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<section article="gtr" article_name="Transportation" number="7-1109" title_number="7" title_name="Mass Transit" subtitle_number="11" subtitle_name="Job Access and Reverse Commute Program">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“State agency” means an executive department, agency, or office of the State.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“Transportation–disadvantaged” means an individual who qualifies for federally conducted or federally assisted transportation–related programs or services, as implemented and coordinated by a State agency, due to disability, income, or advanced age.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>There is a State Coordinating Committee for Health and Human Services Transportation.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The Committee consists of the following members:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Secretary, or the Secretary’s designee;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Secretary of Human Services, or the Secretary’s designee;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The Secretary of Health, or the Secretary’s designee;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The Secretary of Aging, or the Secretary’s designee;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>The Secretary of Disabilities, or the Secretary’s designee;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>The Secretary of Housing and Community Development, or the Secretary’s designee;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>The Secretary of Planning, or the Secretary’s designee;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="8">
      <text>The Secretary of Veterans and Military Families, or the Secretary’s designee;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="9">
      <text>The Secretary of Labor, or the Secretary’s designee;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="10">
      <text>The Director of the Office of the Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing, or the Director’s designee;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="11">
      <text>The Executive Director of the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council, or the Executive Director’s designee;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="12">
      <text>The Executive Board Chair of the Rural Maryland Council, or the Executive Board Chair’s designee; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="13">
      <text>Any additional members recommended by the chair of the Committee and appointed by the Governor to provide input from local governments, employers, agencies, and organizations serving priority populations, transportation providers, and consumers from priority populations.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The appointed members serve at the pleasure of the Governor.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The term of an appointed member is 3 years.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The Governor may stagger the terms of the appointed members.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>The Secretary, or the designee of the Secretary, shall chair the Committee.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>The Department shall provide staff for the Committee.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>A member of the Committee:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>May not receive compensation as a member of the Committee; but</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <text>The Committee shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Examine the transportation needs of residents of the State who:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Are elderly;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Have a disability; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Require transportation to access jobs, medical and other health–related appointments, senior citizen programs, or other programs requiring the transportation of individuals who qualify as transportation–disadvantaged;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Coordinate efforts in the State to provide quality health and human services transportation services by working with appropriate federal, State, and local agencies, transit consumers, and transportation providers, to develop a cooperative and coordinated health and human services transportation system;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Conduct an inventory and assessment of health and human services transportation providers in the State;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Devise a 5–year health and human services transportation plan that sets goals and objectives to help transportation–disadvantaged residents of the State access jobs, education and training programs, health care services, and other activities by providing cost–effective, affordable, high–capacity, high–quality, easily understood, and safe and accessible transportation; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Serve as the clearinghouse for health and human services transportation coordination issues in the State;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Identify and facilitate resolution to issues regarding health and human services transportation, both locally and statewide;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Participate in the identification of potential allocations of health and human services transportation resources during emergency evacuations;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Evaluate cost–saving measures;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>Investigate the need for the establishment of standards for vehicles and drivers within health and human services transportation programs; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>Examine other appropriate areas to facilitate the development of a quality health and human services transportation system in the State.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="i">
    <text>On or before September 1 each year, the Committee shall report on its activities to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the General Assembly.</text>
  </level>
</section>
