Bill Text: NJ A320 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Expands NJT Access Link paratransit service area to include certain veterans health care facilities; appropriates $1 million.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 4-1)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee [A320 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A320-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman MICHELE MATSIKOUDIS
District 21 (Morris, Somerset and Union)
SYNOPSIS
Expands NJT Access Link paratransit service area to include certain veterans health care facilities; appropriates $1 million.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning paratransit services, supplementing P.L.1979, c.150 (C.27:25-1 et al.), and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):
"Access Link service" means the paratransit service implemented by the corporation for purposes of complying with the federal "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990" (42 U.S.C. s.12101 et seq.), and any regulations promulgated thereunder.
"Corporation" means the New Jersey Transit Corporation.
"Minimum paratransit service area" means the minimum areas in which the corporation is required to make available paratransit service, as required under the federal "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990" (42 U.S.C. s.12101 et seq.), and any regulations promulgated thereunder, including, but not limited to, 49 C.F.R. s.37.131.
"Veterans health care facility" means any health care facility that is located in the State and that is operated by the United States Veterans Health Administration.
2. a. The corporation shall provide, or cause to be provided, origin-to-destination Access Link service to and from each veterans health care facility in this State, regardless of whether the facility is located within the minimum paratransit service area.
b. (1) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, in addition to the minimum paratransit service area, the Access Link service area shall include all origins and destinations within:
(a) a radius of 1.5 miles around each veterans health care facility; and
(b) a width of 1.5 miles on each side of the most direct route connecting each veterans health care facility to the corporation's closest existing fixed bus route or light rail station.
(2) Notwithstanding any provision of this subsection to the contrary, the Access Link service area shall not include any origins or destinations in which the corporation does not have the legal authority to operate paratransit service.
c. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the provision of Access Link service to:
(1) any person who is not eligible for Access Link service; and
(2) any origin or
destination that is outside of the minimum paratransit service area and the
additional service area required under subsection b. of this section.
3. The corporation shall not enter into any contract, or exercise any option to extend an existing contract, concerning the provision of Access Link service by a paratransit service provider unless the contract or option complies with the requirements of section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
4. There is appropriated $1,000,000 from the General Fund to the New Jersey Transit Corporation to defray any costs incurred by the corporation in the implementation of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
5. This act shall take effect immediately, except that the provisions of section 2 of this act shall remain inoperative until the first day of the third month following the date of enactment, and except that the provisions of section 3 of this act shall only apply to contracts and options executed after the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) to expand its Access Link paratransit service area to include every health care facility operated by the United States Veterans Health Administration in the State (i.e., veterans health care facility).
Under the federal "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990," any public entity that operates a fixed route, public transportation system is required to provide complementary, origin-to-destination paratransit service for persons with a disability. In compliance with this requirement, NJ Transit currently makes available Access Link paratransit service. As required under federal law, Access Link service is generally made available for origins and destinations that are located within a three-quarter mile radius of NJ Transit's existing bus routes and light rail stations.
Notably, this bill requires NJ Transit to make available Access Link paratransit service to and from every veterans health care facility, regardless of whether the facility is located within the minimum paratransit service area required under federal law. Specifically, the bill requires NJ Transit to expand the Access Link service area to include any origins and destinations within: (1) a radius of 1.5 miles around each veterans health care facility; and (2) a width of 1.5 miles on each side of the most direct route connecting each veterans health care facility to NJ Transit's closest existing fixed bus route or light rail station. However, this expanded service area would not include any origins or destinations in which NJ Transit does not have the legal authority to operate paratransit service.
Under the bill, NJ Transit would also be prohibited from entering into any contract, or exercising any option to extend an existing contract, concerning the provision of Access Link service by a paratransit service provider unless the contract or option complies with the requirements of this bill.
The bill also appropriates $1,000,000 from the General Fund to NJ Transit to defray any costs incurred in the implementation of this bill.
