Meeting of the
Federal Interagency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility
September 15, 2004
List of Attendees
U.S. Department of Transportation
- The Honorable Norman Y. Mineta, Secretary of Transportation, Chairman of the Federal Interagency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility
- The Honorable Jennifer L. Dorn, Administrator, Federal Transit Administration
U.S. Department of Agriculture
- The Honorable Rodney J. Brown, Deputy Under Secretary, Office of Research, Education, and Economics
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Ms. Regina Schofield, Director, Intergovernmental Affairs
U.S. Department Housing and Urban Development
- The Honorable Carolyn Peoples, Assistant Secretary, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
U.S. Department of Interior
- The Honorable Scott Cameron, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Performance, Accountability and Human Services
U.S. Department Of Justice
- The Honorable Alex Acosta, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Labor
- The Honorable Roy Grizzard, Assistant Secretary, Office of Disability and Employment Policy
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- The Honorable Jonathan Perlin, Acting Under Secretary for Health
National Council on Disability
Social Security Administration
- Ms. Pamela Mazerski, Associate Commissioner
The White House
- Mr. Tracy Justesen, Associate Director, Domestic Policy Council
Opening Remarks
Secretary Mineta, Chairman of the Federal Interagency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (the Council), called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. and welcomed attendees. He noted that the Council is responsible for implementation of the President's Executive Order on Human Services Transportation Coordination (13330). The Executive Order requires the Council to reduce duplication among Federal rules and regulations with respect to transportation services; improve cost efficiency; and simplify customer access to transportation for individuals with disabilities, older adults, and those with lower incomes.
Secretary Mineta presented an overview of human service transportation coordination challenges, including the obstacles related to different eligibility requirements, destination requirements, and billing requirements. He noted that the Departments of Transportation, Education, Health and Human Services, and Labor had, over the past year, developed and launched the United We Ride initiative, with the goal of enhancing human service transportation services through coordination efforts at the Federal, State, and local levels.
In accordance with the President’s Executive Order, these departments, along with senior leadership from other agencies, have developed an aggressive Action Plan for consideration by the Council to improve coordination among Federal human service programs that provide transportation services.
Secretary Mineta then opened the floor to comments. Several participants expressed their department’s support for the initiative, and noted the importance of transportation services to achieving the goals of the human service programs that they administer.
Overview of the Executive Order and Proposed Action Plan
Secretary Mineta asked Jennifer L. Dorn, Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration, to outline the requirements of the Executive Order and present the draft Action Plan for consideration.
Ms. Dorn outlined the requirements of the Executive Order, particularly with regard to outcomes and deliverables. In addition to the Federal Interagency Coordination Council on Access and Mobility, she noted that an Executive Council has been created to provide day-to-day oversight and guidance to the efforts undertaken in furtherance of the Executive Order. Members of the Executive Council include senior-level appointees identified by each member of the Federal Interagency Coordination Council on Access and Mobility. In addition, interagency workgroups have been formed to carry out the tasks and actions plans of the Council.
Administrator Dorn also presented the proposed Action Plan, as developed and proposed by members of the Executive Council and interagency workgroups. The components of the proposed Action Plan include Education and Outreach; Consolidated Access; Reducing Regulatory Barriers; Coordinated Planning; Cost Allocation; and Useful Practices.
Adoption of the Action Plan
Upon motion duly made and following discussion of resource requirements and priorities, the Council voted unanimously to adopt the Action Plan, as presented.
Department Commitments to Successful Execution of the Executive Order
After acknowledging the work of the Executive Council and staff workgroups in the development of the Action Plan, Secretary Mineta announced that the Department of Transportation was contributing five point-five million dollars and 4 full time staff members to the effort. Staffing commitments were made by representatives of the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Education. Staff members from these departments as well as the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Housing and Urban Development are actively involved in staffing the workgroups for implementing the CCAM Action Plan. In addition, representatives of the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services indicated that their Departments were exploring potential funding opportunities. Representatives of the Departments of Justice and the Interior indicated that their departments were prepared to provide advice, guidance, and other support to the effort.
The Council acknowledged the need for additional funding to accomplish the Action Plan as adopted.
Next Steps
The Following schedule of deliverables was agreed upon:
- Department-level Action Plans will be submitted by October 15, 2004
- Department-level Action Plan Progress Reports will be submitted by November 15, 2004
- Departmental clearances of the Council’s Report to the President will be completed in December 2004
- The Council’s Report to the President will be submitted no later than January 15, 2005
The meeting was adjourned 11:15 a.m.
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