Existing law establishes certain programs to provide access to transportation for elderly persons and persons with a disability. Under existing law, the regional transportation commission of a county in which a sales and use tax is imposed for the purposes of public transit is authorized to appropriate money from the tax to provide transportation or to support agencies which are providing transportation for the elderly and persons with a disability in a manner consistent with the regional transportation plan. (NRS 377A.080) Existing law and regulations also: (1) establish a program in counties in which taxicab motor carriers are regulated by the Taxicab Authority (currently only Clark County) to subsidize transportation by taxicab for elderly persons and persons with a permanent disability, which is administered by the Aging and Disability Services Division of the Department of Human Services; and (2) authorize the Taxicab Administrator to transfer any balance over $200,000 in the Taxicab Authority Fund at the end of a fiscal year, and any interest earned on that Fund, to the Division to fund this program. (NRS 427A.050, 706.881, 706.8825; NAC 706.857-706.870)
Sections 2-9 of this bill provide for the establishment and administration of the Nevada Access to Transportation for Senior Citizens and Persons with a Disability Program to expand access to transportation for persons 60 years of age or older and persons with a disability in this State. Sections 2-6 of this bill define terms relating to the Program. Section 7 of this bill creates the Nevada Access to Transportation for Senior Citizens and Persons with a Disability Account, which consists of: (1) an appropriation from the State General Fund of $5,000,000 for the 2027-2029 biennium, which is made by section 12 of this bill; (2) any transfer of money to the Account from the Taxicab Fund, which section 11 of this bill authorizes the Taxicab Administrator to make to the Account rather than to the Division; (3) any transfer of money to the Account by the Administrator of the Division under section 13 of this bill, which requires the Administrator to transfer to the Account any balance of money transferred to the Division from the Taxicab Fund under existing law that remain uncommitted on July 1, 2027; (4) any gift, grant or donation of money to the Account; and (5) any interest and income earned on money in the Account. Section 7 requires the Division to use the money in the Account to administer: (1) the existing program to subsidize transportation by taxicab of elderly persons and persons with permanent disabilities; and (2) the Nevada Access to Transportation for Senior Citizens and Persons with a Disability Program, which section 8 of this bill requires the Division to establish and administer. Section 10 of this bill requires the Division to administer the existing program to subsidize the transportation by taxicab of elderly persons and persons with permanent disabilities within the limitations of available money in the Account.
Section 8 requires the Division, in addition to establishing the Program, to biennially: (1) prepare an assessment of needs that identifies and evaluates the particular needs of senior citizens and persons with a disability with respect to transportation; (2) establish the priorities of the Division for addressing those needs; and (3) prepare a transportation access plan that details the initiatives that the Division plans to establish or undertake to address those priorities as part of the Program. Section 8 authorizes the Division, as part of the Program, to establish and undertake those initiatives in alignment with the transportation plan developed by the Division, which may include: (1) expanding or creating initiatives similar to the existing program to subsidize transportation by taxicab for elderly persons and persons with a permanent disability; (2) subsidizing other forms of transportation for senior citizens and persons with a disability; and (3) awarding grants of money to entities that establish or administer programs to provide free or subsidized transportation to senior citizens and persons with a disability.
Section 9 of this bill requires the Administrator of the Division to biennially: (1) prepare a report that details the expenditures made from the Account and summarizes the initiatives and activities of the programs administered by the Division to increase access to transportation for senior citizens and persons with a disability; and (2) submit that report to certain committees of the Legislature and the Nevada Silver Haired Legislative Forum.

Statutes affected:
BDR: 427A.070, 706.8825