Cal. PUC § 5440.5 — California Code / Code puc / Division 2 / Chapter 8 / Article 7 / Section 5440.5
Section 5440.5
Status: in_force

(a) As part of the regulation of transportation network companies (TNCs) referenced in subdivision (a) of Section 5440, the commission shall do all of the following:

(1) In a new or existing proceeding, establish a program relating to accessibility for persons with disabilities, including wheelchair users who need a wheelchair-accessible vehicle (WAV). This program shall include, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(A) By January 1, 2019, the commission shall begin conducting workshops with stakeholders, including California cities and counties, disability rights organizations, persons with disabilities, transportation and transit agencies, social service transportation providers, paratransit coordinating councils, and transportation network companies, in order to determine community WAV demand and WAV supply and to develop and provide recommendations regarding the establishment of geographic areas, criteria for Access Fund expenditures, and educational outreach objectives for programs for on-demand services and partnerships consistent with the requirements of this section. The workshops may also examine topics including, but not limited to, vehicle specifications, subsidies for wheelchair pickups, maintenance and fuel costs, designated pickup locations for drivers in locations where door-to-door service is not feasible, standards for trip requests, response times, and rider initiated cancellation, limiting of stranded users, integration of service into city and county transportation plans, or any necessary training or additional incentives for WAV drivers that results in a measurable impact on service availability, efficiency, and efficacy. The commission shall conduct a minimum of five workshops throughout the state.

(B) (i) The commission shall require each TNC, by July 1, 2019, to pay on a quarterly basis to the commission an amount equivalent to, at minimum, five cents ($0.05) for each TNC trip completed using the transportation network company’s online-enabled application or platform that originates in one of the geographic areas selected pursuant to subparagraph (D), except if the TNC meets the requirements of an exemption established by the commission pursuant to subparagraph (G). The commission may adjust the fee in each geographic area selected pursuant to subparagraph (D) to different levels based on the cost of providing adequate WAV service within the geographic area.

(ii) Each TNC shall charge its customers on each TNC trip completed the full amount of the per-trip fee established pursuant to this subparagraph, and remit the total amount of those fees charged to the commission each quarter. The commission shall authorize a TNC to offset against the amounts due pursuant to this subparagraph for a particular quarter the amounts spent by the TNC during that quarter to improve WAV service on its online-enabled application or platform for each geographic area and thereby reduce the amount required to be remitted to the commission. In order to offset amounts due pursuant to this subparagraph in a geographic area, the commission shall require a TNC, at a minimum, to demonstrate, in the geographic area, the presence and availability of drivers with WAVs on its online-enabled application or platform, improved level of service, including reasonable response times, due to those investments for WAV service compared to the previous quarter, efforts undertaken to publicize and promote available WAV services to disability communities, and a full accounting of funds expended.

(C) The commission shall create the TNC Access for All Fund (Access Fund) and deposit moneys collected pursuant to subparagraph (B) in the Access Fund. The commission shall distribute funds in the Access Fund on a competitive basis to access providers that establish on-demand transportation programs or partnerships to meet the needs of persons with disabilities, including wheelchair users who need a WAV, in the geographic areas selected pursuant to subparagraph (D).

(D) The commission shall select geographic areas, which shall be based on the demand for WAVs within the area and selected according to outcomes of workshops in subparagraph (A), for inclusion in the on-demand transportation programs or partnerships funded pursuant to subparagraph (C). The commission shall allocate moneys in the Access Fund for use in each geographic area in a manner that is proportional to the percent of the Access Fund fees originating in that geographic area.

(E) The commission shall request access providers to submit applications to receive funds pursuant to subparagraph (C) by April 1, 2020. The commission may accept applications for new on-demand transportation programs or partnerships any time after April 1, 2020. From the applications that are submitted, the commission shall select by July 1, 2020, on-demand transportation programs or partnerships to receive funding based on criteria adopted by the commission in consultation with stakeholders described in subparagraph (A). As part of the criteria, the commission shall require an access provider to demonstrate in its application, at a minimum, how the program or partnership improves response times for WAV service compared to the previous year, the presence and availability of WAVs within the geographic area, and efforts undertaken to publicize and promote available WAV services to disability communities.

(F) The commission shall distribute funds pursuant to subparagraph (E) in the Access Fund within 90 days following the end of each year. If no access provider meets the requirements, funds shall remain in the Access Fund and be distributed the next year.

(G) The commission shall require each transportation network company to be accessible to persons with disabilities in order to be exempt from paying the charge required pursuant to subparagraph (B). The commission shall adopt a designated level of WAV service that is required to be met in each geographic area via a TNC’s online-enabled application or platform in order for the TNC to be exempt from paying the fee required pursuant to subparagraph (B) for the next year in that geographic area. As part of the designated level of WAV service for each geographic area, the commission shall require a TNC, at a minimum, to have response times for 80 percent of WAV trips requested via the TNC’s online-enabled application or platform within a time established by the commission for that geographic area. If a TNC meets the WAV service level requirement established pursuant to this subparagraph in a geographic area selected pursuant to subparagraph (D) for a particular year, the TNC shall be exempt from paying the fee imposed pursuant to subparagraph (B) for the next year for that geographic area only. A TNC may provide a higher level of service than the minimum service level requirement designated by the commission.

(H) A TNC may meet the requirements of clause (ii) of subparagraph (B) and subparagraph (G) by facilitating WAV service through its online-enabled application or platform, by directly providing WAV service with vehicles that it owns, or by a contract to provide WAV service with a transportation provider, or by any combination of these methods.

(I) Within 30 days after the end of each quarter, a transportation network company that receives an offset pursuant to clause (ii) of subparagraph (B) or an access provider that receives funding pursuant to subparagraph (C) shall submit a report to the commission. The report shall include, but shall not be limited to, all of the following:

(i) The number of WAV rides requested.

(ii) The number of WAV rides fulfilled.

(iii) Data detailing the response time between when a WAV ride was requested and when the vehicle arrived.

(iv) Information regarding educational outreach to disability communities, including, but not limited to, information and promotion of availability of WAVs for wheelchair users.

(v) A detailed description of expenditures or investments, as applicable.

(J) The commission shall establish yearly benchmarks for TNCs and access providers to meet to ensure WAV users receive continuously improved, reliable, and available service. These benchmarks shall include, but are not limited to, response times, percentage of trips fulfilled versus trips requested, and number of users requesting rides versus community WAV demand for each geographic area.

(K) The commission shall authorize no more than 2 percent of existing funds collected from TNCs pursuant to Section 421 and deposited into the Public Utilities Commission Transportation Reimbursement Account to be distributed to accessibility advocates who provide a substantial contribution to the proceeding initiated pursuant to this section, and only for the duration of the commission proceeding initiated pursuant to this section. These funds shall only be distributed to advocates for accessible transportation or representatives of a group whose membership uses accessible transportation. The commission shall distribute funds pursuant to this subparagraph in a manner consistent with the requirements of Sections 1803 to 1808, inclusive. The commission shall not increase the fees authorized pursuant to Section 421 in order to fulfill the requirements of this subparagraph. Nothing in this subparagraph is intended to allow parties to obtain intervenor compensation for other transportation proceedings at the commission.

(2) (A) Report to the Legislature by January 1, 2024, on compliance with this section and on the effectiveness of the on-demand transportation programs or partnerships funded pursuant to this section. The report shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(i) A study on the demand for WAVs, including demand according to time of day and geographic area.

(ii) An analysis of the reports required to be submitted by access providers receiving funding pursuant to paragraph (1).

(iii) The availability of unallocated funds in the Access Fund, including the need to reassess Access Fund allocations.

(iv) An analysis of current program capabilities and deficiencies, and recommendations to overcome any identified deficiencies.

(B) The report required by this paragraph shall be submitted to the Legislature in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(3) Create a working group with stakeholders described in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) to examine the variety of agencies, localities, and programs that provide transportation services for persons with disabilities, including passenger stage carriers and charter-party carriers within the commission’s jurisdiction, in order to evaluate ways to partner with those agencies to provide services to disabled persons in a nonduplicative, nondiscriminatory, and more efficient manner.

(b) Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, moneys deposited in the TNC Access for All Fund created pursuant to subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) are continuously appropriated to the commission without regard to fiscal years for purposes of the program established pursuant to this section.

(c) The commission may hire an independent entity to administer the program established pursuant to subdivision (a) and to complete the report required pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a).

(d) This section does not limit the rights of any person to pursue any remedies or causes of action that they may have under any state or federal law to enforce compliance with those laws or the obligations stated in this section. This section does not expand or limit any obligations, if any, of a transportation network company under existing state or federal disability access laws.

(e) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2032, and as of that date is repealed.