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General Assembly Committee Bill No. 208
January Session, 2023
LCO No. 4233
Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES
Introduced by:
(HS)
AN ACT EXPANDING ACCESS TO LOW -COST OR FREE
TRANSPORTATION FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 13b-38bb of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2023): 2
(a) The Commissioner of Transportation shall establish a state 3
matching grant program, in accordance with the provisions of this 4
section, which shall be available to any municipality upon application 5
of such municipality. Such grants shall be expended by such 6
municipalities for elderly and disabled demand responsive 7
transportation programs that shall be available to persons age sixty or 8
older. 9
(b) Each municipality applying for such grant funds shall provide a 10
fifty per cent match to such funds, except that a municipality that 11
provides transportation services for persons with disabilities multiple 12
times per week in a neighboring municipality shall provide a twenty-13
five per cent match. If a municipality chooses not to apply for such 14
funds, its portion shall revert to the Special Transportation Fund. 15
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[(b)] (c) Not later than thirty days after the commissioner determines 16
an allocation amount, the commissioner shall notify municipalities of 17
the availability of such amount. 18
[(c)] (d) Municipalities shall apply to the state through a designated 19
regional planning organization or transit district for funding allocations. 20
The regional planning organization or transit district and municipalities 21
interested in applying for the funds shall collaborate on service design 22
to determine how to use the funding most effectively in that 23
municipality and its surrounding region. The commissioner shall have 24
the authority to approve or disapprove the method for delivery of 25
service. 26
[(d)] (e) The maximum amount allocated to a municipality shall be 27
determined by the commissioner in accordance with the following 28
formula: Fifty per cent of such funds shall be apportioned on the basis 29
of the share of the population of persons age sixty or older in the 30
municipality relative to the state's total population of persons age sixty 31
or older, as defined in the most recent federal decennial census or in 32
estimates provided in the five-year interim by the Office of Policy and 33
Management. Fifty per cent of such funds shall be apportioned on the 34
basis of a municipality's square mileage relative to the state's total 35
square mileage. 36
[(e) Each municipality applying for such grant funds shall provide a 37
fifty per cent match to such funds. If a municipality chooses not to apply 38
for such funds, its portion shall revert to the Special Transportation 39
Fund.] 40
(f) A municipality, receiving a grant provided pursuant to this 41
section, shall annually submit to the Commissioner of Transportation, 42
on forms provided by said commissioner, the following data on such 43
transportation programs: (1) The number of unduplicated riders; (2) the 44
number of one-way trips; (3) the number of miles traveled; (4) the 45
number of trip denials; (5) the number of hours vehicles are in use 46
annually; (6) all federal, state, municipal and other revenues received 47
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and expenditures incurred in the provision of dial-a-ride services; (7) for 48
municipalities providing a twenty-five per cent match to state funds 49
pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, a summary of services 50
provided in neighboring municipalities, including, but not limited to, 51
number of persons with disabilities served and times and days 52
transportation services are offered weekly; and [(7)] (8) any other 53
information determined to be necessary by the commissioner. 54
(g) A municipality receiving a grant pursuant to this section shall 55
annually submit to the Commissioner of Transportation a certification 56
that any state grant shall be in addition to current municipality levels of 57
spending on such programs. 58
(h) Any funds shall only be expended for grants and administrative 59
costs and shall not be expended for any other purpose. 60
Sec. 2. (Effective July 1, 2023) (a) The Commissioner of Transportation, 61
in consultation with the Commissioners of Aging and Disability 62
Services, Developmental Services and Social Services, shall study 63
transportation service issues for persons with disabilities, including, but 64
not limited to: (1) Best practices for building a transportation system to 65
enhance employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, (2) 66
gaps in low-cost or free transportation services for such persons, (3) 67
regional differences in access to such services, and (4) funding needed 68
to expand access to low-cost or free transportation for such persons. 69
(b) Not later than October 1, 2023, the Commissioner of 70
Transportation shall file a report, in accordance with the provisions of 71
section 11-4a of the general statutes, with the joint standing committees 72
of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to aging, 73
human services, public health and transportation on the results of the 74
study and recommendations. 75
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
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Section 1 July 1, 2023 13b-38bb
Sec. 2 July 1, 2023 New section
Statement of Purpose:
To expand daily access to low-cost or free transportation throughout the
state for persons with disabilities to improve their quality of life and
facilitate their ability to work.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]
Co-Sponsors: SEN. SEMINARA, 8th Dist.
S.B. 208