Public Utilities Commission.

Guided by the Committee on Communications and Conveyance, the measure centers on creating a dedicated, continuously appropriated funding mechanism to expand wheelchair-accessible transportation through on‑demand programs funded by transportation network companies, while also broadening the Public Utilities Commission’s annual reporting to include detailed attendance data for commissioners at hearings. The core change is a funding framework that channels a per‑trip fee from TNC trips into an Access for All Fund to support WAV services in selected geographic areas, with the funding and program administration overseen by the commission and the program declared an urgent measure to take effect immediately.

Under the WAV program, a per‑trip charge of five cents would be collected from TNC trips originating in designated geographic areas and remitted to the Access Fund on a quarterly basis. The commission may adjust the per‑area fee levels based on the cost of providing WAV service. TNCs meeting a defined service standard—specifically sustaining WAV trip response times at a prescribed level—could be exempt from paying the fee for the next year in that geographic area; noncompliant firms would owe the fee, subject to offsets for WAV-related investments. Funds deposited to the Access Fund would be distributed on a competitive basis to on‑demand transportation programs or partnerships serving WAV users, with geographic areas selected based on demonstrated demand and fund allocations proportional to each area’s share of fee-originating activity. The program also requires quarterly reporting by offset recipients and establishes yearly benchmarks for performance metrics such as WAV rides requested and fulfilled, response times, and outreach activities.

The measure creates a governance and reporting architecture around WAV initiatives, including a working group with disability advocates, local governments, transit agencies, and TNCs to coordinate efforts and avoid duplication. It contemplates an annual and a separate end‑of‑year reporting cycle, a mechanism for up to 2 percent of existing funds to be directed to accessibility advocates involved in the proceeding (without increasing existing fee levels), and an option for the commission to hire an independent administrator for the program and the required reports. It also provides that funds deposited into the Access Fund are continuously appropriated to the commission for WAV purposes and includes a no‑reimbursement provision for local agencies. Violations of orders or directives implementing the WAV program would be treated as crimes under the act, and the statute remains in force through January 1, 2032, at which point it would repeal unless renewed.

Viewed in broader context, the measure ties disability-access transportation policy to the regulatory framework governing TNCs, introducing a structured funding stream that links private trip activity to public WAV outcomes, with explicit data collection, performance benchmarks, and stakeholder oversight. The package expands the commission’s remit to quantify attendance and participation in hearings and to manage a grantmaking process that targets accessibility improvements, while also imposing an immediate effect that accelerates regulatory and program developments. The proposal relies on assumed dates within the WAV program text for workshops and timelines and would require alignment with current regulatory calendars for practical implementation, along with careful consideration of data definitions, geographic delineations, and enforcement mechanics in relation to existing disability‑related obligations.