N.Y. TRA Law § 73-D

§ 73-d. Interagency coordinating committee on rural public\ntransportation. 1. There is hereby created a committee to be known as\nthe "interagency coordinating committee on rural public transportation",\nto be comprised of nineteen members. The commissioner or his or her\ndesignee shall serve as chairperson. Twelve of such members shall be the\nfollowing or his or her duly designated representative: the director of\nthe office for the aging; the commissioner of education; the\ncommissioner of labor; the commissioner of health; the commissioner of\nthe office of mental health; the commissioner of the office of addiction\nservices and supports; the commissioner of the office for people with\ndevelopmental disabilities; the commissioner of the office for temporary\nand disability assistance; the executive director of the New York state\njustice center for the protection of people with special needs;\nsecretary of state; the commissioner of agriculture and markets and the\ncommissioner of the office of children and family services. Six\nadditional members, five of whom shall be transportation providers or\nconsumers representing rural counties and one of whom shall be a\nrepresentative of a labor union affiliated with rural public\ntransportation systems receiving mass transportation operating\nassistance pursuant to section eighteen-b of this chapter, shall be\nappointed to serve a term of three years as follows: two by the\ntemporary president of the senate, two by the speaker of the assembly,\none by the minority leader of the senate, and one by the minority leader\nof the assembly. Efforts shall be made to provide a broad representation\nof consumers and providers of transportation services in rural counties\nwhen making such appointments. Members of the committee shall receive no\nsalary. Any vacancies on the committee shall be filled in the manner\nprovided for in the initial appointment. Beginning January first, two\nthousand twenty-two, the committee shall meet at least once every three\nmonths and, beginning January first, two thousand twenty-four, the\ncommittee shall meet at least once every four months.\n The commissioner shall cause the department to provide staff\nassistance necessary for the efficient and effective operation of the\ncommittee.\n 2. The committee shall:\n a. identify programs and the annual amounts and sources of funds from\nsuch programs that are eligible to be used to support a coordinated\npublic transportation service, and the annual amounts and sources of\nsuch funds that are actually used for client transportation or for\ntransportation of persons in connection with agency-affiliated programs\nor services; such data shall be provided on a county basis;\n b. identify restrictions on existing programs that inhibit funds from\nsuch programs being used to pay for a coordinated public transportation\nservice in rural counties;\n c. recommend changes in state or local laws or regulations that would\nimprove the coordination of funds, facilities, vehicles or equipment and\nother resources used for transportation at the local level;\n d. upon request, compile and forward to the commissioner any data or\nother information required by this section;\n e. conduct a study, in consultation with the department, of the\navailability of public transportation services in rural counties. Such\nstudy shall identify, examine and review the following: the efficiency,\neffectiveness, quality and availability of public transportation\nservices in rural counties; the current and projected operating and\ncapital costs, revenues, subsidies, and ridership and service area data\nof each public transportation system operating within rural counties;\nthe barriers and financial challenges to providing and operating public\ntransportation services in rural counties; and the demographics of the\npopulations which have, and those which lack, access to public\ntransportation services in rural counties
and\ncapital costs, revenues, subsidies, and ridership and service area data\nof each public transportation system operating within rural counties;\nthe barriers and financial challenges to providing and operating public\ntransportation services in rural counties; and the demographics of the\npopulations which have, and those which lack, access to public\ntransportation services in rural counties. Such study shall include\nfindings and recommendations to expand the level and availability of\npublic transportation services in rural counties. On or before January\nfirst, two thousand twenty-three, the committee shall deliver such study\nto the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of\nthe assembly, and the chairs of the senate and assembly transportation\ncommittees; and\n f. beginning June first, two thousand twenty-four and on the same date\nin each succeeding year, submit an annual report to the governor, the\ntemporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, and the\nchairs of the senate and assembly transportation committees on the level\nand availability of public transportation services in rural counties.\n