A4858

An Act concerning transportation services provided to senior citizens and appropriating funds.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. There is hereby established in the Department of Human Services a Senior Citizen Transportation Grant Program. The purpose of this program shall be to provide municipalities with grant awards to support the establishment or expansion of programs that provide transportation services to senior citizens, without cost-sharing and regardless of the senior citizen’s income.

b. The department shall develop an application and process for municipalities to submit a request for grant funds. The application shall include, at a minimum: (1) a description of the municipality’s existing transportation program for senior citizens, including the number of senior citizens serviced annually and the current fiscal year budget for senior citizen transportation services, if applicable; (2) a requested grant amount of $25,000 or less; (3) an explanation of how the grant funds will be utilized to support transportation services for senior citizens in the municipality; and (4) the estimated number of senior citizens who will be provided transportation services with the use of the grant funds. The department shall establish and promote a six-month period during which municipalities may submit applications for the Senior Citizen Transportation Grant Program, which period shall begin no more than 180 days after the effective date of this act.

c. The department shall determine: (1) grant award amounts based upon information provided by the municipality through the application process and the availability of State appropriations; and (2) criteria for eligibility for grant awards, provided that the use of the grant funds by the municipality are within the scope of the program as provided for in this section.

d. The department shall report to the Governor and the Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), no later than 30 days following the closure of the six-month application period, a summary of the grant program, including a list of municipalities that submitted an application for the grant, noting any application that was denied and the reason for the denial, as well as the amount and use of each awarded grant.

e. For the purpose of the section:

“Senior Citizen” means a resident of the applicable municipality who is 55 years of age or older.

“Transportation services” means the availability of round-trip transportation from the senior citizen’s residence or other designated location, such as the municipality’s senior center, to a location, either specified by the municipality or requested by the senior citizen, for purposes that may include medical appointments, recreational activities, or shopping and errands.

2. There is appropriated $2,500,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Human Services for the purposes of the Senior Transportation Grant Program, as established pursuant to section 1 of this act. Any unexpended funds from this appropriation shall revert to the General Fund 180 days following the submission of the report by the Department of Human Services pursuant to subsection d. of section 1 of this act.

3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire 180 days following the submission of the report by the Department of Human Services pursuant to subsection d. of section 1 of this act.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes the Senior Citizen Transportation Grant Program in the Department of Human Services. The purpose of this program is to provide municipalities with grant awards to support the establishment or expansion of programs that provide transportation services to senior citizens, without cost-sharing and regardless of the senior citizen’s income. The bill defines “senior citizen” to mean a resident of the applicable municipality who is 55 years of age or older. “Transportation services” means the availability of round-trip transportation from the senior citizen’s residence or other designated location, such as the municipality’s senior center, to a location, either specified by the municipality or requested by the senior citizen, for purposes that may include medical appointments, recreational activities, or shopping and errands.

Under the bill, the department is required to develop an application and process for municipalities to submit a request for grant funds. The application is to include, at a minimum: (1) a description of the municipality’s existing transportation program for senior citizens, including the number of senior citizens serviced annually and the current fiscal year budget for senior citizen transportation services, if applicable; (2) a requested grant amount of $25,000 or less; (3) an explanation of how the grant funds will be utilized to support transportation services for senior citizens in the municipality; and (4) the estimated number of senior citizens who will be provided transportation services with the use of the grant funds. The department is also required to establish and promote a six-month period during which municipalities may submit applications for the Senior Citizen Transportation Grant Program, which period is to begin no more than 180 days after the effective date of the bill.

The bill authorizes the department to determine the: (1) grant award amounts based upon information provided by the municipality through the application process and the availability of State appropriations; and (2) criteria for eligibility for grant awards, provided that the use of the grant funds by the municipality are within the scope of the program as provided for in the bill.

No later than 30 days following the closure of the six-month application period, the department is to report to the Governor and the Legislature a summary of the grant program, including a list of municipalities that submitted an application for the grant, noting any application that was denied and the reason for the denial, as well as the amount and use of each awarded grant.

In order to implement the grant program, the bill appropriates $2.5 million from the General Fund to the Department of Human Services. Any unexpended funds from this appropriation is to revert to the General Fund 180 days following the submission of the report by the Department of Human Services, as required under the bill.