(1) The department shall carry out transportation studies described in this section as resources allow. (2) (a) The department shall study items related to advanced air mobility as described in this Subsection (2). (b) The department shall study vertiport locations and infrastructure, including: (i) identification of suitable locations for vertiport infrastructure and parking infrastructure for vertiports in metropolitan areas; (ii) identification of commuter rail stations that may be suitable for vertiport placement; and (iii) identification of underutilized parking lots and parking structures for vertiport infrastructure placement. (c) The department shall study best practices and implementation of advanced air mobility technologies, including: (i) seeking input through community engagement; (ii) state and local regulations; (iii) unmanned aircraft system traffic management; and (iv) weather reporting and monitoring for advanced air mobility safety. (d) The department shall study unmanned aircraft traffic management infrastructure, including: (i) unmanned aircraft system traffic management development, implementation, procedures, policies, and infrastructure; and (ii) obtaining a full understanding of unmanned aircraft system traffic management, including: (A) designation of airspace for advanced air mobility; (B) creation of geographic categorical areas; (C) identifying the appropriate number and location of advanced air mobility sensors; and (D) other state specific details regarding unmanned aircraft system traffic management. (e) The department shall study the creation of an advanced air mobility sandbox, including: (i) potential locations for the sandbox testing area and desirable attributes of a suitable sandbox location; (ii) requirements to create a geographical advanced air mobility testing area and the parameters for the types of technology that may be utilized in the testing area; and (iii) testing and studying different types of advanced air mobility transportation of manned and unmanned aerial vehicles, including: (A) aerial vehicle size; (B) aerial vehicles that carry cargo, including medical cargo; (C) commercial aerial vehicles; and (D) public transportation aerial vehicles. (f) On or before September 30, 2023, the department shall provide a report to the Transportation Interim Committee of the department's findings from the study items described in Subsections (2)(b) through (2)(e). (g) The department may only use existing funds to cover the expenses incurred from the study of items described in Subsections (2)(b) through (2)(e). (3) (a) The department and a large public transit district shall jointly study programs offered by government entities related to human services transportation, including: (i) coordinated mobility services; (ii) paratransit services; (iii) nonemergency medical transportation; (iv) youth transportation programs, excluding school bus transportation; and (v) other similar fare-based or fee-based programs provided or coordinated within the boundary of the large public transit district, including those involving the department, a large public transit district, local governments, or other government agencies and nonprofit entities that provide similar services. (b) The study shall evaluate strategies to consolidate the transportation services described in Subsection (3)(a) to improve efficiency and service. (c) The department and large public transit district shall: (i) provide a preliminary report on the study to the Transportation Interim Committee on or before November 1, 2025; and (ii) prepare and present recommendations to the Transportation Interim Committee on or before November 1, 2026, for the consolidation of the services described in Subsection (3)(a). (4) (a) In conjunction with applicable stakeholders, the department shall study items related to the commission's ability to meet the future needs of the state including representation of high growth areas as described in this Subsection (4). (b) In conjunction with applicable stakeholders, the department shall study the composition of members of the commission, including: (i) the distribution of members; (ii) representation of areas experiencing high population growth relative to other areas within the state; (iii) the number of members; and (iv) the efficiency of the commission in light of the factors described in Subsections (4)(b)(i) through (iii). (c) The department shall report the findings of the studies described in Subsections (4)(a) and (b) to the Transportation Interim Committee on or before November 1, 2026. (5) (a) In conjunction with applicable stakeholders, the department shall study the geographic regions created by the department, including: (i) the geographic composition of each region; (ii) the number of regions; (iii) the efficiency of the regions; and (iv) the use of resources of each region. (b) The department shall report the findings of the study described in Subsection (5)(a) to the Transportation Interim Committee on or before November 1, 2026. (6) (a) In conjunction with applicable stakeholders, the department shall study the office of executive director of the department and the required qualifications of the executive director position. (b) The department shall report the findings of the study described in Subsection (6)(a) to the Transportation Interim Committee on or before November 1, 2026.
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