(a) Each transit operator, whether publicly or privately funded all or in part, nonprofit or for profit, which offers reduced fares to senior citizens shall honor the federal Medicare identification card as sufficient identification to receive reduced fares. A transit operator which offers reduced fares to those senior citizens who are less than 65 years old shall also honor the senior citizen identification card issued pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 13000 of the Vehicle Code.
(b) Each transit operator, whether publicly or privately funded, in whole or in part, nonprofit or for profit, which offers reduced fares pursuant to subdivision (a) shall also offer reduced fares to disabled persons, as defined by Section 99206.5, disabled persons, as defined by Section 295.5 of the Vehicle Code, and disabled veterans, as defined by Section 295.7 of the Vehicle Code, at the same rate established for senior citizens. A transit operator shall honor the disabled person or disabled veteran placard identification card issued pursuant to Section 22511.55 of the Vehicle Code.
(c) Every transit operator that offers reduced fares to disabled persons shall honor any current identification card that is valid for the type of transportation service or discount requested and that has been issued to an individual with a disability by another transit operator.
(d) This section also applies to any dial-a-ride, paratransit, or nonfixed route operator which serves the disabled, but does not apply to a private nonprofit entity which serves the disabled or elderly.
(e) Nothing in this section prohibits a transit operator from issuing its own identification card, except that no such card shall be required to be presented in addition to either a federal Medicare card or a card issued pursuant to Section 22511.55 of the Vehicle Code.
(f) A transit operator, as defined in subdivision (b), which receives funds pursuant to the Mills-Alquist-Deddeh Act (Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 99200)), shall not require that a person requesting transportation be a resident of that transit operator’s service area.
(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 769, Sec. 4. (AB 2679) Effective January 1, 2013.)