Bill Text: NJ S3450 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes requirements for on-demand micro transit programs operating within State.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-06-17 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Transportation Committee [S3450 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S3450-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator RAJ MUKHERJI
District 32 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes requirements for on-demand micro transit programs operating within State.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing requirements for on-demand micro transit programs operating within the State and supplementing Title 27 of the Revised Statutes.
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):
"On-demand micro transit" means publicly available, technology-enabled, shared transportation provided by means of a motor vehicle to individuals selecting a pick-up and drop-off location by telephone or through a mobile application, and which transportation is provided at a time selected by the individual or as soon as possible after the individual selects pick-up and drop-off locations for such transportation.
"On-demand micro transit program," "micro transit program," or "program" means any on-demand micro transit program operated in the State by the New Jersey Transit Corporation, a county transit agency, or any other entity.
"Software services" means technology to enable the New Jersey Transit Corporation, a county transit agency, or any other entity to provide an on-demand micro transit program with transportation services provided by employees under the conditions and in compliance with the requirements described in P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this act). "Software services" shall not include a digital network as that term is defined in section 2 of P.L.2017, c.26 (C.39:5H-2).
"Transit desert" means a municipality, or physically contiguous area in the State, in which, as of the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this act), residents have limited access to public transportation services, including motorbus regular route service, rail passenger service, and light-rail passenger service.
2. The Commissioner of Transportation shall establish and issue requirements for the operation of any on-demand micro transit program within the State. These requirements shall provide that:
a. employees of the New Jersey Transit Corporation, a county transit agency, or any other entity are responsible for directly operating transportation services provided by an on-demand micro transit program, except that:
(1) the entity may outsource software services to one or more third parties as necessary for the operation of the program; and
(2) an entity that does not employ public transportation drivers may provide on-demand micro transit services through a third-party contractor provided that:
(i) existing employees of any third‑party contractor providing transit services are offered employment in the on-demand micro transit program at no less than their existing wages, hours, working conditions, and benefits; and
(ii) third-party contractors that provide on-demand micro transit services shall directly employ all on-demand micro transit drivers;
b. on-demand micro transit drivers hold a valid commercial driver license;
c. on-demand micro transit drivers are compensated at no less than the same wages, hours, working conditions, and benefits as other drivers directly employed by the entity providing on-demand micro transit service;
d. existing employees of the entity are not adversely affected by the establishment and operation of the on-demand micro transit program;
e. each on-demand micro transit program creates additional transit service to transit deserts, rather than replacing existing transit services; and
f. the corporation, in consultation with the Commissioner of Transportation, may establish any other rules, guidelines, or protocols that the corporation, in consultation with the commissioner, deem necessary.
3. a. There shall be established in, but not of, the New Jersey Transit Corporation, a Micro Transit Oversight Committee, which shall review each micro transit plan established by the New Jersey Transit Corporation, a county transit agency, or any other entity and certify that the plan meets all of the requirements of section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this act).
b. The committee shall be comprised of three members as follows:
(1) a representative from the New Jersey Transit Corporation appointed by the Governor upon recommendation of the executive director of the corporation;
(2) a member of the New Jersey General Assembly appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; and
(3) a member appointed by the President of the Senate upon recommendation of the labor organization representing the plurality of the employees of the corporation involved in motorbus operations; provided that if at any time during the term of appointment, the member ceases to be affiliated with the labor organization representing a plurality of the relevant segment of employees of the corporation, the labor organization may, thereupon or at any time thereafter during such term, recommend a new member to the President of the Senate for appointment to serve the remainder of the term.
Each member shall serve for a term of one year and until the appointment and qualification of a successor. A majority of the membership of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of committee business, and action may be taken at any meeting by the affirmative vote of a majority of the membership of the committee.
c. The New Jersey Transit Corporation, a county transit agency, or any other entity shall not provide on-demand micro transit service until the entity receives the certification required by this section.
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Commissioner of Transportation to establish and issue requirements for the operation of any on-demand micro transit programs operating within the State. These requirements are to provide that: (1) employees of an entity providing on-demand micro transit service are responsible for directly operating these services, with certain exceptions described in the bill; (2) on-demand micro transit drivers hold a valid commercial driver license; (3)on-demand micro transit drivers are compensated at no less than the same wages, hours, working conditions, and benefits as other drivers directly employed by the entity providing on-demand micro transit service; (4) existing employees of an entity that provides on-demand micro transit service are not adversely affected by the establishment and operation of the on-demand micro transit program; (5) each on-demand micro transit program creates additional transit service to transit deserts; and (6) the New Jersey Transit Corporation (corporation), in consultation with the Commissioner of Transportation, may establish any other rules, guidelines, or protocols.
The bill also establishes the Micro Transit Oversight Committee (committee), which is required to review each on-demand micro transit plan established by the New Jersey Transit Corporation, a county transit agency, or any other entity and to certify that the plan meets all of the requirements established under the bill. The committee is to be comprised of three members: a representative from the New Jersey Transit Corporation appointed by the Governor upon recommendation of the executive director of the corporation, a member of the New Jersey General Assembly appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, and a member appointed by the President of the Senate upon recommendation of the labor organization representing the plurality of employees of the corporation involved in motorbus operations. Each member is to serve a term of one year.
A majority of the membership of the committee constitutes a quorum for the transaction of committee business, and action may be taken at any meeting by the affirmative vote of a majority of the membership of the committee. An entity is prohibited from providing on-demand micro transit service until the entity receives the certification required by the bill.
Under the bill, "on-demand micro transit" is defined as publicly available, technology-enabled, shared transportation provided by means of a motor vehicle to individuals selecting a pick-up and drop-off location by telephone or through a mobile application, and which transportation is provided at a time selected by the individual or as soon as possible after the individual selects pick-up and drop-off locations for such transportation.
