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| 5 | 5 | | 2023 -- H 6259 |
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| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
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| 7 | 7 | | LC002759 |
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| 8 | 8 | | ======== |
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| 9 | 9 | | S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D |
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| 10 | 10 | | IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 11 | 11 | | JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023 |
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| 12 | 12 | | ____________ |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | A N A C T |
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| 15 | 15 | | RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- RHODE ISLAND PUBLIC |
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| 16 | 16 | | TRANSIT AUTHORITY |
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| 17 | 17 | | Introduced By: Representatives McEntee, Cotter, Spears, Craven, Azzinaro, Kennedy, |
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| 18 | 18 | | Noret, and Caldwell |
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| 19 | 19 | | Date Introduced: April 05, 2023 |
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| 20 | 20 | | Referred To: House Finance |
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| 21 | 21 | | |
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| 22 | 22 | | |
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| 23 | 23 | | It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
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| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 39-18 of the General Laws entitled "Rhode Island Public Transit 1 |
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| 25 | 25 | | Authority" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 2 |
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| 26 | 26 | | 39-18-25. Public transit - Human services transportation. 3 |
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| 27 | 27 | | (a) The authority shall review existing routes servicing the paratransit and rural 4 |
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| 28 | 28 | | communities to identify gaps within the system and determine the most feasible options to expand 5 |
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| 29 | 29 | | these services to the underserved communities. 6 |
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| 30 | 30 | | (b) The authority is authorized and directed to establish a paratransit voucher program. This 7 |
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| 31 | 31 | | program shall: 8 |
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| 32 | 32 | | (1) Operate as a one-year pilot program to study the feasibility of expanded paratransit 9 |
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| 33 | 33 | | services to underserved communities. 10 |
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| 34 | 34 | | (2) Provide those utilizing the program with prepaid voucher(s) to cover the expense of 11 |
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| 35 | 35 | | paratransit services to be provided by the authority. 12 |
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| 36 | 36 | | (3) Request funding from the general assembly to support the voucher program to be 13 |
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| 37 | 37 | | requested by the authority when needed. 14 |
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| 38 | 38 | | (4) Provide that, in compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 15 |
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| 39 | 39 | | those with disabilities residing in rural areas shall be eligible for the RIde Program and qualify for 16 |
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| 40 | 40 | | the paratransit voucher program. 17 |
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| 41 | 41 | | (5) Provide program participants with ride services through third-party rideshare, taxi 18 |
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| 42 | 42 | | |
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| 43 | 43 | | |
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| 44 | 44 | | LC002759 - Page 2 of 3 |
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| 45 | 45 | | services, and authority buses provided by the authority. 1 |
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| 46 | 46 | | (6) Contract, through the authority, with at least one service provider that has handicap 2 |
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| 47 | 47 | | accessible vehicles in their fleet. 3 |
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| 48 | 48 | | (7) Provide participants with access to a ride scheduling platform. The platform may be 4 |
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| 49 | 49 | | operated by the authority or third-party service provider. 5 |
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| 50 | 50 | | (c) There is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise 6 |
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| 51 | 51 | | appropriated for the fiscal year 2023-2024, the sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) to 7 |
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| 52 | 52 | | the authority to conduct the study. 8 |
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| 53 | 53 | | (d) Upon completion of the pilot program the authority shall report to the senate president, 9 |
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| 54 | 54 | | speaker of the house, and the governor on the outcome of the pilot program. 10 |
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| 55 | 55 | | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 11 |
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| 56 | 56 | | ======== |
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| 57 | 57 | | LC002759 |
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| 58 | 58 | | ======== |
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| 59 | 59 | | |
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| 60 | 60 | | |
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| 61 | 61 | | LC002759 - Page 3 of 3 |
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| 62 | 62 | | EXPLANATION |
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| 63 | 63 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
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| 64 | 64 | | OF |
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| 65 | 65 | | A N A C T |
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| 66 | 66 | | RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- RHODE ISLAND PUBLIC |
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| 67 | 67 | | TRANSIT AUTHORITY |
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| 68 | 68 | | *** |
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| 69 | 69 | | This act would require the Rhode Island public transit authority (RIPTA) to review existing 1 |
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| 70 | 70 | | routes in rural communities to identify gaps in service and would authorize the authority to establish 2 |
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| 71 | 71 | | paratransit vouchers and operate a one-year pilot program to study the feasibility of expanded 3 |
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| 72 | 72 | | services in underserved communities. It would also provide that those with disabilities in those 4 |
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| 73 | 73 | | areas would be eligible for the RIde program and be eligible for the vouchers. Financing for the 5 |
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| 74 | 74 | | pilot program would be appropriated in the sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000). 6 |
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| 75 | 75 | | This act would take effect upon passage. 7 |
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| 76 | 76 | | ======== |
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| 77 | 77 | | LC002759 |
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| 78 | 78 | | ======== |
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