208.275. Coordinating council on special transportation, creation--members, qualifications, appointment, terms, expenses--staff--powers--duties. - Missouri Statutes

Coordinating council on special transportation, creation--members,qualifications, appointment, terms, expenses--staff--powers--duties.

208.275. 1. As used in this section, unless the contextotherwise indicates, the following terms mean:

(1) "Elderly", any person who is sixty years of age orolder;

(2) "Handicapped", any person having a physical or mentalcondition, either permanent or temporary, which wouldsubstantially impair ability to operate or utilize availabletransportation.

2. There is hereby created the "Coordinating Council onSpecial Transportation" within the Missouri department oftransportation. The members of the council shallbe: two members of the senate appointed by the president protem, who shall be from different political parties; two membersof the house of representatives appointed by the speaker, whoshall be from different political parties; the assistant fortransportation of the Missouri department of transportation,or his designee; the assistant commissioner of the departmentof elementary and secondary education, responsiblefor special transportation, or his designee; the director of thedivision of aging of the department of social services, or hisdesignee; the deputy director for mentalretardation/developmental disabilities and the deputy directorfor administration of the department of mental health, or theirdesignees; the executive secretary of the governor's committee onthe employment of the handicapped; and seven consumerrepresentatives appointed by the governor by and with the adviceand consent of the senate, four of the consumer representativesshall represent the elderly and three shall represent thehandicapped. Two of such three members representing handicappedpersons shall represent those with physical handicaps. Consumerrepresentatives appointed by the governor shall serve for termsof three years or until a successor is appointed and qualified.Of the members first selected, two shall be selected for a termof three years, two shall be selected for a term of two years,and three shall be selected for a term of one year. In the eventof the death or resignation of any member, his successor shall beappointed to serve for the unexpired period of the term for whichsuch member had been appointed.

3. State agency personnel shall serve on the council withoutadditional appropriations or compensation. The consumerrepresentatives shall serve without compensation except forreceiving reimbursement for the reasonable and necessary expensesincurred in the performance of their duties on the council fromfunds appropriated to the department of transportation.Legislative members shall be reimbursed by their respectiveappointing bodies out of the contingency fund for suchbody for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of theirduties.

4. Staff for the council shall be provided by the Missouridepartment of transportation. The department shalldesignate a special transportation coordinator who shall have hadexperience in the area of special transportation, as well as suchother staff as needed to enable the council to perform itsduties.

5. The council shall meet at least quarterly each year andshall elect from its members a chairman and a vice chairman.

6. The coordinating council on special transportation shall:

(1) Recommend and periodically review policies for thecoordinated planning and delivery of special transportation whenappropriate;

(2) Identify special transportation needs and recommendagency funding allocations and resources to meet these needs whenappropriate;

(3) Identify legal and administrative barriers to effectiveservice delivery;

(4) Review agency methods for distributing funds within thestate and make recommendations when appropriate;

(5) Review agency funding criteria and make recommendationswhen appropriate;

(6) Review area transportation plans and makerecommendations for plan format and content;

(7) Establish measurable objectives for the delivery oftransportation services;

(8) Review annual performance data and make recommendationsfor improved service delivery, operating procedures or fundingwhen appropriate;

(9) Review local disputes and conflicts on specialtransportation and recommend solutions.

(L. 1985 S.B. 53 §§ 1 to 4, A.L. 1988 S.B. 676)