After twelve extensions, Congress has finally passed HR 3, the "Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act - a Legacy for Users" or SAFETEA-LU on Friday evening, July 29. It has been sent to the President, but not yet signed. The bill is over 1600 pages long and filled with earmarks. But - Section 3019 creates a separate New Freedom program with some money and flexibility. Authorized funding rises from $78 million/FY 06 to $92.5 m/FY 09. New Freedom projects will have to be coordinated with other transportation program activities and part of a local public transportation/human service transportation plan. Also, Section 5310 funding is authorized at $94.5m in FY 05, rising to $133.5 million in FY 09.
Thanks for all your work on this bill. Now - please write your Senators and Representative and thank them for their support of this bill and the New Freedom program in particular. If he/she is not named below, he/she deserves a letter.
In the Senate: Cornyn, Gregg, Kyl and McCain were the dissenting votes; Boxer, Feinstein, Roberts, Sununu, and Smith were not present.
In the House: Boehner, Flake, Hensarling, Jones (NC), Joyce, Sensenbrenner, Shadegg, Thornberry voted nay; not voting were Brady (PA), Capps, Delahunt, Fattah, Johnson(Sam), Mica, Miller (George), Paul, Pitts, Pombo, Schakowsky, Schwarz (MI), Stark, Wexler.
*************************************
The final version of New Freedom is based primarily on HR 3, the House bill. The Senate receded after modifying the language to address labor concerns. The following language is from the House Report 109-12 from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. It will provide guidance to the Department of Transportation as it develops regulations (we don't know when that will happen, but there is funding for FY '06.)
"With the passage of the ADA, it has become a civil rights violation to deny access to persons with disabilities to public transportation. The New Freedom formula grant program was proposed by the administration and has been included in this legislation to provide additional tools to overcome existing barriers facing Americans with disabilities seeking integration into the work force and full participation in society. Lack of adequate transportation is a primary barrier to work for people with disabilities. The 2000 Census showed that only 60 percent of people between the ages of 16 and 64 with disabilities are employed. The New Freedom formula grant program will expand the transportation mobility options available to persons with disabilities beyond the requirements of the ADA. Examples of projects and activities that might be funded under the program include, but are not limited to:
Purchasing vehicles and supporting accessible taxi, ride-sharing, and vanpooling programs.
Providing paratransit services beyond minimum requirements ( 3/4 mile to either side of a fixed route), including for routes that run seasonally.
Making accessibility improvements to transit and intermodal stations not designated as key stations.
Supporting voucher programs for transportation services offered by human service providers.
Supporting volunteer driver and aide programs.
Supporting mobility management and coordination programs among public transportation providers and other human service agencies providing transportation.
......
The Secretary requires a recipient of a grant to coordinate the New Freedom program activities with other related program activities of other Federal agencies. Also a recipient that transfers funds to the urbanized area formula grant program must certify that the project for which funds are requested had been coordinated with nonprofit providers of services.
Beginning in fiscal year 2007, a recipient will also be required to certify that projects selected were derived from a locally developed, coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan and that the plan was developed through a process that involved individuals of the public, private, and nonprofit transportation and human services providers. "
Call or write if you have any questions.
Maureen McCloskey
National Advocacy Director
Paralyzed Veterans of America
801 18th St. NW
Washington, D.C.
202-416-7696
202-416-7706 (fax)
Back to what's New
Back to Home