Bill > A2117

Introduced Session

This bill would require the Commissioner of Transportation, in consultation with the Commissioner of Human Services, to establish a three-year pilot program to enhance the availability and accessibility of paratransit and expand the number of community-based paratransit options for senior citizens and persons with disabilities in the State, particularly in those areas of the State that are not served by the Access Link - the paratransit service that has been implemented by the New Jersey Transit Corporation for the purposes of complying with the "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990," Pub.L.101-336 (42 U.S.C. s.12101 et seq.). The commissioners, in consultation with each other, will be required to designate at least three regions of the State, one in the southern, one in the northern, and one in the central parts of the State, in which the pilot program will operate. When designating paratransit service regions, the commissioners are to consider: 1) the demand for paratransit services in the region and the number of people who would benefit from enhanced paratransit services in the region; 2) whether, and the extent to which, the region is served by Access Link; and 3) any other factor deemed to be relevant. To the extent practicable, pilot program service regions are to be designated in areas of the State that are not well served by Access Link. The bill will require the Commissioner of Transportation to solicit applications from, and approve a sufficient number of, organizations to provide paratransit services under the pilot program. In order to be approved to provide paratransit services under the pilot program, a service provider will need to: 1) be a community-based for-profit or not-for-profit organization (with priority consideration being given to those community-based organizations that are dedicated to serving senior citizens or persons with disabilities); 2) certify that the provider is capable of complying with the transportation responsibilities established under the pilot program; 3) demonstrate that the provider has a workers' compensation policy, a general liability insurance policy, and an automobile liability insurance policy that covers all vehicles that will be used in the provision of paratransit services under the pilot program; 4) certify that, when operating under the pilot program, the provider will use vehicles that seat no less than four passengers, in addition to the driver; 5) certify that all drivers and other staff members employed by the provider are appropriately licensed or certified to provide transportation services, as required by law; 5) comply with all applicable criminal history record background check requirements imposed by the Commissioner of Transportation, in consultation with the Commissioner of Human Services, and not employ any driver or other person who has ever been convicted of a disqualifying offense, regardless of the date of the offense or conviction therefor; 6) register each vehicle to be used in the pilot program as a "commercial" or "livery" vehicle, as appropriate, and maintain a current vehicle inspection report for each such vehicle; and 7) commit to providing paratransit services within fifteen minutes of the scheduled pick-up time. Each community-based organization approved to participate in the pilot program will also be required to ensure that training is completed by the organization's drivers and by other staff members who will come into direct contact with a person receiving paratransit services, either within three months after the organization is approved to participate in the pilot program or within 30 days after the employee is hired, whichever is later. Training is to include instruction on how to provide appropriate and courteous treatment, how to engage in positive interactions with, and how to satisfy the special needs of, persons who are receiving paratransit services under the pilot program. The Commissioner of Human Services will be required to develop and distribute training materials to all approved providers. Each community-based organization approved to participate in the pilot program will be required to maintain the following records and make them available to the commissioners at the conclusion of each year of the pilot program's operation or at more frequent intervals as determined by the commissioners to be appropriate: 1) a daily and monthly paratransit log showing the types of vehicles dispatched, the number of unique passengers served, and the dedicated routes, if any, or pick-up locations that were established for and used by each vehicle; 2) a log of cases in which the waiting time for paratransit service was in excess of 15 minutes past the scheduled pick-up time; and 3) a copy of any complaints received by the provider in relation to the services provided under the pilot program, including an indication as to whether and how each complaint was resolved. Within 90 days after the conclusion of the three-year pilot program, the commissioners will be required to jointly prepare and submit a written report to the Governor and the Legislature, evaluating the success of the program. The report is to include certain details about the program, as specified by the bill, as well as an indication as to whether the pilot program should be continued on a permanent, Statewide basis and recommendations for any executive or legislative action that will be necessary to ensure the program's ongoing success, if continued.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Jim Kennedy (D)*,  Bill Moen (D)*,  Shama Haider (D),  Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D), 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Aging and Human Services Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document