NRS706.1516. Nevada Transportation Authority Regulatory Account: Creation; deposits; use; claims; statements.

      1.  The Nevada Transportation Authority Regulatory Account is hereby created in the State General Fund. All money collected by the Authority pursuant to law must be deposited with the State Treasurer for credit to the Account.

      2.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 3, money in the Account may be used only to defray the costs of:

      (a) Maintaining staff and equipment needed to regulate adequately persons subject to the jurisdiction of the Authority.

      (b) Participating in all proceedings relevant to the jurisdiction of the Authority.

      (c) Audits, inspections, investigations, publication of notices, reports and retaining consultants connected with that maintenance and participation.

      (d) The salaries, travel expenses and subsistence allowances of the members of the Authority.

      3.  All money collected by the Authority pursuant to subsection 2 of NRS 706.465 and subsection 4 of NRS 706.471 must be used to implement technological improvements in safety, reliability and efficiency within a county whose population is 700,000 or more, including, without limitation, the implementation of a computerized real-time data system to assist with the administration and enforcement of the provisions of NRS 706.011 to 706.791, inclusive. A computerized real-time data system implemented pursuant to this subsection must, at a minimum, satisfy the following criteria:

      (a) While a vehicle is in service within the jurisdiction of the Authority, the system must be capable of collecting in real-time from the onboard computer of the vehicle, by wireless access through the onboard diagnostic port or other means, the vehicle identification number and the operating and telemetric data for the vehicle.

      (b) While a vehicle is in service within the jurisdiction of the Authority, the system must be capable of collecting in real-time, from an onboard diagnostic device capable of using a global positioning system that is installed in the vehicle or any other onboard computer software system capable of using a global positioning system that is installed in the vehicle, the location of the vehicle by latitude and longitude, a record of the time at which the vehicle is at that location and operating and telemetric data for the vehicle.

      (c) The system must be capable of allowing the operator of a vehicle, while the vehicle is in service within the jurisdiction of the Authority, to register in the system, at the beginning and end of each shift, his or her identity and the number of his or her permit or certificate of public convenience and necessity.

      (d) The system must be capable of allowing, in a manner prescribed by the Authority, a holder of a certificate of public convenience and necessity to digitally associate himself or herself with a vehicle for which the Authority has issued a certificate, license or other authorization.

      (e) The system must be capable of presenting, in real-time to the Authority, searchable histories of the information and data described in this subsection in both a format that displays the information and data in tables and a digital map format that displays streets and highways.

      (f) The system must be capable of presenting to a passenger, through an application on a mobile device or an interactive, digital display or other onboard system in the vehicle, sufficient information for the passenger to select and direct the operator of the vehicle to the passenger’s desired destination by the passenger’s desired route. The information must include, without limitation, sufficient information for the passenger to:

            (1) Select the shortest route by time or distance to the passenger’s desired destination;

             (2) Select a multi-segment trip directed by the passenger;

             (3) Select the least expensive route to the passenger’s desired destination; and

             (4) Make a digital record of the passenger’s selection that is accessible during and after the trip by the passenger, the Authority, the operator and the holder of the certificate of public convenience and necessity.

      (g) The system must be capable of presenting to the operator of the vehicle, through an application on a mobile device or an interactive, digital display or other onboard system in the vehicle, sufficient information for the operator to:

             (1) Determine the shortest route by time or distance to the passenger’s desired destination and the least expensive route to the passenger’s desired destination;

             (2) Follow a multi-segment, passenger-directed trip by the least expensive route to the passenger’s desired destination; and

             (3) Allow the passenger to make a digital record of a selection of a desired route to the passenger’s destination that is accessible during and after the trip by the passenger, the Authority, the operator and the holder of the certificate of public convenience and necessity.

      (h) The system must be capable of allowing a passenger to register comments and complaints with the Authority, the operator of the vehicle and the holder of the certificate of public convenience and necessity, through an application on a mobile device or an interactive digital display screen or other onboard system in the vehicle.

      (i) The system must be capable of assisting the Authority in the development of additional preventive measures to detect, investigate and deter the practice of transporting a passenger to a selected destination by a route that is more expensive than necessary under the circumstances of the trip.

      (j) The system must be capable of providing to the Authority reliable real-time and historic information concerning service demands, market data, vehicle usage, wait time and customer complaints and comments.

      (k) The system must be capable of allowing holders of a certificate of convenience and public necessity to use the system to provide cooperative dispatch and electronic hailing services to the public pursuant to NRS 706.165.

      4.  The Authority shall not use the information and data collected pursuant to paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection 3 for any purpose other than the purposes set forth in those paragraphs unless the Authority has adopted regulations governing the additional use.

      5.  The Authority may operate the computerized real-time data system implemented pursuant to subsection 3 or enter into an agreement for the provision of such service. If the Authority enters into such an agreement, the Authority shall ensure that all the information and data collected by the computerized real-time data system is under the control of the Authority.

      6.  All claims against the Account must be paid as other claims against the State are paid.

      7.  The Authority must furnish upon request a statement showing the balance remaining in the Account as of the close of the preceding fiscal year.

      8.  As used in this section, “real time” means the transmission of information at a rate no longer than once every 6 seconds, unless the Authority authorizes a longer rate while a vehicle is experiencing a low volume of trips.

      (Added to NRS by 1997, 1924; A 2007, 2054; 2011, 452; 2013, 2533)