Senate Bill 0666c1
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 666
By the Committee on Transportation
306-1074-98
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to WAGES program
3 transportation; amending s. 234.01, F.S.;
4 authorizing school districts to provide
5 transportation for WAGES participants; amending
6 s. 234.211, F.S.; providing for reimbursement
7 of school districts; amending s. 341.041, F.S.;
8 establishing responsibilities of the Department
9 of Transportation with respect to transit
10 services for WAGES participants; amending s.
11 341.052, F.S.; relating to duties of public
12 transit block grant recipients to coordinate
13 with local WAGES coalitions regarding
14 transportation services; deleting duplicative
15 provisions; amending s. 414.026, F.S.; revising
16 membership of the WAGES Program State Board of
17 Directors; amending s. 414.20, F.S.; clarifying
18 transportation options available to local WAGES
19 coalitions to assist WAGES participants;
20 creating s. 414.225, F.S.; providing for the
21 provision of transitional transportation for
22 former WAGES participants; amending s. 427.013,
23 F.S.; providing for the duties of the
24 Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged
25 regarding WAGES transportation; amending s.
26 427.0155, F.S.; providing for the duties of
27 community transportation coordinators regarding
28 WAGES transportation; amending s. 427.0157,
29 F.S.; providing for the duties of the local
30 coordinating boards regarding WAGES
31 transportation; providing an effective date.
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 666
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1 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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3 Section 1. Paragraph (g) is added to subsection (1) of
4 section 234.01, Florida Statutes, to read:
5 234.01 Purpose; transportation; when provided.--
6 (1) School boards, after considering recommendations
7 of the superintendent:
8 (g) May provide transportation for WAGES program
9 participants as defined in s. 414.0252.
10 Section 2. Present paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of
11 section 234.211, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as
12 paragraph (c), and a new paragraph (b) is added to that
13 subsection to read:
14 234.211 Use of school buses for public purposes.--
15 (1)
16 (b) Each school district may enter into agreements
17 with local WAGES coalitions for the provision of
18 transportation services to WAGES program participants as
19 defined in s. 414.0252. Agreements must provide for
20 reimbursement in full or in part for the proportionate share
21 of fixed and operating costs incurred by the school district
22 attributable to the use of buses in accordance with the
23 agreement.
24 Section 3. Subsection (13) is added to section
25 341.041, Florida Statutes, to read:
26 341.041 Transit responsibilities of the
27 department.--The department shall, within the resources
28 provided pursuant to chapter 216:
29 (13) Assist local governmental entities and other
30 transit operators in the planning, development, and
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 666
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1 coordination of transit services for WAGES program
2 participants as defined in s. 414.0252.
3 Section 4. Subsections (1) and (2) of section 341.052,
4 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
5 341.052 Public transit block grant program;
6 administration; eligible projects; limitation.--
7 (1) There is created a public transit block grant
8 program which shall be administered by the department. Block
9 grant funds shall only be provided to "Section 9" providers
10 and "Section 18" providers designated by the United States
11 Department of Transportation and community transportation
12 coordinators as defined in chapter 427. Eligible providers
13 must establish public transportation development plans
14 consistent, to the maximum extent feasible, with approved
15 local government comprehensive plans of the units of local
16 government in which the provider is located. In developing
17 public transportation development plans, eligible providers
18 must solicit comments from local WAGES coalitions established
19 under chapter 414. The development plans must address how the
20 public transit provider will work with the appropriate local
21 WAGES coalition to provide services to WAGES participants.
22 Eligible providers must review program and financial plans
23 established under s. 414.028 and provide information to the
24 local WAGES coalition serving the county in which the provider
25 is located regarding the availability of transportation
26 services to assist WAGES program participants.
27 (2) Costs for which public transit block grant program
28 funds may be expended include:
29 (a) Costs of public bus transit and local public fixed
30 guideway capital projects.
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 666
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1 (b) Costs of public bus transit service development
2 and transit corridor projects. Whenever block grant funds are
3 used for a service development project or a transit corridor
4 project, the use of such funds is governed by s. 341.051.
5 Local transit service development projects and transit
6 corridor projects currently operating under contract with the
7 department shall continue to receive state funds according to
8 the contract until such time as the contract expires. Transit
9 corridor projects, wholly within one county, meeting or
10 exceeding performance criteria as described in the contract
11 shall be continued by the transit provider at the same or a
12 higher level of service until such time as the department, the
13 M.P.O., and the service provider, agree to discontinue the
14 service. The provider may not increase fares for services in
15 transit corridor projects wholly within one county without the
16 consent of the department.
17 (c) Costs of public bus transit operations.
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19 All projects must shall be consistent, to the maximum extent
20 feasible, with the approved local government comprehensive
21 plans of the units of local government comprehensive plans of
22 local government in which the project is located.
23 Section 5. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
24 414.026, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
25 414.026 WAGES Program State Board of Directors.--
26 (2)(a) The board of directors shall be composed of the
27 following members:
28 1. The Commissioner of Education, or the
29 commissioner's designee.
30 2. The Secretary of Children and Family Services.
31 3. The Secretary of Health.
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 666
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1 4. The Secretary of Labor and Employment Security.
2 5. The Secretary of Community Affairs.
3 6. The Secretary of Transportation, or the secretary's
4 designee.
5 7.6. The director of the Office of Tourism, Trade, and
6 Economic Development.
7 8.7. The president of the Enterprise Florida workforce
8 development board, established under s. 288.9620.
9 9.8. The chief executive officer of the Florida
10 Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation, established under s.
11 288.1226.
12 10.9. Nine members appointed by the Governor, as
13 follows:
14 a. Six members shall be appointed from a list of ten
15 nominees, of which five must be submitted by the President of
16 the Senate and five must be submitted by the Speaker of the
17 House of Representatives. The list of five nominees submitted
18 by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
19 Representatives must each contain at least three individuals
20 employed in the private sector, two of whom must have
21 management experience. One of the five nominees submitted by
22 the President of the Senate and one of the five nominees
23 submitted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives must
24 be an elected local government official who shall serve as an
25 ex officio nonvoting member.
26 b. Three members shall be at-large members appointed
27 by the Governor.
28 c. Of the nine members appointed by the Governor, at
29 least six must be employed in the private sector and of these,
30 at least five must have management experience.
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1 The members appointed by the Governor shall be appointed to
2 4-year, staggered terms. Within 60 days after a vacancy occurs
3 on the board, the Governor shall fill the vacancy of a member
4 appointed from the nominees submitted by the President of the
5 Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the
6 remainder of the unexpired term from one nominee submitted by
7 the President of the Senate and one nominee submitted by the
8 Speaker of the House of Representatives. Within 60 days after
9 a vacancy of a member appointed at-large by the Governor
10 occurs on the board, the Governor shall fill the vacancy for
11 the remainder of the unexpired term. The composition of the
12 board must generally reflect the racial, gender, and ethnic
13 diversity of the state as a whole.
14 Section 6. Subsection (1) of section 414.20, Florida
15 Statutes, is amended to read:
16 414.20 Other support services.--Support services shall
17 be provided, if resources permit, to assist participants in
18 complying with work activity requirements outlined in s.
19 414.065. If resources do not permit the provision of needed
20 support services, the department and the Department of Labor
21 and Employment Security may prioritize or otherwise limit
22 provision of support services. This section does not
23 constitute an entitlement to support services. Lack of
24 provision of support services may be considered as a factor in
25 determining whether good cause exists for failing to comply
26 with work activity requirements but does not automatically
27 constitute good cause for failing to comply with work activity
28 requirements, and does not affect any applicable time limit on
29 the receipt of temporary cash assistance or the provision of
30 services under this chapter. Support services shall include,
31 but need not be limited to:
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 666
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1 (1) TRANSPORTATION.--Transportation expenses may be
2 provided to any participant when the assistance is needed to
3 comply with work activity requirements or employment
4 requirements, including transportation to and from a child
5 care provider. Payment may be made in cash or tokens in
6 advance or through reimbursement paid against receipts or
7 invoices. Transportation services may include, but are not
8 limited to, cooperative arrangements with the following:
9 public transit providers; community transportation
10 coordinators designated under chapter 427; school districts,
11 churches and community centers; donated motor vehicle
12 programs, vanpools, and ridesharing programs; small enterprise
13 developments and entrepreneurial programs that encourage WAGES
14 participants to become transportation providers; public and
15 private transportation partnerships; and other innovative
16 strategies to expand transportation options available to
17 program participants.
18 (a) Local WAGES coalitions are authorized to provide
19 payment for vehicle operational and repair expenses, including
20 repair expenditures necessary to make a vehicle functional;
21 vehicle registration fees; driver's license fees; and
22 liability insurance for the vehicle for a period of up to 6
23 months. Request for vehicle repairs must be accompanied by an
24 estimate of the cost prepared by a repair facility registered
25 under s. 559.904.
26 (b) Transportation disadvantaged funds as defined in
27 chapter 427 do not include WAGES support services funds that
28 are used for the provision of transportation services for
29 WAGES program participants. It is the intent of the
30 Legislature that local WAGES coalitions consult with local
31 community transportation coordinators designated under chapter
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 666
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1 427 regarding the availability and cost of transportation
2 services through the coordinated transportation system prior
3 to contracting for comparable transportation services outside
4 the coordinated system. Support services funds may also be
5 used to develop transportation resources to expand
6 transportation options available to participants. These
7 services may include cooperative arrangements with local
8 transit authorities or school districts and small enterprise
9 development.
10 Section 7. Section 414.225, Florida Statutes, is
11 created to read:
12 414.225 Transitional Transportation.--In order to
13 assist former WAGES participants in maintaining and sustaining
14 employment, transportation may be provided, if funds are
15 available, for up to 1 year after the participant is no longer
16 eligible to participate in the program due to earnings. This
17 does not constitute an entitlement to transitional
18 transportation. If funds are not sufficient to provide
19 services under this section, the department may limit or
20 otherwise prioritize transportation services.
21 (1) Transitional transportation must be job related.
22 (2) Transitional transportation may include expenses
23 identified in s. 414.20.
24 Section 8. Subsection (27) is added to section
25 427.013, Florida Statutes, to read:
26 427.013 The Commission for the Transportation
27 Disadvantaged; purpose and responsibilities.--The purpose of
28 the commission is to accomplish the coordination of
29 transportation services provided to the transportation
30 disadvantaged. The goal of this coordination shall be to
31 assure the cost-effective provision of transportation by
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1 qualified community transportation coordinators or
2 transportation operators for the transportation disadvantaged
3 without any bias or presumption in favor of multioperator
4 systems or not-for-profit transportation operators over single
5 operator systems or for-profit transportation operators. In
6 carrying out this purpose, the commission shall:
7 (27) Ensure that local community transportation
8 coordinators work cooperatively with local WAGES coalitions
9 established in chapter 414 to provide assistance in the
10 development of innovative transportation services for WAGES
11 participants.
12 Section 9. Subsection (9) is added to section
13 427.0155, Florida Statutes, to read:
14 427.0155 Community transportation coordinators; powers
15 and duties.--Community transportation coordinators shall have
16 the following powers and duties:
17 (9) Work cooperatively with local WAGES coalitions
18 established in chapter 414 to provide assistance in the
19 development of innovative transportation services for WAGES
20 participants.
21 Section 10. Subsection (7) is added to section
22 427.0157, Florida Statutes, to read:
23 427.0157 Coordinating boards; powers and duties.--The
24 purpose of each coordinating board is to develop local service
25 needs and to provide information, advice, and direction to the
26 community transportation coordinators on the coordination of
27 services to be provided to the transportation disadvantaged.
28 The commission shall, by rule, establish the membership of
29 coordinating boards. The members of each board shall be
30 appointed by the metropolitan planning organization or
31 designated official planning agency. The appointing authority
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1 shall provide each board with sufficient staff support and
2 resources to enable the board to fulfill its responsibilities
3 under this section. Each board shall meet at least quarterly
4 and shall:
5 (7) Work cooperatively with local WAGES coalitions
6 established in chapter 414 to provide assistance in the
7 development of innovative transportation services for WAGES
8 participants.
9 Section 11. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
10 law.
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12 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
13 SB 666
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15 The CS provides that transitional employment transportation
may be provided for up to 12 months for former WAGES
16 participants who, do to earnings, are no longer eligible to
participate in the WAGES program
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