CS/HB 1673 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1673-01-c1
Page 1 of 17
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to transportation services for persons 2
with disabilities and the transportation 3
disadvantaged; amending s. 427.011, F.S.; providing 4
definitions; amending s. 427.012, F.S.; revising 5
membership of the Commission for the Transportation 6
Disadvantaged and qualifications therefor; providing 7
for staggered terms; amending s. 427.013, F.S.; 8
revising duties of the commission; amending s. 9
427.0159, F.S.; conforming a cross -reference; creating 10
s. 427.02, F.S.; providing responsibilities of a 11
transportation service provider with respect to driver 12
training, installation of video camera monitoring 13
systems, and technology -based services; requiring a 14
transportation service provider and the local 15
government with which the provider contracts to 16
establish standards relating to reasonable time 17
periods between a request for service and the arrival 18
of the provider, limitation of the duration of travel 19
times, transparency regarding the quality of service 20
provided, and a system for the reporting of adverse 21
incidents; requiring reports of adverse incidents to 22
be submitted to the Agency for Persons with 23
Disabilities and the Department of Transportation; 24
requiring the agency and the department to establish 25
CS/HB 1673 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1673-01-c1
Page 2 of 17
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
requirements for the investigation of adverse 26
incidents; requiring such an investigation to commence 27
within a certain timeframe; providing nonapplicability 28
of provisions exempting the purchase of contractual 29
services from competitive bidding requirements; 30
providing an effective date. 31
32
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 33
34
Section 1. Section 427.011, Florida Statutes, is amended 35
to read: 36
427.011 Definitions. —For the purposes of ss. 427.011-37
427.02 ss. 427.011-427.017: 38
(1)(3) "Agency" means an official, officer, commission, 39
authority, council, committee, department, division, bureau, 40
board, section, or any other unit or entity of the state or of a 41
city, town, municipality, county, or other local governing body 42
or a private nonprofit transportation service -providing agency. 43
(2)(5) "Community transportation coordinator" means a 44
transportation entity recommended by a metropolitan planning 45
organization, or by the appropriate designated official planning 46
agency as provided for in ss. 427.011 -427.017 in an area outside 47
the purview of a metropolitan planning organization, to ensure 48
that coordinated transportation services are provided to the 49
CS/HB 1673 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1673-01-c1
Page 3 of 17
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
transportation disadvantaged population in a designated service 50
area. 51
(3)(7) "Coordinating board" means an advisory entity in 52
each designated service area comp osed of representatives 53
appointed by the metropolitan planning organization or 54
designated official planning agency, to provide assistance to 55
the community transportation coordinator relative to the 56
coordination of transportation services. 57
(4)(11) "Coordination" means the arrangement for the 58
provision of transportation services to the transportation 59
disadvantaged in a manner that is cost -effective, efficient, and 60
reduces fragmentation and duplication of services. 61
(5) "Immediate family member" means a spo use, child, 62
parent, sibling, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or first cousin of a 63
person or the person's spouse or a person who resides in the 64
primary residence of the person. 65
(6)(2) "Metropolitan planning organization" means the 66
organization responsible for c arrying out transportation 67
planning and programming in accordance with the provisions of 23 68
U.S.C. s. 134, as provided in 23 U.S.C. s. 104(f)(3). 69
(7)(12) "Nonsponsored transportation disadvantaged 70
services" means transportation disadvantaged services tha t are 71
not sponsored or subsidized by any funding source other than the 72
Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund. 73
CS/HB 1673 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1673-01-c1
Page 4 of 17
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
(8)(9) "Paratransit" means those elements of public 74
transit which provide service between specific origins and 75
destinations selected by the in dividual user with such service 76
being provided at a time that is agreed upon by the user and 77
provider of the service. Paratransit service is provided by 78
taxis, limousines, "dial -a-ride," buses, and other demand -79
responsive operations that are characterized by their 80
nonscheduled, nonfixed route nature. 81
(9)(8) "Purchasing agency" means a department or agency 82
whose head is an ex officio, nonvoting adviser to the 83
commission, or an agency that purchases transportation services 84
for the transportation disadvantag ed. 85
(10) "Request for service" means a request made to a 86
transportation service provider by a person with a disability, 87
or by such person's immediate family member, for paratransit 88
service. 89
(11)(1) "Transportation disadvantaged" means those persons 90
who because of physical or mental disability, income status, or 91
age are unable to transport themselves or to purchase 92
transportation and are, therefore, dependent upon others to 93
obtain access to health c are, employment, education, shopping, 94
social activities, or other life -sustaining activities, or 95
children who are handicapped or high -risk or at-risk as defined 96
in s. 411.202. 97
CS/HB 1673 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1673-01-c1
Page 5 of 17
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
(12)(10) "Transportation disadvantaged funds" means any 98
local government, stat e, or available federal funds that are for 99
the transportation of the transportation disadvantaged. Such 100
funds may include, but are not limited to, funds for planning, 101
Medicaid transportation, administration, operation, procurement, 102
and maintenance of vehic les or equipment and capital 103
investments. Transportation disadvantaged funds do not include 104
funds for the transportation of children to public schools. 105
(13)(4) "Transportation improvement program" means a 106
staged multiyear program of transportation improv ements, 107
including an annual element, which is developed by a 108
metropolitan planning organization or designated official 109
planning agency. 110
(14)(6) "Transportation operator" means one or more 111
public, private for-profit, or private nonprofit entities 112
engaged by the community transportation coordinator to provide 113
service to transportation disadvantaged persons pursuant to a 114
coordinated system service plan. 115
(15) "Transportation service provider" means an 116
organization or entity that contracts with a local gover nment to 117
provide paratransit service for persons with disabilities. 118
Section 2. Section 427.012, Florida Statutes, is amended 119
to read: 120
427.012 The Commission for the Transportation 121
Disadvantaged.—There is created the Commission for the 122
CS/HB 1673 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1673-01-c1
Page 6 of 17
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Transportation Disadvantaged in the Department of 123
Transportation. 124
(1) The commission shall consist of 14 seven members, all 125
of whom shall be appointed by the Governor, in accordance with 126
the requirements of s. 20.052. 127
(2) The commission shall be comprised of the foll owing 128
members: 129
(a) The director of the Agency for Persons with 130
Disabilities. 131
(b) The Secretary of Transportation or his or her designee 132
from within the Department of Transportation. 133
(c) The Secretary of Children and Families or his or her 134
designee from within the Department of Children and Families. 135
(d) The Secretary of Elderly Affairs. 136
(e) The State Surgeon General or his or her designee from 137
within the Department of Health. 138
(f) Two county managers or administrators, one from a 139
rural county and one from a county with a population of more 140
than 150,000 according to the last state census. 141
(g) The chief executive officer or president of a hospital 142
in this state. 143
(h) The director of the Division of Blind Services. 144
(i) Five members who have expe rience in transit, 145
transportation services, innovative technology, government 146
procurement, mobility, or service of persons with disabilities 147
CS/HB 1673 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1673-01-c1
Page 7 of 17
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
or who have disabilities and use transportation for the 148
transportation disadvantaged. 149
(3) Appointed members shall serve 4-year terms, except 150
that initially, to provide for staggered terms, the Governor 151
shall appoint three members to serve 2 -year terms and two 152
members to serve 3-year terms. All subsequent appointments shall 153
be for 4-year terms. A member may be reappoi nted for one 154
additional 4-year term. 155
(4) Each member must be a resident of the state. 156
(a) Five of the members must have significant experience 157
in the operation of a business, and it is the intent of the 158
Legislature that, when making an appointment, the Governor 159
select persons who reflect the broad diversity of the business 160
community in this state, as well as the racial, ethnic, 161
geographical, and gender diversity of the population of this 162
state. 163
(b) Two of the members must have a disability and use the 164
transportation disadvantaged system. 165
(c) Each member shall represent the needs of the 166
transportation disadvantaged throughout the state. A member may 167
not subordinate the needs of the transportation disadvantaged in 168
general in order to favor the needs of others residing in a 169
specific location in the state. 170
(d) Each member shall be appointed to a term of 4 years. A 171
member may be reappointed for one additional 4 -year term. 172
CS/HB 1673 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1673-01-c1
Page 8 of 17
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
(e) Each member must be a resident of the state and a 173
registered voter. 174
(f) At any given time, at least one member must be at 175
least 65 years of age. 176
(g) The Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of 177
Children and Families, the Secretary of Economic Opportunity, 178
the executive director of the Department of Veterans' Affairs, 179
the Secretary of Elderly Affairs, the Secretary of Health Care 180
Administration, the director of the Agency for Persons with 181
Disabilities, and a county manager or administrator who is 182
appointed by the Governor, or a senior management level 183
representative of each , shall serve as ex officio, nonvoting 184
advisors to the commission. 185
(h) A member may not, within the 5 years immediately 186
before his or her appointment, or during his or her term on the 187
commission, have or have had a financial relationship with, or 188
represent or have represented as a lobbyist as defined in s. 189
11.045, the following: 190
1. A transportation operator; 191
2. A community transportation coordinator; 192
3. A metropolitan planning organization; 193
4. A designated official planning agency; 194
5. A purchaser agency; 195
6. A local coordinating board; 196
7. A broker of transportation; or 197
CS/HB 1673 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1673-01-c1
Page 9 of 17
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
8. A provider of transportation services. 198
(5)(2) The chair of the commission chairperson shall be 199
appointed by the Governor, and the vice chair chairperson of the 200
commission shall be elected annually from the membership of the 201
commission. 202
(6)(3) Members of the commission shall serve without 203
compensation but shall be allowed per diem and travel expenses , 204
as provided in s. 112.061. 205
(7)(4) The commission shall meet at least quarterly, or 206
more frequently at the call of the chair chairperson. Eight Four 207
members of the commission constitute a quorum, and a majority 208
vote of the members present is necessary for any action taken by 209
the commission. 210
(8)(5) The Governor may remove a ny member of the 211
commission for cause. 212
(6) Each candidate for appointment to the commission must, 213
before accepting the appointment, undergo background screening 214
under s. 435.04 by filing with the Department of Transportation 215
a complete set of fingerprint s taken by an authorized law 216
enforcement agency. The fingerprints must be submitted to the 217
Department of Law Enforcement for state processing, and that 218
department shall submit the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau 219
of Investigation for federal processing. The Department of 220
Transportation shall screen the background results and inform 221
the commission of any candidate who does not meet level 2 222
CS/HB 1673 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1673-01-c1
Page 10 of 17
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
screening standards. A candidate who has not met level 2 223
screening standards may not be appointed to the commission. T he 224
cost of the background screening may be borne by the Department 225
of Transportation or the candidate. 226
(9)(7) The commission shall appoint an executive director 227
who shall serve under the direction, supervision, and control of 228
the commission. The executiv e director, with the consent of the 229
commission, shall employ such personnel as may be necessary to 230
perform adequately the functions of the commission within 231
budgetary limitations. Employees of the commission are exempt 232
from the Career Service System. 233
(10)(8) The commission shall appoint a technical working 234
group that includes representatives of private paratransit 235
providers. The technical working group shall advise the 236
commission on issues of importance to the state, including 237
information, advice, and dir ection regarding the coordination of 238
services for the transportation disadvantaged. The commission 239
may appoint other technical working groups whose members may 240
include representatives of community transportation 241
coordinators; metropolitan planning organiza tions; regional 242
planning councils; experts in insurance, marketing, economic 243
development, or financial planning; and persons who use 244
transportation for the transportation disadvantaged, or their 245
relatives, parents, guardians, or service professionals who t end 246
to their needs. 247
CS/HB 1673 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1673-01-c1
Page 11 of 17
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
(11)(9) The commission is assigned to the office of the 248
secretary of the Department of Transportation for administrative 249
and fiscal accountability purposes, but it shall otherwise 250
function independently of the control, supervision, an d 251
direction of the department. 252
(12)(10) The commission shall develop a budget pursuant to 253
chapter 216. The budget is not subject to change by the 254
department staff after it has been approved by the commission, 255
but it shall be transmitted to the Governor, as head of the 256
department, along with the budget of the department. 257
Section 3. Subsections (8) through (29) of section 258
427.013, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (10) 259
through (31), respectively, subsection (5) and present 260
subsections (13), (20), and (28) are amended, and new 261
subsections (8) and (9) are added to that section, to read: 262
427.013 The Commission for the Transportation 263
Disadvantaged; purpose and responsibilities. —The purpose of the 264
commission is to accomplish the coordination o f transportation 265
services provided to the transportation disadvantaged. The goal 266
of this coordination is to assure the cost -effective provision 267
of transportation by qualified community transportation 268
coordinators or transportation operators for the transpo rtation 269
disadvantaged without any bias or presumption in favor of 270
multioperator systems or not -for-profit transportation operators 271
CS/HB 1673 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1673-01-c1
Page 12 of 17
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
over single operator systems or for -profit transportation 272
operators. In carrying out this purpose, the commission shall: 273
(5) Serve as a clearinghouse for information about 274
transportation disadvantaged services, training, funding 275
sources, innovations, and coordination efforts and provide best 276
practices, latest technology innovations, and preferential 277
vendors lists to county tra nsportation disadvantaged program 278
managers. 279
(8) Annually review and conduct a performance audit of 280
each coordinator contract and transportation operator contract 281
in each county. 282
(9) Establish a system for the filing, receipt, and 283
resolution of complain ts regarding the transportation 284
disadvantaged system. 285
(15)(13) Make an annual report to the Governor, the 286
President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of 287
Representatives by January 1 of each year. The report shall 288
summarize for each county the n umber of complaints filed 289
regarding the transportation disadvantaged system, contract 290
satisfaction, a breakdown of the total cost of services, the 291
amount of funds provided by the commission, and the results of 292
annual performance audits. 293
(22)(20) Ensure that drivers of motor vehicles used to 294
provide paratransit service attend Design and develop 295
CS/HB 1673 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1673-01-c1
Page 13 of 17
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
transportation disadvantaged training programs delivered by the 296
Agency for Persons with Disabilities . 297
(30)(28) In consultation with the Agency for Health Care 298
Administration and the Department of Transportation, develop an 299
allocation methodology that equitably distributes all 300
transportation funds under the control of the commission to 301
compensate counties, community transportation coordinators, and 302
other entities providing transportation disadvantaged services. 303
The methodology shall separately account for Medicaid 304
beneficiaries. The methodology shall consider such factors as 305
the actual costs of each transportation disadvantaged trip based 306
on prior-year information, efficiencies that a provider might 307
adopt to reduce costs, results of the rate and cost comparisons 308
conducted under subsections (26) (24) and (27) (25), as well as 309
cost efficiencies of trips when compared to the local cost of 310
transporting the general public . This subsection does not 311
supersede the authority of the Agency for Health Care 312
Administration to distribute Medicaid funds. 313
Section 4. Subsection (4) of section 427.0159, Florida 314
Statutes, is amended to read: 315
427.0159 Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund.— 316
(4) A purchasing agency may deposit funds into the 317
Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund for the commission to 318
implement, manage, and administer the purchasing agency's 319
CS/HB 1673 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1673-01-c1
Page 14 of 17
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
transportation disadvantaged funds, as defined in s. 427.011 s. 320
427.011(10). 321
Section 5. Section 427.02, Florida Statutes, is created to 322
read: 323
427.02 Transportation services for persons with 324
disabilities.— 325
(1) A transportation service provider must: 326
(a) Provide training to each driver of a motor vehicle 327
used to provide paratransit service to persons with disabilities 328
which, at a minimum, meets requirements established by the 329
Agency for Persons with Disabilities for training and 330
professional development of staff providing direct services to 331
clients of the agency. 332
(b)1. Install an interior video camera monitoring system 333
in each motor vehicle used to provide paratransit service to 334
persons with disabilities. Each component of the interior video 335
camera monitoring system must be mounted securely inside the 336
motor vehicle, must be located outside the head protection zone 337
as described in 49 C.F.R. s. 571.222, must be located in an area 338
in which the component is not likely to cause injury, and must 339
have no sharp edges or projections. 340
2. Upon request, provide access to foota ge captured by an 341
interior video camera monitoring system to the local government, 342
the Department of Transportation, the Agency for Persons with 343
Disabilities, or a parent, legal guardian, caretaker, or 344
CS/HB 1673 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1673-01-c1
Page 15 of 17
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
immediate family member of a person who receives parat ransit 345
service from the transportation service provider. 346
(c) Offer Internet-based, application-based, and 347
smartphone-based ride booking and vehicle tracking services. 348
Each of these services must be provided in accessible formats. 349
(d) Regularly maintain and upgrade all technology -based 350
services. 351
(e) Offer both pre-booking and on-demand service to 352
paratransit service users. 353
(2) A transportation service provider, in collaboration 354
with the local government with which the provider contracts, 355
shall establish: 356
(a) Reasonable time periods between a request for service 357
and the arrival of the transportation service provider at the 358
location specified in the request, taking into account the 359
number of persons requesting paratransit service on the same 360
date, the distance between locations, usual or expected traffic 361
conditions during the provision of paratransit service, and any 362
other factor deemed necessary by the provider or the local 363
government. If a transportation service provider exhibits a 364
pattern of late arrivals based on such established reasonable 365
time periods, the local government may authorize another 366
provider to provide such paratransit service, including the 367
acceptance of any prepaid vouchers for future paratransit 368
service, notwithstanding the terms of the contract with the 369
CS/HB 1673 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1673-01-c1
Page 16 of 17
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
original provider. 370
(b) Best practices for limiting the duration of travel 371
times for persons receiving paratransit service. To avoid 372
unreasonably long travel times, the provider and the local 373
government shall consider the level of s ervice offered to 374
persons without disabilities by a public entity operating a 375
fixed route as compared to the level of paratransit service 376
offered by the transportation service provider in accordance 377
with 49 C.F.R. s. 37.121. 378
(c) Transparency regarding th e quality of paratransit 379
service provided by the transportation service provider, 380
including, but not limited to, data relating to the timeliness 381
of paratransit service provided and the handling of complaints. 382
(d) An efficient system for the reporting of adverse 383
incidents occurring during the provision of paratransit service 384
to persons with disabilities. Such system may include the 385
assignment of a quick -response code to each motor vehicle used 386
to provide such service for the purpose of reporting adverse 387
incidents with a smartphone or other mobile device. Reports of 388
adverse incidents received by the local government or the 389
transportation service provider shall be submitted to the Agency 390
for Persons with Disabilities and the Department of 391
Transportation. 392
(3) The Agency for Persons with Disabilities, in 393
collaboration with the Department of Transportation, shall 394
CS/HB 1673 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1673-01-c1
Page 17 of 17
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
establish requirements for the investigation of adverse 395
incidents reported pursuant to paragraph (2)(d), including 396
periodic review of ongoing investig ations and documentation of 397
final outcomes thereof. The investigation of a reported adverse 398
incident must commence within 48 hours after receipt of the 399
report by the agency and the department. 400
(4) The provisions of s. 287.057 which exempt the purchase 401
of contractual services from competitive bidding requirements do 402
not apply to contracts entered into by local governments and 403
transportation service providers for the provision of 404
paratransit service to persons with disabilities under this 405
section. 406
Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 407