Bipartisan bill to improve wheelchair transportation options clears Ohio House
State Rep. Catherine D. Ingram (D-Cincinnati) today applauded the House passage of House Bill (HB) 195, bipartisan legislation to improve the transportation options of Ohioans in wheelchairs. The “Improving Mobility Aid Accessibility” bill, joint-sponsored by State Rep. Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati), passed unanimously out of the House yesterday by a 91-0 vote.
“I am grateful my colleagues on both sides of the aisle agreed with me that all Ohioans deserve equal access to the transportation options that best meets their needs,” said Ingram. “House Bill 195 will improve the lives of Ohioans who use wheelchairs by expanding their transportation options to include taxies or newer services like Lyft and Uber, making it easier and less expensive for them to get to medical appointments and other important engagements.”
Under current Ohio law, wheelchair-bound Ohioans can only pay for ambulettes for their nonemergency transportation needs. Ambulettes, modified vehicles designed to transport ill or injured individuals, can often be costlier and more time-consuming to arrange than other modern transportation options commonly available to the general public.
HB 195 would allow wheelchair patients to utilize whichever transportation service best meets their needs – an ambulette, traditional taxi or ride-sharing service such as Uber and Lyft.
The bill received support from Cincinnati City Councilmember Kevin Flynn during proponent testimony in the House Transportation and Public Safety committee. Cincinnati will be hosting the 37th annual National Veterans Wheelchair Games July 17-22, 2017.
House Bill 195 now heads to Senate for further consideration.