Senate committee reviews H.488 language to expand volunteer drivers, adds background‑check and reporting requirements

Senate Transportation members discussed proposed H.488 language that would appropriate $600,000 from the general fund to the Agency of Transportation (AOT) in fiscal year 2026 to fund grants for volunteer coordinators for demand‑response and nonemergency medical transportation programs.

The provision would fund “the identification, recruitment, and retention of volunteers to provide service, transportation services to individuals enrolled in the state's demand response transportation programs,” and would direct AOT to distribute grants so they are “geographically balanced,” with a report back on whether the grants actually increased volunteer capacity, according to language presented by legislative counsel Damian Leonard.

Why it matters: The state and transit providers have faced driver shortages since the pandemic. Committee members framed the appropriation as a potential way to lower per‑trip costs and increase ride capacity for older adults, people with disabilities, and Medicaid non‑emergency medical transportation (NEMT) users.

Discussion and proposed changes

Leonard told the committee the bill draft includes three related changes: the appropriation for volunteer coordinators, a requirement that the Department of Vermont Health Access (DVHA) and AOT provide a detailed analysis to the Joint Fiscal Committee…