This document does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill sponsor or House of Representatives. STORAGE NAME: h1673z.DOCX DATE: 3/13/2024 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STAFF FINAL BILL ANALYSIS BILL #: CS/CS/HB 1673 Transportation Services for Persons with Disabilities and the Transportation Disadvantaged SPONSOR(S): Infrastructure Strategies Committee, Transportation & Modals Subcommittee, Busatta Cabrera and others TIED BILLS: IDEN./SIM. BILLS: CS/CS/SB 1380 FINAL HOUSE FLOOR ACTION: 115 Y’s 0 N’s GOVERNOR’S ACTION: Pending SUMMARY ANALYSIS CS/CS/HB 1673 passed the House on March 6, 2024, as CS/CS/SB 1380 as amended by the Senate and the House. The Senate concurred in the House amendment to the Senate bill and subsequently passed the bill as amended on March 6, 2024. Florida law defines the term “transportation disadvantaged” as those persons who, because of physical or mental disability, income status, or age, are unable to transport themselves or to purchase transportation and are, therefore, dependent upon others to obtain access to health care, employment, education, shopping, social activities, or other life-sustaining activities, or children who are handicapped or high-risk. In 1989, the Legislature created the Commission for Transportation Disadvantaged (Commission) within the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to accomplish the coordination of transportation services provided to the transportation disadvantaged. The bill makes the following changes to laws relating to transportation services for persons with disabilities and the transportation disadvantaged: Amends the Commission’s membership by increasing the number of members from seven to 11. Amends requirements and qualifications for Commission members. Requires the Commission to establish model procedures for transportation service providers to receive and investigate reports related to adverse incidents during the provision of services to persons with disabilities. Requires FDOT to ensure that all grants and agreements between FDOT and entities providing paratransit service include certain provisions relating to performance requirements, penalties for repeated violations, minimum liability insurance, and complaint processes. Provides requirements that a transportation service provider must agree to for contracts entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2024, and provides that such contracts must be competitively procured. Requires the following reports by January 1, 2025: o The Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) must deliver a report to FDOT on model policies and procedures or best practices for paratransit providers to complete timely trips. o Implementing Solutions from Transportation Research and Evaluating Emerging Technologies Living Lab (I-STREET) must deliver a comprehensive report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and FDOT on technology and training improvements to better support persons with disabilities using paratransit services. o FDOT must provide a comprehensive report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives on transportation disadvantaged services offered in the state and on the Commission. The bill may have an indeterminate negative fiscal impact on the state and the private sector. See Fiscal Analysis Section. Subject to the Governor’s veto powers, the effective date of this bill is effective upon becoming law. STORAGE NAME: h1673z.DOCX PAGE: 2 DATE: 3/13/2024 I. SUBSTANTIVE INFORMATION A. EFFECT OF CHANGES: Present Situation Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged (Commission) Florida law defines the term “transportation disadvantaged” as those persons who, because of physical or mental disability, income status, or age, are unable to transport themselves or to purchase transportation and are, therefore, dependent upon others to obtain access to health care, employment, education, shopping, social activities, or other life-sustaining activities, or children who are handicapped or high-risk. 1 In 1989, the Legislature created the Commission within the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to accomplish the coordination of transportation services provided to the transportation disadvantaged. 2 The goal of this coordination is to assure the cost-effective provision of transportation by qualified community transportation coordinators (CTCs) or transportation operators 3 for the transportation disadvantaged. 4 The Commission is the state-level board that develops policies and procedures for the coordination of services to the transportation disadvantaged population. 5 The Commission consists of seven members appointed by the Governor in accordance with the following qualifications: 6 Five of the members must have significant experience in the operation of a business, and it is the intent of the Legislature that, when making an appointment, the Governor select persons who reflect the broad diversity of the business community in this state, as well as the racial, ethnic, geographical, and gender diversity of the population of this state. Two of the members must have a disability and use the transportation disadvantaged system. Each member must be a resident and registered voter of this state. At least one member must be at least 65 years of age. A member may not, within the 5 years immediately before his or her appointment, or during his or her term on the Commission, have or have had a financial relationship with, or represent or have represented as a lobbyist, the following: a transportation operator; a CTC; a metropolitan planning organization (MPO); 7 a designated official planning agency; a purchaser agency; 8 a local coordinating board; a broker of transportation; or a provider of transportation services. Each candidate for appointment to the Commission must, before accepting the appointment, submit fingerprints and pass a level 2 background screening. 1 S. 427.011(1), F.S. 2 S. 427.013, F.S. 3 The term “transportation operator” means one or more public, private for-profit, or private nonprofit entities engaged by the CTC to provide service to transportation disadvantaged persons pursuant to a coordinated system or plan. S. 427.011(6), F.S. 4 S. 427.013, F.S. 5 Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged, 2023 Annual Performance Report, p. 8, https://fdotwww.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default- source/ctd/docs/aoraprdocs/2023_ctd_annual_performance_report-electronic_version2.pdf?sfvrsn=94e1d74a_3 (last visited Mar. 11, 2024). 6 S. 427.012(1), F.S. 7 Section 427.011(2), F.S., defines the term “metropolitan planning organization” as the organization responsible for carrying out transportation planning and programming in accordance with the provisions of 23 U.S.C. § 134, as provided in 23 U.S.C. § 104(f)(3). 8 The term “purchasing agency” means a department or agency whose head is an ex officio, nonvoting adviser to the Commission, or an agency that purchases transportation services for the transportation disadvantaged. S. 427.011(8), F.S. STORAGE NAME: h1673z.DOCX PAGE: 3 DATE: 3/13/2024 Additionally, the following individuals, or their senior management level representatives, serve as ex officio, nonvoting advisors to the Commission: 9 The Secretary of Transportation, The Secretary of Children and Families, The Secretary of Economic Opportunity, The executive director of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, The Secretary of Elderly Affairs, The Secretary of Health Care Administration, The director of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, and A county manager or administrator who is appointed by the Governor. The statutory mandates for the Commission to carry out its purpose include, among other requirements, the following: 10 Compile all available information on the transportation operations for and needs of the transportation disadvantaged in the state. Establish statewide objectives for providing transportation services for the transportation disadvantaged. Develop policies and procedures for the coordination of local government, federal, and state funding for the transportation disadvantaged. Identify barriers prohibiting the coordination and accessibility of transportation services to the transportation disadvantaged and aggressively pursue the elimination of these barriers. Serve as a clearinghouse for information about transportation disadvantaged services, training, funding sources, innovations, and coordination efforts. Assist communities in developing transportation systems designed to serve the transportation disadvantaged. Approve the appointment of all CTCs. Have the authority to apply for and accept funds, grants, gifts, and services from the federal government, state government, local governments, or private funding sources. Make an annual report to the Governor and Legislature by January 1 of each year. Prepare a statewide 5-year transportation disadvantaged plan which addresses the transportation problems and needs of the transportation disadvantaged, which is fully coordinated with local transit plans, compatible with local government comprehensive plans, and which ensures that the most cost-effective and efficient method of providing transportation to the disadvantaged is programmed for development. Develop an interagency uniform contracting and billing and accounting system that must be used by all CTCs and their transportation operators. Develop and maintain a transportation disadvantaged manual. Design and develop transportation disadvantaged training programs. Coordinate all transportation disadvantaged programs with appropriate state, local, and federal agencies and public transit agencies to ensure compatibility with existing transportation systems. Designate the official planning agency in areas outside of the purview of an MPO. Develop need-based criteria that must be used by all CTCs to prioritize the delivery of nonsponsored transportation disadvantaged services that are purchased with Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund moneys. Establish a review procedure to compare the rates proposed by alternate transportation operators with the rates charged by a CTC to determine which rate is more cost-effective. Conduct a cost-comparison study of single-coordinator, multicoordinator, and brokered CTC networks to ensure that the most cost-effective and efficient method of providing transportation to the transportation disadvantaged is programmed for development. 9 S. 427.012(1)(g), F.S. 10 S. 427.013, F.S. STORAGE NAME: h1673z.DOCX PAGE: 4 DATE: 3/13/2024 Develop a quality assurance and management review program to monitor, based upon approved Commission standards, services contracted for by an agency, and those provided by a community transportation operator pursuant to s. 427.0155, F.S. Ensure that local CTCs work cooperatively with local workforce development boards established in chapter 445, F.S., to provide assistance in the development of innovative transportation services for participants in the welfare transition program. CTCs A CTC is a transportation entity competitively procured or recommended by an MPO or other appropriate official planning agency and local coordinating board and approved by the Commission, to ensure that safe, quality coordinated transportation services are provided or arranged in a cost- effective manner to serve the transportation disadvantaged in a designated service area. 11 The Commission contracts with CTCs, typically for up to five years, to ensure the provision of services at the local level. 12 While the Commission establishes guidelines for eligibility within the parameters laid out in Florida Statutes, specific eligibility policies are determined at the local level within such guidelines. 13 A CTC can be a public transportation organization (such as a transit authority), a private for-profit transportation company, a not-for-profit human services agency, or a local government entity. 14 Through a competitive procurement process, the CTC may also contract (i.e., broker) with local transportation operators to provide services in its designated service area. 15 Additionally, the Commission works with “purchasing agencies” to “sponsor” transportation for their transportation disadvantaged clients. 16 Examples of purchasing agencies include the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD), and local governments. 17 A CTC may provide “sponsored” transportation for eligible individuals on behalf of a purchasing agency, such as trips to medical appointments covered under Florida’s Medicaid Managed Medical Assistance program. 18 CTCs that operate fixed bus route services may also serve certain groups within the transportation disadvantaged population, such as individuals with disabilities who qualify for complementary paratransit services 19 required by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. 20 Local Coordinating Boards (LCBs) 21 The Local Coordinating Board (LCB) serves as a local advisory body to the Commission and assists the Commission in identifying the local service needs and providing information, advice, and direction on the coordination of services. LCBs are chaired by a local elected official, and its membership represents local and state stakeholders, including state agencies, riders of the system, the public 11 S. 427.011(5), F.S.; Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged, supra note 5 at p. 34. 12 Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged, supra note 5 at p. 8. 13 Id. 14 Id. 15 Id. 16 Id. 17 Id. at p. 8-9. 18 Id. at p. 9. 19 “Paratransit” means those elements of public transit which provide service between specific origins and destinations selected by the individual user with such service being provided at a time that is agreed upon by the user and provider of the service. Paratransit service is provided by taxis, limousines, “dial-a-ride,” buses, and other demand-responsive operations that are characterized by their nonscheduled, nonfixed route nature. S. 427.011(9), F.S. 20 Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged, supra note 5 at p. 9. 21 Id. STORAGE NAME: h1673z.DOCX PAGE: 5 DATE: 3/13/2024 education system, military veterans, the workforce development system, the medical community, and the transportation industry. LCBs meet at least quarterly and assist CTCs and designated official planning agencies (e.g., MPOs) in a variety of activities, including establishing eligibility guidelines and setting trip priorities funded by the transportation disadvantaged program, developing the Transportation Disadvantaged Service Plan, and evaluating the performance of the CTC on an annual basis. Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund 22 The Commission administers several grant programs that are funded through the Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund (TDTF). TDTF funds are mostly used to purchase trips for eligible individuals to access activities “not sponsored” by other purchasing agencies. In order for an eligible individual to qualify for TDTF non-sponsored services, he or she must, at minimum, demonstrate no availability of any other funding or reimbursement (including self-pay), and no means of any other transportation (including public transit). Using an example discussed above, an eligible individual may receive “sponsored” trips to medical appointments under Florida’s Medicaid Managed Medical Assistance program; however, there may not be a similar funding source for that same individual to access grocery shopping and other life-sustaining activities, where such trips could be reimbursed using TDTF monies. In Fiscal Year 2022-23, the Legislature appropriated approximately $61.2 million to the TDTF. The following pie chart provides a breakdown of the revenues that were deposited within the TDTF (as of June 30, 2023). The largest portion of TDTF revenues come from the vehicle registration fees that are paid by residents when they renew their license tag with the State of Florida. 22 Id. at p. 10. STORAGE NAME: h1673z.DOCX PAGE: 6 DATE: 3/13/2024 Coordinated Transportation System Organization In summary, the Commission ensures the availability of transportation services for the transportation disadvantaged through “coordinated transportation,” where the Commission works with state and local partners to deliver transportation services to the transportation disadvantaged population. 23 These services are collectively provided through the Coordinated Transportation System. 24 The Coordinated Transportation System includes the CTC, the transportation operators and coordination contractors under contract with the CTC, the official planning agency, and local coordinating board involved in the provision of service delivery to the transportation disadvantaged within the designated service area. 25 Below is a chart illustrating the Coordinated Transportation System. 26 23 Id at p. 5. 24 Id. 25 Id. at p. 35. 26 Id. at p. 21. STORAGE NAME: h1673z.DOCX PAGE: 7 DATE: 3/13/2024 Non-Emergency Transportation Services Covered by Medicaid Medicaid is the medical assistance program that provides access to health care for low-income families and individuals. 27 Medicaid also assists the elderly and people with disabilities with the costs of nursing facility care and other medical and long-term care expenses. 28 In Florida, AHCA is responsible for Medicaid. 29 Medicaid reimburses for medically necessary non-emergency transportation services for a Medicaid eligible recipient and a personal care attendant or escort, if required, who have no other means of transportation available to any Medicaid covered service. 30 Examples of Medicaid-covered non- emergency transport include transport to: 31 Doctor appointments, Dental appointments, Mental health appointments, Receive dialysis services, and 27 Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, Welcome to Statewide Medicaid Managed Care!, https://ahca.myflorida.com/medicaid/statewide-medicaid-managed-care (last visited Mar. 11, 2024). 28 Id. 29 Id. 30 Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, Non-Emergency Transportation Services, https://ahca.myflorida.com/medicaid/medicaid-policy-quality-and-operations/medicaid-policy-and-quality/medicaid- policy/medical-and-behavioral-health-coverage-policy/specialized-health-services/non-emergency-transportation-services (last visited Mar. 11, 2024). 31 Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, Medicaid Transportation Services Brochure, https://ahca.myflorida.com/content/download/6918/file/MEDICAID_TRANSPORTATION_BROCHURE.pdf (last visited Mar. 11, 2024). STORAGE NAME: h1673z.DOCX PAGE: 8 DATE: 3/13/2024 Receive services at a prescribed pediatric extended care center. If a Medicaid recipient has a complaint about a transportation trip, AHCA recommends first calling the transportation provider. 32 If the transportation provider is not able to resolve the problem, AHCA provides two ways of filing a formal complaint: AHCA’s Medicaid Helpline or AHCA’s complaint website. 33 Effect of the Bill Membership of the Commission The bill amends the Commission’s membership such that it will be composed of 11 members, rather than seven members, appointed by the Governor as follows: The Secretary of Transportation or his or her designee. The director of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities or his or her designee. The Secretary of Elderly Affairs or his or her designee. The director of the Division of Blind Services. Two county managers or administrators, one from a rural county and one from a county with a population of more than 150,000, according to the last state census. Five members who have experience in transportation, workforce development, transit services, management, insurance, or service of persons with disabilities or who have a disability and use transportation for the transportation disadvantaged. Each member must be a resident of this state. The members appointed who are county managers or administrators or who have been appointed with requisite experience will each serve a 4-year term, may be reappointed for one additional 4-year term, and must continue to serve on the Commission until such time as a replacement is appointed. A Commission member's participation in a meeting via telephone, real-time videoconferencing, or similar real-time telephonic, electronic, or video communication counts toward a quorum, and such member may vote as if physically present. The bill removes the requirement for members of the Commission to submit fingerprints and pass a level 2 background screening, removes the prohibition on members of the Commission having a financial relationship with specified entities or representing such entities as a lobbyist, and removes the requirement for the Commission to appoint a technical working group. Duties of the Commission The bill requires the Commission to establish model procedures for transportation service providers 34 to receive and investigate reports related to adverse incidents during the provision of services to persons with disabilities. The procedures must include a periodic review of ongoing investigations and documentation of final outcomes thereof. At a minimum, the investigation of a reported adverse incident must commence within 48 hours after receipt of the report. Reports of adverse incidents received by the local government or the transportation service provider must be submitted on a quarterly basis to the Commission. FDOT Transit Responsibilities 32 Id. 33 Id. The Medicaid Helpline is 1-877-254-1055. AHCA’s complaint website is http://ahca.myflorida.com/Medicaid/complaints/. 34 The bill defines “transportation service provider” in this context to mean an organization or entity that contracts with a local government to provide paratransit service to persons with disabilities. This term does not include FDOT. STORAGE NAME: h1673z.DOCX PAGE: 9 DATE: 3/13/2024 The bill amends FDOT’s transit responsibilities by requiring FDOT, within the resources provided pursuant to ch. 216, F.S., to ensure that all grants and agreements between FDOT and entities providing paratransit services include, at a minimum, the following provisions, unless otherwise provided by state or federal law: Performance requirements for the delivery of services, including clear penalties for repeated or continuing violations. Minimum liability insurance requirements for all transportation services purchased, provided, or coordinated for the transportation disadvantaged through the contracted vendor or subcontractor thereof. Complaint and grievance processes for paratransit users, including a requirement that all reported complaints, grievances, and resolutions be reported to FDOT on a quarterly basis. A requirement that the provisions above be included in any agreement between an entity receiving a grant or an agreement from FDOT and such entity's contractors or subcontractors that provide paratransit services. Paratransit Service Contracts for Transportation Service Providers For contracts entered into or renewed with a transportation service provider 35 on or after October 1, 2024, the bill requires that a transportation service provider must agree to: Provide training to each driver of a motor vehicle used to provide paratransit service to persons with disabilities which, at a minimum, meets requirements established by the APD for training and professional development of staff providing direct services to clients of the agency. Establish reasonable time periods between a request for service and the arrival of the transportation service provider at the location specified in the request, taking into account the number of persons requesting paratransit service on the same date, the distance between locations, usual or expected traffic conditions during the provision of paratransit service, and any other factor deemed necessary by the provider or the local government. If a transportation service provider exhibits a pattern of late arrivals based on such established reasonable time periods, the contract must allow the local government to authorize another provider to provide such paratransit service, including the acceptance of any prepaid vouchers for future paratransit service. Provide for transparency regarding the quality of paratransit service provided by the transportation service provider, including, but not limited to, data relating to the timeliness of paratransit service provided and the handling of complaints. The bill requires that contracts entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2024, with transportation service providers for the provision of paratransit service to persons with disabilities must be competitively procured pursuant to s. 287.057, F.S. The procurement must use competitive sealed bids, competitive sealed proposals, or competitive sealed replies. The contract may not be awarded using an exceptional purchase provision provided for in s. 287.057(3), F.S. Report Requirements The bill requires the following reports by January 1, 2025: The Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) 36 must deliver a report to FDOT on model policies and procedures or best practices for paratransit providers to complete trips within an acceptable time after pickup. 35 The bill defines “transportation service provider” in this context to mean an organization or entity that contracts with a local government to provide paratransit service to persons with disabilities. 36 Section 334.065, F.S., establishes CUTR at the University of South Florida, to be administered by the Board of Governors of the State University System. CUTR is responsible for conducting and facilitating research on issues related to urban transportation problems in this state and serving as an information exchange and depository for the most current information pertaining to urban transportation and related issues. Additionally, CUTR is responsible for the promotion of STORAGE NAME: h1673z.DOCX PAGE: 10 DATE: 3/13/2024 The Living Lab (I-STREET) 37 must deliver to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and FDOT a comprehensive report on technology and training improvements to better support persons with disabilities using paratransit services, including services administered by the federal, state, or local government. The report must, at a minimum, include: o Recommendations on technology improvements for paratransit providers serving persons with disabilities, including through local, state, and federal funding sources. o A review of and recommendations on: Technology systems to ensure the safety of individuals, including the use of in- cabin camera systems and other technologies to monitor the safety and well- being of individuals using fixed routes. Best practices for data retention, including protection of personally identifiable information, length of retention, and location of retained files. State-of-the-industry on hardware and software, including camera providers, product specifications, and human-machine interfaces. Safety standards of professional engineering organizations on camera-mounting best practices. Costs of installation and maintenance of camera systems to paratransit providers. The use of Internet, mobile, and application-based interfaces to book, monitor, and seek transportation services. The review must also consider accessibility needs. The use of Internet, mobile, and application-based interfaces to track the location, in real time, of an individual using paratransit services. FDOT must provide 38 to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a comprehensive report on the transportation disadvantaged services offered in this state and on the Commission. The report must include, at a minimum, all of the following: o A review of services rendered by CTCs or transportation operators coordinated by the Commission, specifically outlining: Timeliness of services. Quality of services. Training programs for drivers and customer service representatives. Timeliness of the resolution of complaints. Adherence to performance measures by service providers. o A review of transportation delivery models administered by contract by the Commission and a review of potential alternative methods. Such review must consider the feasibility and costs related to the offering both pre-booking and on-demand service to paratransit service users. o The role of paratransit service as used by providers of services for the transportation disadvantaged and the differences between paratransit service and the services provided by the Commission. In its review, FDOT must also consider the manner in which the use of paratransit services can be leveraged to improve services coordinated by the Commission. intercampus transportation and related research activities among Florida’s universities in order to enhance the ability of these universities to attract federal and private sector funding for transportation and related research. 37 Section 334.066, F.S., establishes I-STREET within the University of Florida. Some of I-STREET’s responsibilities include conducting and facilitating research on issues related to innovative transportation mobility and safety technology development and deployment in this state; serving as an information exchange and depository for the most current information pertaining to transportation research, education, workforce development, and related issues; and being a continuing resource for the Legislature, FDOT, local governments, the nation’s metropolitan regions, and the private sector in the area of transportation and related research. 38 For this report, the definitions in s. 427.011, F.S, apply, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. STORAGE NAME: h1673z.DOCX PAGE: 11 DATE: 3/13/2024 o The role of health care transportation services as used by the users of services for the transportation disadvantaged, and the manner in which coordination of services can be leveraged to improve services administered by the Commission. o Breakdowns of funding provided by the Commission on a contractual level. The report must also include a breakdown of the manner in which the funds are used, by delivery model, including both fixed-route, on-demand, and hybrid models, and through any innovation grant outlined in the General Appropriations Act, and historical funding models and outcomes. o A review of the eligibility criteria by each coordinating entity, including any relevant demographic information. o A review of the challenges and potential opportunities to better support rural counties in administering such programs. o Recommendations on efficiencies and challenges that may result from adopting an alternative format of delivering Commission services to improve services for individuals seeking to thrive in community-based settings, including in a workplace setting, who currently receive services provided by the Commission. o Best practices for limiting the duration of travel times for persons receiving paratransit service. Consideration must be made for the level of service offered to persons without disabilities by a public entity operating a fixed route as compared to the level of paratransit service offered by the transportation service provider in accordance with 49 C.F.R. s. 37.121. o A review of emerging and other technology opportunities for the provision of services and to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals using fixed routes, including the use of in-cabin technology. The review must consider passenger safety, equipment installation and maintenance costs, accessibility standards, and data retention and privacy for individuals served. o Any additional recommendations relating to areas of review required above. II. FISCAL ANALYSIS & ECONOMIC IMPACT STATEMENT A. FISCAL IMPACT ON STATE GOVERNMENT: 1. Revenues: None. 2. Expenditures: The bill requires the Commission to: Establish model procedures for transportation service providers to receive and investigate reports related to adverse incidents during the provision of services to persons with disabilities. Receive on a quarterly basis, reports of adverse incidents. The bill adds to FDOT’s transit responsibilities under current law by requiring FDOT to ensure that all grants and agreements between FDOT and entities providing paratransit service include certain provisions relating to performance requirements, penalties for repeated violations, minimum liability insurance, and complaint processes. The bill also requires that FDOT, by January 1, 2025, provide to the Governor and the Legislature a comprehensive report on transportation disadvantaged services offered in the state and on the Commission. Additionally, the bill requires the following reports by January 1, 2025: CUTR must deliver a report to FDOT on model policies and procedures or best practices for paratransit providers to complete timely trips. STORAGE NAME: h1673z.DOCX PAGE: 12 DATE: 3/13/2024 I-STREET must deliver a comprehensive report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and FDOT on technology and training improvements to better support persons with disabilities using paratransit services. B. FISCAL IMPACT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS: 1. Revenues: None. 2. Expenditures: None. C. DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT ON PRIVATE SECTOR: The bill will have an indeterminate negative impact on transportation service providers, as it requires transportation service providers to: Provide training to each driver of a motor vehicle used to provide paratransit services to persons with disabilities. Establish reasonable time periods between a request for service and the arrival of the transportation service provider at the location specified in the request. Provide for transparency regarding the quality of paratransit service, including, but not limited to, data relating to the timeliness of paratransit service provided and the handling of complaints. D. FISCAL COMMENTS: None.