S2687

An Act authorizing the creation of the “New Jersey Council on Access and Mobility” and supplementing Title 27 of the Revised Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. There is established in, but not of, the Department of Transportation, the “New Jersey Council on Access and Mobility.”

b. The council shall consist of 15 members, as follows:

(1) the Commissioner of Transportation, ex officio, or the commissioner’s designee;

(2) the Commissioner of Human Services, ex officio, or the commissioner’s designee;

(3) the Commissioner of Education, ex officio, or the commissioner’s designee;

(4) the Commissioner of Community Affairs, ex officio, or the commissioner’s designee;

(5) the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, ex officio, or the commissioner’s designee;

(6) the Executive Director of the New Jersey Transit Corporation, ex officio, or the executive director’s designee;

(7) the Director of the Office of Disability Services in the Department of Human Services, ex officio, or the director’s designee;

(8) the Director of the Division of Aging Services in the Department of Human Services, ex officio, or the director’s designee;

(9) the Director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities in the Department of Human Services, ex officio, or the director’s designee;

(10) the State Treasurer, ex officio, or the State Treasurer’s designee; and

(11) six public members, who have a demonstrated expertise in the coordination of transportation services or independent living services for persons with disabilities or senior citizens, of which:

(a) one of the public members shall be a representative of Disability Rights New Jersey;

(b) one of the public members shall be a representative of the Arc of New Jersey;

(d) one of the public members shall be a representative of the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities;

(e) one of the public members shall be a representative of the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey; and

(f) one of the public members shall be a representative of the New Jersey Council on Special Transportation.

Of the six public members appointed to the council, three shall be appointed by the President of the Senate and three shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly.

c. Each public member of the council shall serve for a term of three years, except that, of the members first appointed, two shall serve for a term of one year, two shall serve for a term of two years, and two shall serve for a term of three years. Each member shall serve for the term of appointment until the member’s successor is appointed and qualified. A public member who has completed a term of membership may be reappointed to the council. Vacancies in the council membership shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made.

d. The members of the council shall be appointed within 60 days after the effective date of this act, and the council shall hold its initial organizational meeting as soon as practicable, but no later than 30 days, after the appointment of a majority of its members. The Commissioner of Transportation, or a designee, shall serve as chairperson of the council, and the council shall meet, no less than annually, at such places and times as the chairperson may designate. The chairperson may appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the council.

e. Members of the council shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for travel and other necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the council for its purposes.

f. The Department of Transportation shall provide professional, stenographic, and clerical staff to the council, as may be necessary for the council to carry out its duties. The council shall also be entitled to call upon the services of any State, county, or municipal department, board, commission, or agency, as may be available to it for its purposes.

2. The purpose and duties of the council shall be to, no less than annually:

a. study the transportation services provided to persons with disabilities and senior citizens by the New Jersey Transit Corporation, State departments and agencies, counties, and municipalities;

b. analyze all available federal funding programs that may be used for mobility management of and to provide transportation services to persons with disabilities and senior citizens, and the ability of the State to qualify for those funds;

c. inventory existing State and federal transportation funding sources used for transportation services within the various departments and agencies in the State to study ways to improve transportation services and programs;

d. coordinate the provision of transportation services across all agencies that have an interest in the mobility of persons with disabilities and senior citizens; and

e. make recommendations for legislative or executive action to maximize the State’s acquisition of federal funding and the coordination of transportation services for persons with disabilities and senior citizens;

f. coordinate with the Federal Council on Access and Mobility.

3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes the New Jersey Council on Access and Mobility (council).

The council is to consist of: the Commissioner of Transportation; the Commissioner of Human Services; the Commissioner of Education; the Commissioner of Community Affairs; the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development; the Executive Director of the New Jersey Transit Corporation; the Director of the Office of Disability Services; the Director of the Division of Aging Services; the Director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities; the State Treasurer, and six public members, with three to be appointed by the President of the Senate and three to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly.

The public members are required to have a demonstrated expertise in the coordination of transportation services or independent living services for persons with disabilities or senior citizens and be representatives of the following: Disability Rights New Jersey; The Arc of New Jersey; the New Jersey Statewide Independent Living Council; the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities; the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers, the State University; and the New Jersey Council on Special Transportation.

The purpose and duties of the council is required to meet, no less than annually, to:

-- study the transportation services provided to persons with disabilities and senior citizens by the New Jersey Transit Corporation, State departments and agencies, counties, and municipalities;

-- analyze all available federal funding programs that may be used for mobility management of and to provide transportation services to persons with disabilities and senior citizens, and the ability of the State to qualify for those funds the ability of the State to qualify for those funds;

-- inventory existing State and federal transportation funding sources used for transportation services within the various departments and agencies in the State to study ways to improve transportation services and programs;

-- coordinate the provision of transportation services across all agencies that have an interest in the mobility of persons with disabilities and senior citizens;

-- make recommendations for legislative or executive action to maximize the State’s acquisition of federal funding and the coordination of transportation services for persons with disabilities and senior citizens; and

-- coordinate with the Federal Council on Access and Mobility.