State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

   [ Search ]   [ PDF text ]   [ Legislation ]   
[ Home ]   [ Back ]   [ Bottom ]


[ Introduced ][ Engrossed ]


92_HB2263ham001

 










                                             LRB9206710WHcsam

 1                    AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 2263

 2        AMENDMENT NO.     .  Amend House Bill 2263  by  replacing
 3    everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 4                             "ARTICLE 5

 5        Section  5-1.  Short  title. This Article may be cited as
 6    the Transportation Resources for Innovative Projects Law.

 7        Section 5-5.  Findings and Purpose. The General  Assembly
 8    finds  that  safe,  reliable and convenient transportation to
 9    and from work and related destinations such as child care and
10    education is an extremely important factor in the ability  to
11    find  and retain employment, particularly in the lower income
12    sectors of the economy. For many people, these transportation
13    needs are not met by existing mass transit.  This  creates  a
14    need  for  innovative  transportation to work strategies that
15    fit  within  local  circumstances.  Many  localities   around
16    Illinois  do  not  have  the  resources  or  the expertise to
17    develop  and  support  innovative   transportation   options.
18    Localities  need  access  to  State and federal funds to help
19    implement  these  strategies,   and   they   need   technical
20    assistance  both  in  designing  programs  and  in  accessing
21    various  sources  of  State  and federal funds. Illinois also
22    leaves substantial  federal  transportation  funds  unclaimed
 
                            -2-              LRB9206710WHcsam
 1    because  of  the  failure  to put forward projects to use the
 2    funds. Illinois would benefit from a  unified  State  process
 3    for   applying  for  federal  transportation  assistance  for
 4    innovative  transportation  to  work   strategies   and   for
 5    supplying the matching funds necessary to access that federal
 6    assistance.  The  purpose of this Article is to establish the
 7    Transportation Resources for Innovative Projects  Program  to
 8    prompt  the  creation  of  innovative  transportation to work
 9    strategies  at  the   local   level,   to   assist   in   the
10    implementation  of those strategies, to coordinate the local,
11    State and federal funding of those programs,  and  to  access
12    the maximum of federal transportation to work funding.

13        Section 5-7.  Definitions.  As used in this Article:
14        "Department" means the Department of Transportation.
15        "TRIP  Program"  means  the  Transportation Resources for
16    Innovative Projects Program created by this Article.
17        "JARC" means the Job Access  and  Reverse  Commute  grant
18    program of the Federal Transit Administration.

19        Section  5-10.  Establishment  of  Program  and  Funding.
20    There  is established within the Department of Transportation
21    the Transportation Resources for Innovative Projects Program.
22    The TRIP Program shall be funded by  appropriation  from  the
23    General   Assembly  or  by  interagency  agreement  with  the
24    Department of  Human  Services  or  other  departments  under
25    Section  5-25  of  this Article, or by a combination of those
26    sources.

27        Section 5-15.  Functions of Program. The Program shall be
28    a Statewide interagency effort to prompt  and  support  local
29    transportation innovations. It shall have 3 main functions:
30        (a)  Administration  of  an  annual  process to apply for
31    federal transportation  to  work  assistance  under  the  Job
 
                            -3-              LRB9206710WHcsam
 1    Access  and Reverse Commute program, programs administered by
 2    the federal Department of Housing and Urban  Development,  or
 3    similar  programs,  or  a combination of those programs. This
 4    shall  include  publicizing   the   process,   managing   the
 5    application and selection process, making applications to the
 6    federal government, and identifying local projects to be part
 7    of  the  annual State applications to the federal government.
 8    To the  extent  resources  permit,  the  TRIP  Program  shall
 9    provide  grants  or  guarantee  funds  to  the local projects
10    selected for inclusion in the State applications to  complete
11    the  State  funding  matches  necessary to access the federal
12    funds.
13        (b)  Administration of an annual process to grant  funds,
14    to  the extent resources permit, to localities for innovative
15    transportation to work strategies  not eligible  for  federal
16    funds.
17        (c)  Provision  of  technical assistance to localities in
18    the devising of innovative transportation to work  strategies
19    and in complying with the requirements for federal, State and
20    local funding.

21        Section   5-20.  Illinois   Coordinating   Committee   on
22    Transportation.    The  Illinois  Coordinating  Committee  on
23    Transportation created by the Illinois Coordinating Committee
24    on Transportation Law shall serve as an interagency  advisory
25    committee  to  help  develop  policy and procedures under the
26    TRIP Program.

27        Section 5-25.   Interagency Agreement with Department  of
28    Human  Services  and  other  Departments.  In addition to any
29    other interagency agreements the Department may enter into to
30    implement the TRIP Program, there  shall  be  an  interagency
31    agreement  with  the  Department of Human Services. Under the
32    agreement,  the  departments   shall   have   the   following
 
                            -4-              LRB9206710WHcsam
 1    responsibilities.
 2        (a)  The Department of Human Services shall:
 3             (1)  provide   an  annual  allotment  of  funds  for
 4        disbursement by the Department under the TRIP Program;
 5             (2)  notify the Department in a timely manner of all
 6        State and federal policies, rules, and  regulations  that
 7        may  affect  the  use  and  disbursement of the funds and
 8        provide appropriate assistance for compliance with  those
 9        requirements; and
10             (3)  provide  at least one staff member to represent
11        the  Department  of  Human  Services  on   the   Illinois
12        Coordinating  Committee  on  Transportation  and  in  the
13        selection  process  for local transportation programs for
14        State and federal funds under the TRIP Program.
15        (b)  The Department shall:
16             (1)  ensure that the use of funds  transferred  from
17        the  Department  of  Human Services is in accordance with
18        laws governing use of those funds and is coordinated with
19        the Department of Human Services;
20             (2)  collaborate  with  the  Department   of   Human
21        Services in selecting the projects to be funded under the
22        Program;
23             (3)  account  for  the use of funds transferred form
24        the Department of Human Services  separately  from  other
25        funds;
26             (4)  provide  any  necessary  reports  regarding the
27        TRIP Program to the Department of Human Services and  the
28        U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
29        (d)  The  Department  may  enter into similar interagency
30    agreements with other agencies that  transfer  funds  to  the
31    Department  for the TRIP Program or coordinate their programs
32    with the TRIP Program.

33        Section 5-30.  TRIP Program Provisions.
 
                            -5-              LRB9206710WHcsam
 1        (a)  The Department annually shall  solicit  applications
 2    from  localities for support for local transportation to work
 3    strategies. The solicitation and application process shall be
 4    timed to allow the Department to submit a package of approved
 5    local   programs   as   the   Illinois   State   Consolidated
 6    Transportation  to  Work  Plan   to   the   Federal   Transit
 7    Administration  for  funding under the Job Access and Reverse
 8    Commute program, and to make  timely  submissions  for  other
 9    sources of  federal funds.
10        (b)  The  annual  solicitation  and  application  process
11    shall  include  2  types  of grants: (i) those fundable under
12    JARC or other federal funding sources,  for  which  the  TRIP
13    Program grant shall be adequate, in combination with local or
14    private funds, to complete the "local match" required by JARC
15    or  other federal programs, and (ii) those not fundable under
16    JARC or other federal programs but otherwise  addressing  the
17    purposes  of  the  TRIP  Program  (for  example, car purchase
18    programs). The Department, in conjunction with  the  Illinois
19    Coordinating  Committee on Transportation, shall divide grant
20    funds between these 2 types of proposals each year  depending
21    upon  the  merit  of the proposals received and the extent to
22    which they would accomplish the purposes of the TRIP Program,
23    including the maximizing of federal funds. The grants may  be
24    spent over a period of up to 24 months.
25        (c)  The  Department  shall  annually submit the Illinois
26    State Consolidated Transportation to Work Plan to the Federal
27    Transit Administration for  funding  under  JARC  and  submit
28    applications for other federal funds as appropriate.
29        (d)  The Department shall provide technical assistance to
30    localities in developing transportation strategies, complying
31    with     application    requirements,    including    federal
32    requirements, and forming  strategic  local  partnerships  to
33    improve  the  potential success of both the grant application
34    and the local program itself.  Local  entities  eligible  for
 
                            -6-              LRB9206710WHcsam
 1    funding  under  the program include counties, municipalities,
 2    public agencies, private entities,  non-profit  organizations
 3    such   as,   but   not   limited  to,  community  development
 4    corporations,   transportation    management    associations,
 5    transportation  providers,  community  action agencies, faith
 6    based organizations, and  workforce  investment  boards,  and
 7    other  consortiums.  Planning  partners  may,  but  need  not
 8    necessarily,   include  local  workforce  investment  boards,
 9    chambers  of  commerce,   elected   officials,   Metropolitan
10    Planning  Organizations,  local  plan  commissions, and State
11    agencies.
12        (e)  The Department's rules  for  applications  by  local
13    entities under the Program shall include, but not necessarily
14    be limited to, the following provisions:
15             (1)  The local programs should be for implementation
16        of   innovative  community  transportation  systems  that
17        address a local transportation need or gap;  they  should
18        use    innovative    approaches   that   emphasize   both
19        coordination between existing services and  programs  and
20        the  elimination  of  transportation  barriers that limit
21        workforce  participation.  These  programs  and  services
22        could, for example, be the purchase of rolling stock such
23        as vans, new  or  expanded  operation  of  transportation
24        routes,  creation of auto ownership and drivers licensing
25        programs, new or expanded dial a ride  services,  vanpool
26        or  carpool  programs,  guaranteed ride home programs, or
27        similar  strategies  that   address   local   needs   and
28        circumstances.
29             (2)  To   qualify   for   inclusion   in  the  State
30        application for JARC funding or  other  federal  funding,
31        the   applicant   must   have   been   involved   in  the
32        transportation planning process for the region  in  which
33        the  project  will  operate, or exhibit knowledge of that
34        process and its need  statement  and  have  relationships
 
                            -7-              LRB9206710WHcsam
 1        with   the   local   transportation  experts  in  transit
 2        authorities or county government.
 3             (3)  The application  must  include  evidence  of  a
 4        commitment  for  the funding of a portion of the proposed
 5        project from local or private sources (other  than  State
 6        or  federal sources). This portion shall not be less than
 7        1% nor more than 10% of  the  total  project  costs.  The
 8        Department  shall provide by rule for a sliding scale for
 9        these local funding commitments based upon  the  relative
10        resources  in  localities,  so  that  the contribution of
11        communities  with  the  least  resources  is  1%  and  of
12        communities  with  the  most  resources   is   10%.   The
13        Department    shall  use an objective measure such as the
14        poverty rate or the tax base in establishing the  sliding
15        scale and shall update it annually.

16                             ARTICLE 10

17        Section  10-1.  Short title. This Article may be cited as
18    the Illinois Coordinating Committee on Transportation Law.

19        Section 10-5.  Definitions. As used in this Article:
20             (1)  "Agency"   means   an   official,   commission,
21        authority,  council,  department,  committee,   division,
22        bureau,  board, or any other unit or entity of the State,
23        a municipality, a county, or other local  governing  body
24        or   a   private  not-for-profit  transportation  service
25        providing agency.
26             (2)  "Committee"  means  the  Illinois  Coordinating
27        Committee on Transportation.
28             (3)  "Coordination" means the  arrangement  for  the
29        provision    of    transportation    services    to   the
30        transportation  disadvantaged  in  a   manner   that   is
31        cost-effective,  efficient, and reduces fragmentation and
 
                            -8-              LRB9206710WHcsam
 1        duplication of services.
 2             (4)  "Transportation   disadvantaged"  means   those
 3        persons  who,  because  of physical or mental disability,
 4        income status,  age,  location  of  residence,  or  other
 5        reasons are unable to transport themselves or to purchase
 6        affordable  transportation  and are, therefore, dependent
 7        upon others to obtain access to health care,  employment,
 8        education,   shopping,   social   activities,   or  other
 9        life-sustaining activities.

10        Section  10-10.  Committee.   The  Illinois  Coordinating
11    Committee on Transportation is created and shall  consist  of
12    the following members:
13             (1)  The Lieutenant Governor or her or his designee.
14             (2)  The  Secretary  of Transportation or his or her
15        designee.
16             (3)  The Secretary of Human Services (or his or  her
17        designee)   and  one  additional  representative  of  the
18        Department of Human Services designated by the Secretary.
19             (4)  The Director of Aging or his or her designee.
20             (5)  The Director  of  Public  Aid  or  his  or  her
21        designee.
22             (6)  The  Director of Commerce and Community Affairs
23        or his or her designee.
24             (7)  A representative of the Illinois Rural  Transit
25        Assistance Center.
26             (8)  A  person  who  is  a  member  of  a recognized
27        statewide organization representing older Illinoisans.
28             (9)  A representative  of  centers  for  independent
29        living.
30             (10)  A   representative   of  the  Illinois  Public
31        Transportation Association.
32             (11)  A representative of an existing transportation
33        system that coordinates and provides transit services  in
 
                            -9-              LRB9206710WHcsam
 1        a multi-county area for the Department of Transportation,
 2        Department  of Human Services, Department of Commerce and
 3        Community Affairs, or Department on Aging.
 4             (12)  A representative of a  statewide  organization
 5        of   rehabilitation  facilities  or  other  providers  of
 6        services for persons with one or more disabilities.
 7             (13)  A  representative  of  the  Illinois  Planning
 8        Council on Developmental Disabilities.
 9             (14)  A representative of a  statewide  organization
10        of community action agencies.
11        The  Lieutenant Governor shall appoint the members of the
12    Committee other than those named in  paragraphs  (1)  through
13    (6)  of  this  Section. The Lieutenant Governor or his or her
14    designee shall serve as  chairperson  of  the  Committee  and
15    shall convene the meetings of the Committee. The Secretary of
16    Transportation  and the Secretary of Human Services, or their
17    designees, shall serve  as  vice-chairpersons  and  shall  be
18    responsible for staff support for the committee.

19        Section 10-15.  Duties of committee.  The Committee shall
20    foster  the coordination of public and private transportation
21    services, with special attention paid  to  services  directed
22    toward  those populations who are currently not served or who
23    are underserved by existing public  transit.   The  Committee
24    shall  aim to reduce duplicative services in order to achieve
25    a  transportation  system  that  serves  the  most   citizens
26    possible  in  the  most  cost-effective  and efficient manner
27    possible. Specifically, the committee shall:
28             (1)  Coordinate   State   efforts   within   federal
29        guidelines to facilitate coordination  of  human  service
30        transportation programs.
31             (2)  Establish  statewide  priorities  and  draft  a
32        strategic   plan.   These   priorities   should  include:
33        developing    objectives    for    providing    essential
 
                            -10-             LRB9206710WHcsam
 1        transportation    services    to    the    transportation
 2        disadvantaged; developing a  unified  state  request  for
 3        funds  from  federal  sources  such as the Job Access and
 4        Reverse Commute (JARC) Grant program  that  is  based  on
 5        local plans from communities statewide; identifying funds
 6        from other available sources for projects that are not an
 7        eligible  use  of JARC funds; and developing a long-range
 8        plan to identify and recruit  potential  stakeholders  in
 9        future community transportation initiatives.
10             (3)  Develop   goals   and   objectives   to  reduce
11        duplication of services and achieve coverage that  is  as
12        complete as possible.
13             (4)  Address  any  and  all transportation  barriers
14        and propose solutions, such as multi-agency  involvement,
15        to eliminate these barriers.
16             (5)  Serve  as a clearinghouse for information about
17        funding  sources   and   innovations   in   serving   the
18        transportation disadvantaged.
19             (6)  Oversee  administration  of  the Transportation
20        Resources for Innovative Projects Program.
21             (7)  Submit a report, not  later  than  February  1,
22        2002,  to  the  Governor  and  the  General Assembly that
23        outlines the progress made by the Committee in performing
24        its duties set forth in paragraphs  (1)  through  (6)  of
25        this  Section and makes recommendations for statutory and
26        regulatory changes to promote coordination.

27                             ARTICLE 99

28        Section 99-99.  Effective date.  This  Act  takes  effect
29    upon becoming law.".

[ Top ]