By Van de Putte                                       H.C.R. No. 79

                             HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-1           WHEREAS, Transportation for clients of government services in

 1-2     Texas is currently provided through 43 separate programs in 19

 1-3     state and federal agencies, causing significant duplication of

 1-4     effort as well as complicating individual access to services; and

 1-5           WHEREAS, Demand for community public transit is outpacing the

 1-6     annual allocation of over $1.6 billion in state, federal, and local

 1-7     funds; presently, an estimated 31 percent of Texans are considered

 1-8     transportation disadvantaged, primarily the disabled and the

 1-9     growing populations of the elderly and the poor; and

1-10           WHEREAS, The increasing number of those in need paired with a

1-11     trend of decreasing federal, state, and local funding could leave

1-12     millions of Texans stranded at home or facing major barriers in

1-13     accessing the public transportation system to buy groceries, to go

1-14     to a doctor's appointment, or to travel to state and federal

1-15     service agencies for assistance; and

1-16           WHEREAS, Community transportation brokerages, established to

1-17     administer all regional transportation services through one local

1-18     broker, provide more efficient and effective service to many

1-19     communities across the United States at a lower cost than

1-20     traditional methods; the federal government decision in 1986 to

1-21     encourage states to develop integrated transportation delivery

1-22     networks further speaks to their demonstrated benefits; and

1-23           WHEREAS, The office of client transportation services of the

1-24     Health and Human Services Commission, in consultation with the

 2-1     Agency Transportation Coordinating Council, concluded, after a

 2-2     series of statewide focus group meetings, that community

 2-3     transportation brokerages could effectively meet the needs of

 2-4     Texans; and

 2-5           WHEREAS, Brokerages have the potential to meet the public

 2-6     transit requirements of both urban and rural populations as well as

 2-7     the agencies serving Texas by maximizing available resources,

 2-8     simplifying administration and client tracking, consolidating

 2-9     efforts to identify transportation shortfalls, establishing common

2-10     rate components for transit services, and assisting in targeting

2-11     and addressing barriers to use by specific client groups; now,

2-12     therefore, be it

2-13           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

2-14     hereby officially express its support of the ongoing Community

2-15     Transportation Coordination Pilot Programs and encourage the Texas

2-16     Health and Human Services Commission, the Texas Department of

2-17     Transportation, and the Agency Transportation Coordinating Council

2-18     to further their efforts to maximize and coordinate available

2-19     transportation funding and services through the existing network of

2-20     general public transportation providers in the state and by

2-21     developing a method for providing client transportation services in

2-22     those areas of the state not currently served by public

2-23     transportation; and, be it further

2-24           RESOLVED, That the results of the pilot programs and other

2-25     coordination-related activities facilitated by the Health and Human

2-26     Services Commission, the Texas Department of Transportation, the

2-27     Agency Transportation Coordinating Council, and participating

 3-1     public transit systems be reported to the 76th Texas Legislature

 3-2     when it convenes in January 1999; and, be it further

 3-3           RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official

 3-4     copy of this resolution to the commissioner of health and human

 3-5     services, the Texas Transportation Commission, and the members of

 3-6     the Agency Transportation Coordinating Council.