Current through Register Vol. 39, No. 6, September 16, 2024
Transportation services may be provided directly by the
county department of social services, or through purchase of service contracts,
or by vendor payment, or by cash payment to the client, or through volunteers.
The department of social services may choose to use one or more of these
methods concurrently. The transportation resources chosen shall appropriately
meet the clients' individual needs in the most cost effective manner
possible.
(1) Direct Provision.
(a) Driver Qualifications. All county
departments of social services staff, including full-time drivers, volunteers,
and other staff whose regular primary responsibilities include transporting
clients to and from service resources must be at least 18 years of age and hold
an appropriate operator's license as required by
G.S.
20-7.
(b) Insurance Requirements. County
departments of social services providing direct transportation services shall
have sufficient liability and comprehensive insurance coverage to adequately
protect the agency and the individuals transported. A guide for minimum
coverage shall be the amount required for common carrier-passenger vehicles by
the North Carolina Utilities Commission, Department of Commerce, 430 N.
Salisbury Street, 4325 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C 27699-4325.
(2) Purchase Contracts and Vendor
Agreements.
(a) Driver Qualifications. Drivers
operating under a transportation services contract must be at least 18 years of
age and must hold an appropriate operator's license as required by
G.S.
20-7.
(b) Minimum insurance requirements for
contracted services transportation services contractors must have liability and
comprehensive insurance coverage no less than the minimum required for common
carrier-passenger vehicles by the North Carolina Utilities Commission for each
vehicle used to transport Social Services Block Grant (Title XX) eligible
individuals.
(3) Public
Conveyance.
(a) Maximum Rates. Maximum rates
and reimbursement for direct purchase of services by public conveyance is the
established standard charge for taxi service, city bus fare, intercity bus
tickets, railway passenger rates, tourist class air fare, etc. established by
the controller.
(b) Driver
Qualifications. Public conveyance operators must meet the statutory
requirements for their classification and operator responsibilities.
(c) Minimum Insurance Requirements. Each
public conveyance agency must have liability and comprehensive insurance
coverage for its particular classification no less than the minimum required by
the laws of North Carolina and where applicable by federal
regulations.
(4) Payment
to Friends, Relatives and Others.
(a) Maximum
Rates and Reimbursement. A relative, friend or other nonrelated individual who
provide transportation for a client may be paid up to the state's maximum
travel allowance per vehicle mile for automobile expenses, as established in
G.S.
138-6, and up to the federal minimum hourly
wage for time spent providing the service.
(b) Driver Qualifications. An individual
providing transportation under a vendor payment agreement as a relative, friend
or other non-related individual must hold a valid operator's license, as
required by law.
(c) Minimum
Insurance Requirements. An individual providing transportation under a vendor
payment agreement as a relative, friend or other nonrelated individual and
using his own vehicle must have at least the minimum liability insurance
coverage required by law on the vehicle used to transport the client.
(5) Cash Payments. County
departments of social services may provide transportation through cash payments
in accordance with policies relating to cash payments issued by the Director of
the Division of Health Service Regulation to eligible individuals who are
capable of arranging and purchasing transportation for themselves.
(6) Volunteers. Volunteers attached to county
department of social services, as members of volunteer service agencies or
groups or as independent individuals may be used in various ways to support the
transportation program. Volunteers whose regular responsibilities include
driving clients to resources shall be at least 18 years of age, hold an
appropriate operator's license as required by
G.S.
20-7 and carry at least the minimum insurance
coverage on the vehicle used to transport clients as is required by the North
Carolina Utilities Commission for common carrier-passenger vehicles.
Authority
G.S.
143B-153;
Eff. February 16,
1977;
Readopted Eff. October 31, 1977;
Amended Eff.
July 1, 1990; February 1, 1986; July 1, 1984; July 23, 1979;
Pursuant to
G.S.
150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without
substantive public interest Eff. May 20,
2017.
