What's happening
This bill revises and expands the duties, membership, and reporting requirements of New York’s interagency committee on rural public transportation.
Why it matters
Expands and updates committee membership. The bill modernizes the committee’s makeup, adding agencies like the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse and the Justice Center, reflecting current government structures and broadening representation of issues affecting rural transportation.
Increases committee accountability and transparency. New requirements mandate quarterly meetings and annual, detailed reports to legislative leaders and the governor, fostering more regular oversight and public insight into rural transportation challenges and policy solutions.
Focuses on rural transportation needs and Medicaid. The committee must now analyze rural transportation systems at the county level, evaluate financial and ridership data, identify populations lacking service, and specifically study Medicaid patient transportation—including cost breakdowns and usage rates—which could influence funding and service priorities.
Gives the committee a direct role in rate-setting. By requiring the committee to review and recommend reimbursement rates for rural counties and involving it in ongoing consultations about rate adjustments, the bill aims to ensure that rural transportation funding and fares are better tailored to local realities and cost-effectiveness.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Improve Rural Transit Oversight
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Print number 3931a
- Amend and recommit to transportation
- Referred to transportation
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to transportation
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 63–0
- Ordered to third reading cal.1545
- Reported and committed to rules
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to transportation
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Improve Rural Transit Committee
In Assembly Committee · Transportation · Sponsor Anthony Brindisi
Full text
3 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3931--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 30, 2017
Introduced by Sens. O'MARA, GALLIVAN, YOUNG -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation -- recommitted to the Committee on Transportation in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the transportation law, in relation to the interagency coordinating committee on rural public transportation
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 73-d of the transportation law, as amended by chapter 562 of the laws of 1987, is amended to read as follows:
§ 73-d. Interagency coordinating committee on rural public transportation. 1. There is hereby created a committee to be known as the "interagency coordinating committee on rural public transportation", to be comprised of nineteen members. The commissioner or his or her designee shall serve as chairperson. Twelve of such members shall be the following or his or her duly designated representative: the director of the office for the aging; the commissioner of education; the commissioner of labor; the commissioner of health; the commissioner of the office of mental health; the commissioner of the office of alcoholism and substance abuse; the commissioner of the office [of mental retardation and] for people with developmental disabilities; the commissioner of [social services; state advocate for the disabled] the office for temporary and disability assistance; the executive director of the New York state justice center for the protection of people with special needs; the secretary of state; the commissioner of agriculture and markets[; the director of the office of rural affairs] and the [director of the division for youth] commissioner of the office of children and family services. Six additional members, all of whom shall be transportation providers or consumers representing rural counties shall be appointed to serve a term of three years as follows: two by the [president pro-tem-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07114-05-8
S. 3931--A 2
pore] temporary president of the senate, two by the speaker of the assembly, one by the minority leader of the senate, and one by the minority leader of the assembly. Efforts shall be made to provide a broad representation of consumers and providers of transportation services in rural counties when making such appointments. [Members of the committee shall receive no salary.] The six members appointed by the legislature, as well as the commissioner or his or her designee, shall be the voting members. The balance of the committee will serve in an advisory or consulting capacity. The committee shall keep a record of its official actions.
The commissioner shall cause the department to provide staff assistance necessary for the efficient and effective operation of the committee.
2. The committee shall[:] meet at least once every three months and shall report to the speaker of the assembly, the temporary president of the senate, and the governor annually, beginning October first, two thousand eighteen. The annual report shall:
a. identify existing rural transportation systems and provide data on ridership, revenue, and financial challenges for each system;
b. identify rural populations currently utilizing public transportation, as well as populations in need of public transportation without access, and discuss recommendations for maintaining and expanding services;
c. include a breakdown by county of cost savings, modes of transportation provided to Medicaid patients, and rates of utilization of public transportation by Medicaid patients;
d. identify programs and the annual amounts and sources of funds from such programs that are eligible to be used to support a coordinated public transportation service, and the annual amounts and sources of such funds that are actually used for client transportation or for transportation of persons in connection with agency-affiliated programs or services; such data shall be provided on a county basis;
[b.] e. identify restrictions on existing programs that inhibit funds from such programs being used to pay for a coordinated public transportation service in rural counties;
[c.] f. recommend changes in state or local laws or regulations that would improve the coordination of funds, facilities, vehicles or equipment and other resources used for transportation at the local level[;
d. upon request, compile and forward to the commissioner any data or other information required by this section].
3. The committee shall be required to examine reimbursement rates developed by transportation managers pursuant to subdivision four of section three hundred sixty-five-h of the social services law for counties with a population of two hundred thousand or less. The committee shall submit recommendations for proposed and effective rates for rural communities to the commissioner of health with recommendations including, but not limited to, adjustments to individual ridership fares for public transportation utilization, rates for low-cost coordinated transportation with other human service agencies, and rates for private transportation with considerations of availability and cost savings.
The commissioner of health shall consult with the committee prior to approval of rates proposed under subdivision four of section three hundred sixty-five-h of the social services law for counties with a population of two hundred thousand or less. Any proposal for a rate adjustment for rural communities after approval shall be examined by the committee prior to approval by the commissioner.
S. 3931--A 3
4. A majority of the whole number of voting members of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of the committee's business. The committee shall have the power to act by a majority vote of the voting members. Committee members shall hold office until their successors have been appointed and have qualified. The selection of successors to fill a vacancy shall be made in the same manner in which the retiring committee members shall have been selected. Members of the committee shall receive no salary or other compensation, but shall be entitled to their actual and necessary expenses, including traveling expenses incurred in the discharge of their duties.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the transportation law, in relation to the interagency coordinating committee on rural public transportation
Purpose or general idea of bill
Initiate and modify the composition of the Interagency coordinating committee on rural public transportation to provide the appropriate forum to ensure the application of the broader policy initiatives affecting rural transportation for the entire community. The committee will foster interagency discussion and coordination in order to provide a more objective evaluation process that can be more flexible and responsive to the needs of the rural populations.
Summary of specific provisions
Amends transportation law to:
(1) modify the composition of the Interagency coordinating committee on rural public transportation, established in NYS Transportation Law, under Section 2-F, subsection 73-D;
(2) require that the committee report to the Executive and the Legisla- ture on an annual basis on the existing rural transportation systems and provide data on ridership, revenue and challenges for each system; iden- tify current utilization and discuss recommendations for maintaining and expanding services; include an analysis on a county by county basis of cost savings, modes of transportation and rates of utilization of public transportation by Medicaid patients;
(3) examine reimbursement rates developed by transportation managers and submit recommendations for proposed and effective rates for rural coun- ties to the Commissioner of the Department of Health and require the Commissioner to consult with the committee prior to approval of Medicaid reimbursement rates for rural Medicaid non-emergency medical transporta- tion;
(4) establish that a majority of the whole number of voting members of the committee shall constitute a quorum for transaction of the commit- tee's business.
Justification
State efforts to change the way that Medicaid NEMT and other transporta- tion plans are delivered is having an unintended impact on public trans- portation, especially in rural counties in upstate New York. Recently, the State has adopted a policy where a single private broker is contracted to arrange non-emergency medical trips for most New York counties. While the broker attempts to provide the necessary transporta- tion in an easy to schedule manner many of the trips that were previous- ly served by public transportation systems are now provided by taxis and other low occupancy vehicles - despite the availability of viable public transportation options that would better meet their needs.
This growing loss in funding for Medicaid reimbursed trips coupled with a corresponding loss in state transit operating assistance is resulting in reduced transit service to the public in many rural areas of the state and threatens the viability of public transportation in a number of counties.
Prior to this change, each county was responsible for arranging the necessary Medicaid funded transportation for its citizens. Often coun- ties developed coordinated transit services that met not only the Medi- caid transportation need, but also the transportation needs of other social service agencies and the general public.
This legislation will allow the State to initiate the Interagency Coor- dinating Committee on Rural Public Transit to establish a public forum for both counties and agencies to collaborate on rural transportation solutions. Additionally, the legislation will provide access to data and resources from participating agencies that will be critical to determine how to provide the most efficient, coordinated and cost effective form of Medicaid NEMT or any future transportation plans in rural upstate counties.
Prior legislative history
2016 - S.5794
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.