TN Accessible Transportation and Mobility Act of 2020
Across the nation, federal, state and local entities are continuing the progress of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in access and inclusion by improving the accessibility of transportation through enhancing coordination.
In Tennessee, a coalition of disability, aging and transportation experts teamed up with legislative leaders to address better coordination with the goal of expanding and improving accessible transportation by introducing the Tennessee Accessible Transportation and Mobility Act of 2020. The effort was led by the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities, which engaged people who use or need accessible transportation throughout Tennessee as key advisors. The bill passed unanimously [in] March 2020.
What does the new law do?
The Tennessee Accessible Transportation and Mobility Act of 2020 creates a new office within the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) that will focus solely on accessible transportation and offer a new and sustained level of support to localities across the state. The new law requires that by March 31, 2021, the office will produce and share with the Tennessee General Assembly:
A mission statement,
A five-year plan, and
The state’s first annual report about accessible transportation in Tennessee.