HF 1373

1st Engrossment - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 02/09/2010 01:50am

A bill for an act
relating to transportation; creating Minnesota Council on Transportation Access
to improve availability and coordination of services to the transit public;
requiring a report; appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in
Minnesota Statutes, chapter 174.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

new text begin [174.285] MINNESOTA COUNCIL ON TRANSPORTATION ACCESS.
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new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Council established. new text end

new text begin A Minnesota Council on Transportation
Access is established to study, evaluate, oversee, and make recommendations to improve
the coordination, availability, accessibility, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and safety of
transportation services provided to the transit public. "Transit public" means those persons
who utilize public transit and those who, because of mental or physical disability, income
status, or age are unable to transport themselves and are dependent upon others for
transportation services.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Duties of council. new text end

new text begin In order to accomplish the purposes in subdivision 1,
the council shall adopt a biennial work plan that must incorporate the following activities:
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new text begin (1) compile information on existing transportation alternatives for the transit public,
and serve as a clearinghouse for information on services, funding sources, innovations,
and coordination efforts;
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new text begin (2) identify best practices and strategies that have been successful in Minnesota and
in other states for coordination of local, regional, state, and federal funding and services;
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new text begin (3) establish statewide objectives for providing public transportation services for the
transit public;
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new text begin (4) identify barriers prohibiting coordination and accessibility of public
transportation services and aggressively pursue the elimination of those barriers;
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new text begin (5) develop and implement policies and procedures for coordinating local, regional,
state, and federal funding and services for the transit public;
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new text begin (6) identify stakeholders in providing services for the transit public, and seek input
from them concerning barriers and appropriate strategies;
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new text begin (7) establish guidelines for developing transportation coordination plans throughout
the state;
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new text begin (8) encourage all state agencies participating in the council to purchase trips within
the coordinated system;
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new text begin (9) facilitate the creation and operation of transportation brokerages to match
riders to the appropriate service, promote shared dispatching, compile and disseminate
information on transportation options, and promote regional communication;
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new text begin (10) encourage volunteer driver programs and recommend legislation to address
liability and insurance issues;
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new text begin (11) establish minimum performance standards for delivery of services;
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new text begin (12) identify methods to eliminate fraud and abuse in special transportation services;
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new text begin (13) develop a standard method for addressing liability insurance requirements for
transportation services purchased, provided, or coordinated;
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new text begin (14) design and develop a contracting template for providing coordinated
transportation services;
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new text begin (15) develop an interagency uniform contracting and billing and accounting system
for providing coordinated transportation services;
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new text begin (16) encourage the design and development of training programs for coordinated
transportation services;
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new text begin (17) encourage the use of public school transportation vehicles for the transit public;
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new text begin (18) develop an allocation methodology that equitably distributes transportation
funds to compensate units of government and all entities that provide coordinated
transportation services;
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new text begin (19) identify policies and necessary legislation to facilitate vehicle sharing; and
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new text begin (20) advocate aggressively for eliminating barriers to coordination, implementing
coordination strategies, enacting necessary legislation, and appropriating resources to
achieve the council's objectives.
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new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Membership. new text end

new text begin (a) The council is comprised of the following members who
serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority:
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new text begin (1) two members of the senate, one from the majority party appointed by the
majority leader, and one from the minority party appointed by the minority leader;
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new text begin (2) two members of the house of representatives, one appointed by the speaker of the
house and one appointed by the minority leader;
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new text begin (3) one representative from the Office of the Governor;
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new text begin (4) one representative from the Council on Disability;
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new text begin (5) one representative from the Minnesota Public Transit Association;
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new text begin (6) the commissioner of transportation or a designee;
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new text begin (7) the commissioner of human services or a designee;
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new text begin (8) the commissioner of health or a designee;
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new text begin (9) the chair of the Metropolitan Council or a designee;
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new text begin (10) the commissioner of education or a designee;
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new text begin (11) the commissioner of veterans affairs or a designee;
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new text begin (12) one representative from the Board on Aging;
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new text begin (13) the commissioner of employment and economic development or a designee;
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new text begin (14) the commissioner of commerce or a designee; and
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new text begin (15) the commissioner of finance or a designee.
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new text begin (b) All appointments required by paragraph (a) must be completed by August
1, 2009.
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new text begin (c) The commissioner of transportation or a designee shall convene the first meeting
of the council within two weeks after the members have been appointed to the council.
The members shall elect a chairperson from their membership at the first meeting.
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new text begin (d) The Department of Transportation and the Department of Human Services shall
provide necessary staff support for the council.
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new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin By January 15 of each year, beginning in 2011, the council shall
report its findings, recommendations, and activities to the governor's office and to the
chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction
over transportation, health, and human services, and to the legislature as provided under
section 3.195.
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new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Compensation. new text end

new text begin Members of the committee shall receive compensation
and reimbursement of expenses as provided in section 15.059, subdivision 3.
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new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Expiration. new text end

new text begin This section expires June 30, 2013.
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Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
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new text begin $300,000 is appropriated from ....... in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 to the
commissioner of transportation for the administrative expenses of the council created in
section 1, and for other costs relating to the preparation of the reports required under
section 1, including the costs of hiring a consultant, if needed.
new text end