(30 ILCS 740/2-5.1)

Sec. 2-5.1. Additional requirements.

(a) Through State fiscal year 2021, any unit of local government that becomes a participant on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly shall, in addition to any other requirements under this Article, meet all of the following requirements when applying for grants under this Article:

(1) The grant application must demonstrate the participant's plan to provide general public transportation with an emphasis on persons with disabilities and elderly and economically disadvantaged populations.

(2) The grant application must demonstrate the participant's plan for interagency coordination that, at a minimum, allows the participation of all State-funded and federally-funded agencies and programs with transportation needs in the proposed service area in the development of the applicant's public transportation program.

(3) Any participant serving a nonurbanized area that is not receiving Federal Section 5311 funding must meet the operating and safety compliance requirements as set forth in that federal program.

(4) The participant is required to hold public hearings to allow comment on the proposed service plan in all municipalities with populations of 1,500 inhabitants or more within the proposed service area.

(a-5) Any unit of local government that becomes a participant on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly shall, in addition to any other requirements under this Article, meet all of the following requirements when applying for the approval of the program of proposed expenditures and services under this Article:

(1) The program of proposed expenditures and services must demonstrate the participant's plan to provide general public transportation with an emphasis on persons with disabilities and elderly and economically disadvantaged populations.

(2) The program of proposed expenditures and services must demonstrate the participant's plan for interagency coordination that, at a minimum, allows the participation of all State-funded and federally-funded agencies and programs with transportation needs in the proposed service area in the development of the applicant's public transportation program.

(3) Any participant serving a non-urbanized area that is not receiving Federal Section 5311 Program funding must meet the operating and safety compliance requirements as set forth in that federal program.

(4) The participant is required to hold public hearings to allow comment on the proposed service plan in all municipalities with populations of 1,500 inhabitants or more within the proposed service area.

(b) Service extensions by any participant after July 1, 2005 by either annexation or intergovernmental agreement must meet the 4 requirements of subsection (a).

(c) In order to receive funding, the Department shall certify that the participant has met the requirements of this Section. Funding priority shall be given to service extension, multi-county, and multi-jurisdictional projects.

(d) The Department shall develop an annual application process for existing or potential participants to request an initial appropriation or an appropriation exceeding the formula amount found in subsection (b-10) of Section 2-7 for funding service in new areas in the next fiscal year. The application shall include, but not be limited to, a description of the new service area, proposed service in the new area, and a budget for providing existing and new service. The Department shall review the application for reasonableness and compliance with the requirements of this Section, and, if it approves the application, shall recommend to the Governor an appropriation for the next fiscal year in an amount sufficient to provide 65% of projected eligible operating expenses associated with a new participant's service area or the portion of an existing participant's service area that has been expanded by annexation or intergovernmental agreement. The recommended appropriation for the next fiscal year may exceed the formula amount found in subsection (b-10) of Section 2-7.

(Source: P.A. 102-626, eff. 8-27-21.)