Resolve, To Provide Funding for a Pilot Project To Evaluate and Address the Transportation Needs of Maine's Veterans

Sec. 1. Pilot project. Resolved: That, beginning September 1, 2018 and ending February 28, 2021, the Department of Transportation, in consultation with the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, shall establish a pilot project in Oxford, Franklin and Androscoggin counties to provide transportation to veterans, including a veteran's caregiver or dependent, to and from employment or employment-related services, medical appointments, mental health services, social services and community activities. The pilot project must be administered by a regional transportation agency in a manner that will supplement existing public transit services. For purposes of the pilot project, "veteran" means any person who served on active duty in the United States Armed Forces or served in the Maine National Guard or the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces regardless of discharge and character of service and inclusive of active duty for training purposes; and be it further

Sec. 2. Funding. Resolved: That the Department of Transportation may receive funds from any public or private source for the purposes for which the pilot project has been established; and be it further

Sec. 3. Report. Resolved: That by February 1, 2020 the Department of Transportation shall submit an initial written report on the progress of the pilot project, including number of trips and number of veterans served, and by March 1, 2021 the Department of Transportation shall submit a final written report, including findings and recommendations, to the joint standing committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation, health and human services, labor and veterans matters. The joint standing committees may each submit a bill to the First Regular Session of the 130th Legislature relating to the subject matter of the final report; and be it further

Sec. 4. Appropriations and allocations. Resolved: That the following appropriations and allocations are made.

TRANSPORTATION, DEPARTMENT OF

Multimodal - Transit 0443

Initiative: Provides one-time funding for the implementation of a 30-month pilot project in Oxford, Franklin and Androscoggin counties.

GENERAL FUND	2017-18	2018-19
All Other	$0	$150,000
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$0	$150,000

SUMMARY

This resolve is reported out by the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation pursuant to Resolve 2015, chapter 77, section 4. As required by the resolve, the Department of Transportation submitted to the committee a final written report, including findings and recommendations, regarding the development of a pilot project to be established in a location served by a regional transportation network to provide transportation for veterans.

The committee has not taken a position on the substance of this resolve and by reporting this resolve out the committee is not suggesting and does not intend to suggest that it agrees or disagrees with any aspect of this resolve. The committee is reporting the resolve out for the sole purpose of turning the proposal into a printed resolve that can be referred to the committee for an appropriate public hearing and subsequent processing in the normal course. The committee is taking this action to ensure clarity and transparency in the legislative review of this proposal.