Sec. 980.4. Interagency coordinating committee on rural public transportation

(a) Membership of the Committee.

The Committee shall consist of 19 members. The Commissioner or his or her designee shall serve as chairperson. Twelve of such members shall be the following or his or her duly designated representative: the Director of the Office for the Aging; the Commissioner of Education; the Commissioner of Labor; the Commissioner of Health; the Commissioner of the Office of Mental Health; the Commissioner of the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities; the Commissioner of Social Services; the State Advocate for the Disabled; the Secretary of State; the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets; the Director of the Office of Rural Affairs and the Director of the Division for Youth. Six additional members, all of whom shall be transportation providers or consumers representing rural counties shall be appointed to serve a term of three years as follows: two by the President Pro-tempore of the Senate, two by the Speaker of the Assembly, one by the Minority Leader of the Senate, and one by the Minority Leader of the Assembly. Efforts shall be made to provide a broad representation of consumers and providers of transportation services in rural counties when making such appointments. Members of the Committee shall receive no salary.

(b) Responsibilities of the Committee.

State agency representatives on the Committee shall provide the Department with assistance in advancing the purposes of this Part. The Department may request, and shall be entitled to receive, from any State agency such assistance, service, facilities and data as necessary to enable the Department to carry out its functions, powers and duties. Committee members shall have the following specific responsibilities:

(1) Identify their agency programs and the annual amounts and sources of funds from such programs that are eligible to be used to support a coordinated public transportation service, and the annual amounts and sources of such funds that are actually used for client transportation or for transportation of persons in connection with agency-affiliated programs or services; such data shall be provided on a county basis;

(2) Identify restrictions on existing agency programs that inhibit funds from such programs being used to pay for a coordinated public transportation service in rural counties;

(3) Recommend changes in State or local laws or regulations that would improve the coordination of funds, facilities, vehicles or equipment and other resources used for transportation at the local level;

(4) Upon request, compile and forward to the Commissioner such data or other information as may be required for the effective implementation of the program.