[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1942 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1942

 To amend title 49, United States Code, to improve transportation for 
                    seniors, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 5, 2011

  Mr. Kohl (for himself and Mr. Wyden) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
                           and Urban Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 49, United States Code, to improve transportation for 
                    seniors, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Senior Transportation and Mobility 
Improvement Act of 2011''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) According to projections from the 2010 decennial 
        census, the number of individuals in the United States who are 
        65 years of age or older will increase from 40,000,000 in 2010 
        to 72,000,000 in 2030. Yet, a 2004 report by the Surface 
        Transportation Policy Project found that more than 1 in 5 (or 
        21 percent) of individuals who are 65 years of age or older do 
        not drive.
            (2) According to a 2011 report by the National Association 
        of Area Agencies on Aging, inadequate transportation options 
        for older adults has emerged as the second greatest challenge 
        identified by communities during the 5-year period ending in 
        2011.
            (3) According to a 2004 report by the Surface 
        Transportation Policy Project, more than \1/2\ of seniors who 
        are 65 years of age and older (numbering 3,600,000 individuals) 
        who no longer drive due to a decline in health, stay at home on 
        any given day partially because they lack transportation 
        options. Alternatives to driving are particularly sparse in 
        some regions and in rural and small town communities.
            (4) According to a 2004 report by the Surface 
        Transportation Policy Project, compared with older drivers, 
        older non-drivers in the United States make 15 percent fewer 
        trips to the doctor, 59 percent fewer shopping trips, and 65 
        percent fewer trips for social, family, and religious 
        activities.
            (5) In 2009, the program under section 5310 of title 49, 
        United States Code, provided more than 43,000,000 rides to 
        older adults and people with disabilities.
            (6) Access to mobility management services help transit and 
        human services systems meet the needs of older adults and 
        people with disabilities. This person-centered strategy helps 
        individuals and families review available transportation 
        options and support their decisions regarding the 
        transportation options that are best suited to their 
        circumstances, preferences and mobility needs.

SEC. 3. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS AND 
              INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.

    (a) Elderly Individuals and Individuals With Disabilities.--
            (1) Use of funds.--Section 5310 of title 49, United States 
        Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(i) Operating Costs.--
            ``(1) Definition.--In this subsection, the term `covered 
        amounts' means, for a fiscal year, any amounts apportioned to a 
        State under this section in excess of the amounts apportioned 
        to the State under this section for fiscal year 2010.
            ``(2) Use of funds.--A State may use not more than 33 
        percent of any covered amounts for costs relating to the 
        operation and maintenance of vehicles and other capital assets 
        acquired by the State using funds under this section, including 
        insurance, fuel, and driver compensation.
            ``(3) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost of 
        operation and maintenance carried out using funds under this 
        subsection may not exceed 50 percent.''.
            (2) Additional requirements for grant recipients.--Section 
        5310(d) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding 
        at the end the following:
            ``(3) Reporting requirements.--Each recipient of funding 
        under this section shall submit to the Administrator of the 
        Federal Transit Administration an annual report that describes 
        how the recipient will coordinate, or is coordinating, the 
        activities carried out by the recipient using a grant under 
        this section with the activities, if any, carried out by the 
        recipient using a grant under title III of the Older Americans 
        Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3021 et seq.).''.
            (3) Federal share.--Section 5310(c)(1)(B) of title 49, 
        United States Code, is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``(B) Exception.--A State'' and 
                inserting the following:
                    ``(B) Exceptions.--
                            ``(i) Certain states.--A State''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(ii) Mobility management.--A grant under 
                        this section for a capital project described in 
                        section 5302(a)(1)(L) shall be for 90 percent 
                        of the capital costs of the project, as 
                        determined by the Secretary.''.
    (b) National Transit Database.--Section 5335 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b), by striking ``section 5307 or 5311'' 
        and inserting ``section 5307, 5310, or 5311''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(c) Data Relating to Sections 5310 and 5311.--The reporting and 
uniform systems established under subsection (a) shall include 
information with respect to activities carried out using a grant under 
section 5310 or 5311, including, for each recipient of a grant under 
section 5310 or 5311 and for each State--
            ``(1) the number of vehicles purchased; and
            ``(2) the number of rides provided.''.

SEC. 4. METROPOLITAN AND STATEWIDE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING.

    (a) Metropolitan Transportation Planning.--Section 5303(i) of title 
49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(8) Participation by older individuals and people with 
        disabilities.--
                    ``(A) Definitions.--In this paragraph, the terms 
                `disability' and `older individual' have the same 
                meanings as in section 102 of the Older Americans Act 
                of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3002).
                    ``(B) Participation required.--In developing a 
                transportation plan under this section, a metropolitan 
                planning organization shall--
                            ``(i) ensure that organizations that 
                        represent older individuals and individuals 
                        with disabilities (including community action 
                        agencies, area agencies on aging, aging and 
                        disability resource centers, and other 
                        representatives of the aging and disability 
                        networks) have a reasonable opportunity to 
                        comment on the transportation plan and document 
                        the efforts of the metropolitan planning 
                        organization to solicit such comments;
                            ``(ii) take into consideration any comments 
                        received under clause (i) and document how any 
                        such comments were taken into consideration in 
                        the development of the transportation plan; and
                            ``(iii) give organizations that represent 
                        older individuals and individuals with 
                        disabilities (including community action 
                        agencies, area agencies on aging, aging and 
                        disability resource centers, and other 
                        representatives of the aging and disability 
                        networks) an opportunity to review and comment 
                        on the transportation plan before the 
                        transportation plan becomes final.''.
    (b) Statewide Transportation Planning.--Section 5304 of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(k) Participation by Older Individuals and People With 
Disabilities.--
            ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection, the terms 
        `disability' and `older individual' have the same meanings as 
        in section 102 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 
        3002).
            ``(2) Participation required.--In developing a statewide 
        transportation plan or a statewide transportation improvement 
        program under this section, a State shall--
                    ``(A) ensure that organizations that represent 
                older individuals and individuals with disabilities 
                have a reasonable opportunity to comment on the plan or 
                program and document the efforts of the State to 
                solicit such comments;
                    ``(B) take into consideration any comments received 
                under subparagraph (A) and document how any such 
                comments were taken into consideration in the 
                development of the plan or program; and
                    ``(C) give organizations that represent older 
                individuals and individuals with disabilities an 
                opportunity to review and comment on the plan or 
                program before the plan or program becomes final.''.

SEC. 5. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND MOBILITY MANAGEMENT.

    (a) Technical Assistance.--
            (1) Definition.--For purposes of this subsection--
                    (A) the term ``eligible entity'' means a nonprofit 
                organization that provides transportation services to 
                older individuals;
                    (B) the term ``older individual'' has the same 
                meaning as in section 102 of the Older Americans Act of 
                1965 (42 U.S.C. 3002); and
                    (C) the term ``urbanized area'' has the same 
                meaning as in section 5302 of title 49, United States 
                Code.
            (2) In general.--The Administrator of the Federal Transit 
        Administration shall enter into a cooperative agreement with 
        the National Center on Senior Transportation--
                    (A) to provide technical assistance to transit and 
                human services organizations;
                    (B) to disseminate best practices with respect to 
                transportation for older individuals to consumers, 
                Federal, State, and local transportation and aging 
                services providers, and researchers; and
                    (C) to make grants to eligible entities to test 
                innovative and replicable approaches for addressing the 
                mobility needs of older individuals, including 
                individuals in other than urbanized areas.
            (3) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized 
        to be appropriated to carry out this subsection--
                    (A) $5,500,000 for fiscal year 2012; and
                    (B) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2013.
    (b) Mobility Management Program.--
            (1) In general.--The Federal Transit Administration shall 
        make grants to nonprofit aging services organizations--
                    (A) to offer mobility management services, 
                including mobility management activities and projects 
                described in section 5302(a)(1)(L) of title 49, United 
                States Code; and
                    (B) to develop and implement enhanced technology to 
                support mobility management services.
            (2) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized 
        to be appropriated to carry out this subsection--
                    (A) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2012; and
                    (B) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2013.
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