§ 73-h. Operating aid. 1. For those rural counties having an approved and implemented coordinated public transportation service plan which has maintained existing levels of funding used for transportation by the coordinated service and has documented the need for additional operating aid, the commissioner may, in consultation with the interagency coordinating committee on rural public transportation, grant up to twenty-five thousand dollars per year for operating aid for up to five successive years, subject to annual appropriations to be included in the state budget. Such aid may be extended annually when the county or operator of the coordinated public transportation service has adequately demonstrated the need for such continued aid and that criteria for continuing aid established by rules issued by the commissioner have been met.

2. No such operating aid shall be paid to any rural county unless such county appropriates and expends at least twenty percent of the coordinated public transportation service's total annual administrative and operating costs. Except for other public transportation monies paid by the department to the county, such amount may include any county funds used for operating aid, including funds used to support any other transportation service, that have been appropriated to an account under the management and control of the coordinated public transportation service.