Committee includes placeholder for medical‑transit volunteer coordinator funding; AOT to provide draft language

Senate staff reported placeholder language in the draft that would support hiring volunteer coordinators for local transportation agencies in order to strengthen medical transport and transit recruitment efforts.

Members discussed using existing appropriations that might become available during closeout or from federal match funds as a way to pilot centralized recruitment and coordinator roles across the state's public transit providers. One senator suggested allocating a portion of available appropriations or federal funds to start recruitment efforts during contract renegotiations with transit providers.

Damian Leonard said he had received a framework from AOT and would provide a draft of the volunteer‑coordinator language to the committee. Leonard committed to circulating the draft language before 3 p.m. the next day for member review. Committee members asked that the draft include the proposed funding source and whether AOT would administer the hiring or whether funds would flow to regional transit providers.

AOT staff confirmed they had provided a framework but that some drafting questions remained; they agreed to provide a refined draft for committee consideration at the next scheduled meeting.