S 4010 — Authorizes funding for on-demand micro transit service under Senior Citizen and Disabled Resident Transportation Assistance Program.

S4010 1R [First Reprint] SENATE, No.

MCKNIGHT District 31 (Hudson)    Co-Sponsored  by:   SYNOPSIS      Authorizes funding for on-demand micro transit service under Senior Citizen and Disabled Resident Transportation Assistance Program.

Senator Timberlake   CURRENT  VERSION  OF  TEXTSYNOPSIS      AsAuthorizes introduced.funding for on-demand micro transit service under Senior Citizen and Disabled Resident Transportation Assistance Program.

  CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT      As reported by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee on June 28, 2026, with amendments.

     c.] “Disabled1[“Disabled resident” means any individual who, by reason of illness, injury, age, congenital malfunction, or other permanent or temporary incapacity or disability, is unable without special facilities or special planning on design to utilize mass transportation facilities and services as effectively as persons who are not so affected.affected.]1      “Eligible counties” means counties submitting a proposal meeting the program guidelines.

     “Eligible counties” means counties submitting a proposal meeting the program guidelines.

the central region encompassing the counties of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean 1,1 and Somerset;

     “New Jersey Special Services Citizen Advisory Committee” means a committee representing advocacy groups from senior citizens and [the] disabled1[disabled residentsresidents] people with disabilities1 and other interested parties appointed by the 1President and Chief1 Executive Director1[Director] Officer1 of 1the1 New Jersey Transit.Transit 1Corporation1.

     [e.  [e.  “Accessible” means a service that can be used by all individuals including those who cannot negotiate steps or who can negotiate steps with great difficulty.

and the northern region encompassing those counties remaining in the State.]    “On-demand micro transit” means publicly-available,1[publicly-available, technology-enabled,technology-enabled,]1 shared 1public1 transportation 1services1 provided by means of a motor vehicle to individuals selecting a pick-up and drop-off location by telephone or through a mobile1[mobile] software1 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.

(cf:      P.L.1983,1“People c.578,with s.3)disabilities”  means     individuals 2.   who, Sectionby 2reason of P.L.1983,illness, c.578injury, (C.27:25-26)age, iscongenital amendedmalfunction, toor readother aspermanent follows: or     temporary 2.   incapacity Theor Legislaturedisability, findsare andunable declareswithout thatspecial manyfacilities senioror citizensspecial andplanning disabledon residentsdesign into theutilize Statemass requiretransportation assistancefacilities in meeting their need for available and accessibleservices transportationas soeffectively thatas theypersons maywho obtainare the necessities of life, including, but not limitedso to,affected. employment, post-secondary education, social and recreational activities, shopping and medical service;

and     that“Software theapplication” votersmeans oftechnology this State recognized the need for such assistance when, in 1981, they approved an amendment [of] to the State Constitution [which provides] providing that Stateenables revenuesa derivedcounty from the taxation of gambling establishments in Atlantic City may be used, in addition to theprovide purposeson-demand formicro whichtransit theyservice. were originally dedicated, for additional or expanded transportation services or benefits to senior citizens and [the] disabled residents.

 “Software application” shall not include a digital network as that term is defined in section 2 of P.L.2017, c.26 (C.39:5H-2).1 (cf:  P.L.1983, c.578, s.3)        2.    Section 2 of P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-26) is amended to read as follows:       2.    The Legislature further finds and declares that itmany issenior appropriatecitizens thatand the1[disabled Newresidents] Jerseypeople Transitwith Corporation,disabilities1 in conjunctionthe withState itsrequire advisoryassistance bodies,in representativesmeeting ortheir associationsneed offor counties,available and otheraccessible interestedtransportation parties,so developthat athey planmay forobtain transportationthe assistancenecessities toof seniorlife, citizensincluding, but not limited to, employment, post-secondary education, social and [the]recreational disabledactivities, residents;shopping and medical service;

and that the voters of this State recognized the need for such assistance when, in 1981, they approved an amendment [of] to the State Constitution [which provides] providing that State revenues derived from the taxation of gambling establishments in Atlantic City may be used, in addition to the purposes for which they were originally dedicated, for additional or expanded transportation services or benefits to senior citizens and [the] 1[disabled residents] people with disabilities1.

     The Legislature further finds and declares that it is appropriate that the New Jersey Transit Corporation, in conjunction with its advisory bodies, representatives or associations of counties, and other interested parties, develop a plan for transportation assistance to senior citizens and [the] 1[disabled residents] people with disabilities1;

(cf:  P.L.1983, c.578, s.2)        3.    Section 4 of P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-28) is amended to read as follows:       4.    a.  The board shall establish and administer a program to be known as “The Senior Citizen and Disabled Resident Transportation Assistance Program” for the following purposes:       (1)   [To] to assist counties to develop and provide accessible feeder transportation service to accessible fixed-route transportation services where such services are available, including, but not limited to, on-demand micro transit service, and accessible local transit service to senior citizens and [the] disabled1[disabled residents,residents] people with disabilities1, which services may include, but shall not be limited to, door-to-door service, fixed route service, local fare subsidy, on-demand micro transit service, and user-side subsidy, which may include, but not be limited to, private ride or taxi fare subsidy;

and      (2)   [To] to enable the corporation to develop, provide, and maintain capital improvements that afford accessibility to fixed route and other transit services in order to make rail cars, rail stations, bus shelters, and other bus equipment accessible to senior citizens and [the] disabled1[disabled residents;residents] people with disabilities1;

(cf:  P.L.2021, c.314, s.6)        4.    Section 5 of P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-29) is amended to read as follows:       5.    The corporation, in conjunction with the New Jersey Transit Special Services Citizen Advisory Committee, appropriate advisory committees of the corporation and with representatives or associations of counties in this State and other interested parties, as determined by the board, shall develop program guidelines to implement the program.  The guidelines shall set implementation criteria and shall be adopted by the board at a public meeting.

 Commencing on the first anniversary of the effective date of [this act] P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-25 et seq.), the corporation shall annually conduct at least one public hearing in each geographic region in order to gather information from interested parties as to the efficacy of the program.  The corporation shall submit an annual report to the Legislature by October 1 of each year covering the period of the previous State fiscal year.   The report shall cover the status of this program including any recommendations concerning the general improvement of mass transit for [the] senior citizens and [the] disabled1[disabled residents.residents] people with disabilities1.

     1The guidelines shall specify that any driver providing on-demand micro transit service through an on-demand micro transit program that receives funding through “The Senior Citizen and Disabled Resident Transportation Assistance Program,” established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-28), and is operated by a county, whether directly or indirectly through contract or subcontract, is required to receive a federal Internal Revenue Service W-2 form.1 (cf:  P.L.1983, c.578, s.5)        5.    Section 7 of P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-31) is amended to read as follows:       7.    a.  [Moneys] Monies under this program shall be allocated by the corporation in the following manner:       (1)   85 [%] percent shall be available to be allocated to eligible counties for the purposes specified under paragraph (1) of subsection a.

[Bureau of the] Census Bureau.  As similar data become available for the1[the disabled resident population,population] people with disabilities1, such data shall be used in conjunction with the senior citizen data to determine the county allocation formula.  No eligible county shall receive less than [$150,000.00] $150,000 during a fiscal year under this program [, except that during]during].  .  However, during the first fiscal year, no county shall receive less than [$50,000.00] $50,000 nor more than [$150,000.00] $150,000.

     c.     The governing body of an eligible county, or a group or groups designated as an applicant or as applicants by the county after a public hearing in which senior citizens and [the] disabled1[disabled residentsresidents] people with disabilities1 shall have the opportunity to comment on the appropriateness of such designation, may [make application] apply to the board for [moneys] monies available under subsection b.

54:14B-1 et seq.), [such] rules and regulations as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this1[this act.act] P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-25 et seq.)1.

     b.    The corporation shall be entitled to call upon the assistance, or contract for services, of any State department, board, bureau, commission 1,1 or agency as may be necessary to implement the provisions of [this act] P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-25 et seq.).

     d.    All public hearings held pursuant to [this act] P.L.1983, c.578 (C.27:25-25 et seq.) shall be held at locations [which] that are accessible to senior citizens and [the] disabled1[disabled residents.residents] people with disabilities1.

(cf:  P.L.1983, c.578, s.8)        7.    This act shall take effect immediately.

    STATEMENT        This bill amends current law to expand the scope of the Senior Citizen and Disabled Resident Transportation Assistance Program (program), making any county that provides on-demand micro transit service to senior citizens and disabled residents eligible for financial assistance under the program.  Under the 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.