Definitions.--For the purposes of ss.

  4  427.011-427.017:

  5         (7)  "Local coordinating board" means an advisory

  6  entity in each designated service area composed of

  7  representatives appointed by the metropolitan planning

  8  organization or designated official planning agency, to

  9  provide direction and oversight assistance to the community

10  transportation coordinator relative to the coordination of

11  transportation services.

12         Section 2.  Subsection (1) of section 427.012, Florida

13  Statutes, is amended to read:

14         427.012  The Commission for the Transportation

15  Disadvantaged.--There is created the Commission for the

16  Transportation Disadvantaged in the Department of

17  Transportation.

18         (1)  The commission shall consist of the following

19  members:

20         (a)  The secretary of the Department of Transportation

21  or the secretary's designee.

22         (b)  The secretary of the Department of Children and

23  Family Health and Rehabilitative Services or the secretary's

24  designee.

25         (c)  The secretary of the Department of Juvenile

26  Justice or the secretary's designee. The Commissioner of

27  Education or the commissioner's designee.

28         (d)  The secretary of the Department of Labor and

29  Employment Security or the secretary's designee.

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  1         (e)  The secretary of the Department of Health or the

  2  secretary's designee The executive director of the Department

  3  of Veterans' Affairs or the executive director's designee.

  4         (f)  The secretary of the Department of Elderly Affairs

  5  or the secretary's designee.

  6         (g)  The director of the Agency for Health Care

  7  Administration or the director's designee.

  8         (h)  A representative of the Florida Association for

  9  Community Action, who shall serve at the pleasure of that

10  association.

11         (i)  A representative of the Florida Transit

12  Association, who shall serve at the pleasure of that

13  association.

14         (j)  A person who uses the transportation services of

15  the coordinated system as their primary means of

16  transportation. Such person shall be appointed by the Governor

17  to serve a term of 4 years. A person over the age of 60 who is

18  a member of a recognized statewide organization representing

19  elderly Floridians. Such person shall be appointed by the

20  Governor to represent elderly Floridians and shall be

21  appointed to serve a term of 4 years.

22         (k)  A handicapped person who is a member of a

23  recognized statewide organization representing handicapped

24  Floridians. Such person shall be appointed by the Governor to

25  represent handicapped Floridians and shall be appointed to

26  serve a term of 4 years.

27         (k)(l)  A representative of the local coordinating

28  boards. Such person shall be appointed by the Governor to

29  represent all local coordinating boards and shall be appointed

30  to serve a term of 4 years. Two citizen advocate

31  representatives who shall be appointed by the Governor for a

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  1  term of 4 years, one representing rural citizens and one

  2  representing urban citizens.

  3         (l)(m)  A representative of the Florida Association of

  4  Coordinated Transportation Systems community transportation

  5  coordinators. Such person shall serve at the pleasure of the

  6  association be appointed by the Governor to represent all

  7  community transportation coordinators and shall be appointed

  8  to serve a term of 4 years.

  9         (n)  One member of the Early Childhood Council. Such

10  person shall be appointed by the Governor to represent

11  maternal and child health care providers and shall be

12  appointed to serve a term of 4 years.

13         (m)(o)  Two representatives of current private

14  for-profit or private not-for-profit transportation operators,

15  one representing rural areas and one representing urban areas.

16  Such persons shall be appointed by the governor to serve a

17  term of 4 years. operators each of which have a minimum of 5

18  years of continuous experience operating a broad-based system

19  of ambulatory and wheelchair/stretcher type transportation,

20  utilizing not less than 50 vehicles and including dispatch and

21  scheduling responsibilities. Such persons shall be appointed

22  by the Commissioner of Agriculture to serve a term of 4 years.

23         (n)  Two representatives of planning agencies,

24  including a representative of the Metropolitan Planning

25  Organization Advisory Council, and a representative of the

26  Florida Association of Regional Planning Councils.  Such

27  persons shall serve at the pleasure of these organizations.

28         (p)  Four representatives of current private for-profit

29  or private not-for-profit transportation operators, each of

30  which having a minimum of 5 years of continuous experience

31  operating a broad-based system of ambulatory and wheelchair or

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  1  stretcher-type transportation, utilizing not less than 50

  2  vehicles, and including dispatch and scheduling

  3  responsibilities. Such persons shall be appointed by the

  4  Commissioner of Agriculture to serve a term of 4 years.

  5         (q)  Six citizens representing the nontransportation

  6  business community of the state, three members appointed by

  7  the President of the Senate and three members appointed by the

  8  Speaker of the House of Representatives.

  9         Section 3.  Section 427.013, Florida Statutes, is

10  amended to read:

11         427.013  The Commission for the Transportation

12  Disadvantaged; purpose and responsibilities.--The purpose of

13  the commission is to assist local areas in accomplishing

14  accomplish the coordination of transportation services

15  provided to the transportation disadvantaged. The goal of this

16  coordination shall be to assure the cost-effective provision

17  of transportation by qualified community transportation

18  coordinators or transportation operators for the

19  transportation disadvantaged without any bias or presumption

20  in favor of multioperator systems or not-for-profit

21  transportation operators over single operator systems or

22  for-profit transportation operators. In carrying out this

23  purpose, the commission shall:

24         (1)  Compile all available information on the

25  transportation operations for and needs of the transportation

26  disadvantaged in the state.

27         (2)  Establish statewide objectives for providing

28  transportation services for the transportation disadvantaged.

29         (3)  Develop policies and procedures for the

30  coordination of local government, federal, and state funding

31  for the transportation disadvantaged.

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  1         (4)  Identify barriers prohibiting the coordination and

  2  accessibility of transportation services to the transportation

  3  disadvantaged and aggressively pursue the elimination of these

  4  barriers.

  5         (5)  Serve as a clearinghouse for information about

  6  transportation disadvantaged services, training, funding

  7  sources, innovations, and coordination efforts.

  8         (6)  Assist communities in developing transportation

  9  systems designed to serve the transportation disadvantaged.

10         (7)  Assure that all procedures, guidelines, and

11  directives issued by member departments are conducive to the

12  coordination of transportation services.

13         (8)(a)  Assure that member departments purchase all

14  trips within the coordinated system, unless they use a more

15  cost-effective alternative provider, pursuant to certain

16  criteria established by a local coordinating board.

17         (b)  Provide, by rule, criteria and procedures for

18  member departments to use if they wish to use an alternative

19  provider. Departments must demonstrate either that the

20  proposed alternative provider can provide a trip of acceptable

21  quality for the clients at a lower cost than that provided

22  within the coordinated system, or that the coordinated system

23  cannot accommodate the department's clients.

24         (9)  Develop minimum standards covering coordination,

25  operation, costs, and utilization of transportation

26  disadvantaged services. These standards shall include, but not

27  be limited to:

28         (a)  Inclusion, by rule, of acceptable ranges of trip

29  costs for the various modes and types of transportation

30  services provided.

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  1         (b)  Minimum performance standards for the delivery of

  2  services. These standards should be included in coordinator

  3  and operator contracts with clear penalties for repeated or

  4  continuing violations.

  5         (10)  Develop and monitor rules and procedures to

  6  implement the provisions of ss. 427.011-427.017.

  7         (11)  Approve the appointment of all community

  8  transportation coordinators.

  9         (11)(12)  Have the authority to apply for and accept

10  funds, grants, gifts, and services from the Federal

11  Government, state government, local governments, or private

12  funding sources. Applications by the commission for local

13  government funds shall be coordinated through the appropriate

14  local coordinating board. Funds acquired or accepted under

15  this subsection shall be administered by the commission and

16  shall be used to carry out the commission's responsibilities.

17         (12)(13)  Make an annual report to the Governor, the

18  President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of

19  Representatives by January 1 of each year.

20         (13)(14)  Consolidate, for each state agency, the

21  annual budget estimates for transportation disadvantaged

22  services, and the amounts of each agency's actual

23  expenditures, together with the annual budget estimates of

24  each official planning agency, local government, and directly

25  federally funded agency and issue a report.

26         (14)(15)  Prepare a statewide 5-year transportation

27  disadvantaged plan which addresses the transportation problems

28  and needs of the transportation disadvantaged, which is fully

29  coordinated with local transit plans, compatible with local

30  government comprehensive plans, and which ensures that the

31  most cost-effective and efficient method of providing

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  1  transportation to the disadvantaged is programmed for

  2  development.

  3         (15)(16)  Review and approve memorandums of agreement

  4  for the provisions of coordinated transportation services.

  5         (16)(17)  Review, monitor, and coordinate all

  6  transportation disadvantaged local government, state, and

  7  federal fund requests and plans for conformance with

  8  commission policy, without delaying the application process.

  9  Such funds shall be available only to those entities

10  participating in an approved coordinated transportation system

11  or entities which have received a commission-approved waiver

12  to obtain all or part of their transportation through another

13  means. This process shall identify procedures for coordinating

14  with the state's intergovernmental coordination and review

15  procedures and s. 216.212(1) and any other appropriate grant

16  review process.

17         (17)(18)  Develop an interagency uniform contracting

18  and billing and accounting system that shall be used by all

19  community transportation coordinators and their transportation

20  operators.

21         (18)(19)  Develop and maintain a transportation

22  disadvantaged manual.

23         (19)(20)  Design and develop transportation

24  disadvantaged training programs.

25         (20)(21)  Coordinate all transportation disadvantaged

26  programs with appropriate state, local, and federal agencies

27  and public transit agencies to ensure compatibility with

28  existing transportation systems.

29         (21)(22)  Designate the official planning agency in

30  areas outside of the purview of a metropolitan planning

31  organization.

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  1         (23)  Develop need-based criteria that must be used by

  2  all community transportation coordinators to prioritize the

  3  delivery of nonsponsored transportation disadvantaged services

  4  that are purchased with Transportation Disadvantaged Trust

  5  Fund moneys.

  6         (24)  Establish a review procedure to compare the rates

  7  proposed by alternate transportation operators with the rates

  8  charged by a community transportation coordinator to determine

  9  which rate is more cost-effective.

10         (25)  Conduct a cost-comparison study of

11  single-coordinator, multicoordinator, and brokered community

12  transportation coordinator networks to ensure that the most

13  cost-effective and efficient method of providing

14  transportation to the transportation disadvantaged is

15  programmed for development.

16         (22)  Establish minimum screening criteria to determine

17  eligibility for nonsponsored transportation disadvantaged

18  assistance. The criteria must be based, at a minimum, on the

19  following:

20         (a)  Availability of fixed route transit services;

21         (b)  Availability of funds from other sources;

22         (c)  Physical or mental disability; and

23         (d)  Prohibition against self-declarations.

24         (23)(26)  Develop a quality assurance and evaluation

25  management review program to monitor, based upon approved

26  commission standards, services contracted for by an agency,

27  and those provided by a community transportation operator

28  pursuant to s. 427.0155. Quality assurance and evaluation

29  review activities must be developed and implemented in

30  cooperation with local coordinating boards. Staff of the

31  quality assurance and management review program shall function

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  1  independently and be directly responsible to the executive

  2  director.

  3         (24)  Contract with the Center for Urban Transportation

  4  Research to develop a basic services rate model to identify

  5  minimum standards and services that are common to all agencies

  6  and add-on charges that may be assessed for any

  7  agency-specific requirements above this base.

  8         Section 4.  Subsection (1) of section 427.0135, Florida

  9  Statutes, is amended to read:

10         427.0135  Member departments; duties and

11  responsibilities.--Each member department, in carrying out the

12  policies and procedures of the commission, shall:

13         (1)(a)  Use the coordinated transportation system for

14  provision of services to its clients, unless each department

15  meets the criteria developed by the local coordinating board

16  outlined in rule to use an alternative provider.

17         (b)  Subject to the provisions of s. 409.908(18), the

18  Medicaid agency shall purchase transportation services through

19  the community coordinated transportation system unless a more

20  cost-effective method is determined by the agency for Medicaid

21  clients or unless otherwise limited or directed by the General

22  Appropriations Act.

23         Section 5.  Section 427.015, Florida Statutes, is

24  amended to read:

25         427.015  Function of the metropolitan planning

26  organization or designated official planning agency in

27  coordinating transportation for the transportation

28  disadvantaged.--

29         (1)  In developing the transportation improvement

30  program, each metropolitan planning organization or designated

31  official planning agency in this state shall include a

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  1  realistic estimate of the cost and revenue that will be

  2  derived from transportation disadvantaged services in its

  3  area.  The transportation improvement program shall also

  4  identify transportation improvements that will be advanced

  5  with such funds during the program period. Funds required by

  6  this subsection to be included in the transportation

  7  improvement program shall only be included after consultation

  8  with all affected agencies and shall only be expended if such

  9  funds are included in the transportation improvement program.

10         (2)  Each metropolitan planning organization or

11  designated official planning agency shall recommend to the

12  local coordinating board commission a single community

13  transportation coordinator. The coordinator may provide all or

14  a portion of needed transportation services for the

15  transportation disadvantaged but shall be responsible for the

16  provision of those coordinated services. Based on approved

17  commission evaluation criteria, The coordinator shall

18  subcontract or broker those services that are more

19  cost-effectively and efficiently provided by subcontracting or

20  brokering. The performance of the coordinator shall be

21  evaluated annually based on the commission's approved

22  evaluation criteria by the local coordinating board at least

23  annually. A copy of the evaluation shall be submitted to the

24  metropolitan planning organization or the designated official

25  planning agency, and the commission. The recommendation or

26  termination of any community transportation coordinator shall

27  be subject to approval by the commission.

28         (3)  Each metropolitan planning organization or

29  designated official planning agency shall request each local

30  government in its jurisdiction to provide an estimate of all

31  local and direct federal funds to be expended for

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  1  transportation for the disadvantaged. The metropolitan

  2  planning organization or designated official planning agency

  3  shall consolidate this information into a single report and

  4  forward it, by the beginning of each fiscal year, to the local

  5  coordinating board and the commission.

  6         Section 6.  Section 427.0155, Florida Statutes, is

  7  amended to read:

  8         427.0155  Community transportation coordinators; powers

  9  and duties.--Community transportation coordinators shall have

10  the following powers and duties:

11         (1)  Execute uniform contracts for service using a

12  standard contract, which includes performance standards for

13  operators.  When purchasing transportation disadvantaged

14  services, each community transportation coordinator must

15  comply with the competitive-procurement procedures contained

16  in chapter 287.

17         (2)  Collect annual operating data for submittal to the

18  commission and the local coordinating board.

19         (3)  Review all transportation operator contracts

20  annually.

21         (4)  Approve and coordinate the utilization of school

22  bus and public transportation services in accordance with the

23  transportation disadvantaged service plan.

24         (5)  In cooperation with a local functioning

25  coordinating board, review all applications for local

26  government, federal, and state transportation disadvantaged

27  funds, and develop cost-effective coordination strategies.

28         (6)  In cooperation with, and approved by, the

29  coordinating board, Develop, negotiate, implement, and monitor

30  a memorandum of agreement including a service plan, for

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  1  approval by the local coordinating board submittal to the

  2  commission.

  3         (7)  In cooperation with the local coordinating board

  4  and pursuant to minimum criteria developed by the Commission

  5  for the Transportation Disadvantaged, establish priorities

  6  with regard to the recipients of nonsponsored transportation

  7  disadvantaged services that are purchased with Transportation

  8  Disadvantaged Trust Fund moneys.

  9         (8)  Have full responsibility for the delivery of

10  transportation services for the transportation disadvantaged

11  as outlined in s. 427.015(2).

12         Section 7.  Section 427.0157, Florida Statutes, is

13  amended to read:

14         427.0157  Local coordinating boards; powers and

15  duties.--The purpose of each local coordinating board is to

16  develop local service needs and to provide information,

17  evaluation advice, and direction to the community

18  transportation coordinators on the coordination of services to

19  be provided to the transportation disadvantaged.  The

20  commission shall, by rule, establish the membership of

21  coordinating boards.  The members of each board shall be

22  appointed by the metropolitan planning organization or

23  designated official planning agency.  The appointing authority

24  shall provide each board with sufficient staff support and

25  resources to enable the board to fulfill its responsibilities

26  under this section.  Each board shall meet at least quarterly

27  and shall:

28         (1)  Review and approve the coordinated community

29  transportation disadvantaged service plan, including the

30  memorandum of agreement with the community transportation

31  coordinator, prior to submittal to the commission;

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  1         (2)  Evaluate services provided in meeting the approved

  2  plan;

  3         (3)  In cooperation with the community transportation

  4  coordinator, review and provide recommendations to the

  5  commission on funding applications affecting the

  6  transportation disadvantaged;

  7         (4)  With the assistance of Assist the community

  8  transportation coordinator, establish in establishing

  9  priorities with regard to the recipients of nonsponsored

10  transportation disadvantaged services that are purchased with

11  Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund moneys;.

12         (5)  Review the coordination strategies of service

13  provision to the transportation disadvantaged in the

14  designated service area; and

15         (6)  Evaluate multicounty or regional transportation

16  opportunities and encourage counties to enter into reciprocal

17  agreements and recognize licensing from other jurisdictions;.

18         (7)  Establish criteria and procedures for member

19  departments to use if they wish to use an alternate provider;

20         (8)  Develop standards and performance eligibility

21  screening criteria for individuals who seek transportation

22  disadvantaged services;

23         (9)  With the assistance of the community

24  transportation coordinator, develop cost-effective

25  transportation alternatives within the coordinated system; and

26         (10)  Develop reciprocal agreements with adjacent local

27  coordinating boards in order to facilitate and foster

28  innovations to reduce costs and legal barriers to regional

29  transportation disadvantaged services.

30         Section 8.  Section 427.0159, Florida Statutes, is

31  amended to read:

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  1         427.0159  Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund.--

  2         (1)  There is established in the State Treasury the

  3  Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund to be administered by

  4  the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged. All fees

  5  collected for the transportation disadvantaged program under

  6  s. 320.03(9) shall be deposited in the trust fund.

  7         (2)  Funds deposited in the trust fund shall be

  8  appropriated by the Legislature to the commission and shall be

  9  used to fund grants for operational, planning, and match

10  requirement expenses associated with the provision of

11  transportation disadvantaged services. Funds may also be used

12  to carry out the responsibilities of the commission, and to

13  fund the administrative expenses of the commission.

14         (3)  The commission, in consultation with

15  transportation community transportation coordinators

16  representing rural and urban coordinated systems, shall

17  determine a fair and equitable grant-distribution formula for

18  transportation disadvantaged funds. The formula must include a

19  base allocation for each county and must incorporate the

20  following variables:

21         (a)  Average trip length;

22         (b)  Percentage of low-income population to total

23  county population;

24         (c)  Number of medical trips performed;

25         (d)  Number of trips per vehicle;

26         (e)  Number of trips per vehicle mile; and

27         (f)  The availability of mass transit.

28         (3)  Funds deposited in the trust fund may be used by

29  the commission to subsidize a portion of a transportation

30  disadvantaged person's transportation costs which is not

31  sponsored by an agency, only if a cash or in-kind match is

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  1  required. Funds for nonsponsored transportation disadvantaged

  2  services shall be distributed based upon the need of the

  3  recipient and according to criteria developed by the

  4  Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged.

  5         (4)  The commission shall develop baseline measures for

  6  use by local coordinating boards in evaluating the performance

  7  of the transportation disadvantaged program in their service

  8  areas. The measures may be both quantitative and qualitative.

  9  The measures must, at a minimum, assess performance in the

10  following areas:

11         (a)  Cost efficiency of the coordinated system;

12         (b)  Service efficiency of the coordinated system;

13         (c)  Service availability of the coordinated system;

14         (d)  System safety and service quality;

15         (e)  Use of transportation alternatives operating

16  within the coordinated system; and

17         (f)  System effectiveness in improving the overall

18  mobility of the transportation disadvantaged.

19         Section 9.  Section 427.016, Florida Statutes, is

20  amended to read:

21         427.016  Expenditure of local government, state, and

22  federal funds for the transportation disadvantaged.--

23         (1)(a)  All transportation disadvantaged funds expended

24  within the state shall be expended to purchase transportation

25  services from community transportation coordinators or public,

26  private, or private nonprofit transportation operators within

27  the coordinated transportation system, except when the rates

28  charged by proposed alternate operators are determined by the

29  local coordinating board proven, pursuant to rules generated

30  by the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged, to be

31  more cost-effective and are not a risk to the public health,

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  1  safety, or welfare.  However, in areas where transportation

  2  suited to the unique needs of a transportation disadvantaged

  3  person cannot be purchased through the coordinated system, or

  4  where the agency has met the rule criteria established by a

  5  local coordinating board for using an alternative provider,

  6  the service may be contracted for directly by the appropriate

  7  agency.

  8         (b)  Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to

  9  limit or preclude the Medicaid agency from establishing

10  maximum fee schedules, individualized reimbursement policies

11  by provider type, negotiated fees, competitive bidding, or any

12  other mechanism that the agency considers efficient and

13  effective for the purchase of services on behalf of Medicaid

14  clients.  State and local agencies shall not contract for any

15  transportation disadvantaged services, including Medicaid

16  reimbursable transportation services, with any community

17  transportation coordinator or transportation operator that has

18  been determined by the Agency for Health Care Administration,

19  the Department of Legal Affairs Medicaid Fraud Control Unit,

20  or any state or federal agency to have engaged in any abusive

21  or fraudulent billing activities.

22         (2)  Each agency purchasing transportation

23  disadvantaged services, whether or not it is a member of the

24  Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged, shall inform

25  the commission in writing, before the beginning of each fiscal

26  year, of the specific amount of any money the agency allocated

27  for transportation disadvantaged services. Additionally, each

28  state agency shall, by September 15 of each year, provide the

29  commission with an accounting of the actual amount of funds

30  expended and the total number of trips purchased.

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  1         (3)  Each metropolitan planning organization or

  2  designated official planning agency shall annually compile a

  3  report accounting for all local government and direct federal

  4  funds for transportation for the disadvantaged expended in its

  5  jurisdiction and forward this report by September 15 to the

  6  commission.

  7         Section 10.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

  8  law.

  9

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11                          SENATE SUMMARY

12    Revises provisions relating to the transportation
      disadvantaged. Redefines the term "coordinating board" as
13    "local coordinating board" and conforms provisions.
      Revises the membership, responsibilities, and duties of
14    the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged.
      Revises the duties of agencies that purchase
15    transportation disadvantaged services. Revises related
      duties of the metropolitan planning organization,
16    community transportation coordinators, and local
      coordinating boards. Revises the purposes for which funds
17    in the Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund may be
      used.
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