Bill Text: FL H1297 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

Bill Title: Northeast Florida Regional Transportation

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 4-2)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-04-28 - Substituted SB 2470; Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see SB 2470 (Ch. 2010-212) -HJ 01190 [H1297 Detail]

Download: Florida-2010-H1297-Introduced.html

---

HB 1297

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to Northeast Florida regional
3	transportation; creating the Northeast Florida Regional
4	Transportation Study Commission; providing for membership
5	and organization; providing for reimbursement of expenses;
6	providing for removal and suspension of commission
7	members; providing for staff of the Jacksonville
8	Transportation Authority to act as staff to the
9	commission; providing for funding of staff and facilities;
10	providing for committees within the commission; providing
11	for commission meetings; providing for the commission to
12	make available to the public its meeting minutes, reports,
13	and recommendations and publish its reports and
14	recommendations electronically; directing the authority to
15	make its Internet site available for such purposes;
16	requiring the commission to submit reports to the Governor
17	and the Legislature; providing that a county's membership
18	in the commission and participation of a county's
19	appointees does not constitute consent of the county to
20	inclusion within the jurisdiction of a regional
21	transportation authority; providing for expiration of the
22	act and termination of the commission; providing an
23	effective date.
24
25	WHEREAS, pursuant to House Bill 1213, 2009, the Department
26	of Transportation directed the Jacksonville Transportation
27	Authority to prepare a report to recommend to the Legislature
28	the framework for a regional transportation authority for the
29	northeast region of the state comprised of Baker, Clay, Duval,
30	Flagler, Nassau, Putnam, and St. Johns Counties, and
31	WHEREAS, the report was completed and received by the
32	Legislature on February 1, 2010, and
33	WHEREAS, based upon the recommendations of the report, it
34	is necessary and appropriate to create a study commission to
35	continue the work commenced, NOW, THEREFORE,
36
37	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
38
39	Section 1. Northeast Florida Regional Transportation Study
40	Commission.-
41	(1) There is created the Northeast Florida Regional
42	Transportation Study Commission, which shall be composed of 20
43	members designated and to be appointed as follows:
44	(a) Two citizens of Baker County appointed by the Board of
45	County Commissioners of Baker County.
46	(b) Two citizens of Clay County appointed by the Board of
47	County Commissioners of Clay County.
48	(c) Four citizens of Duval County appointed by the City
49	Council of the City of Jacksonville.
50	(d) Two citizens of Flagler County appointed by the Board
51	of County Commissioners of Flagler County.
52	(e) Two citizens of Nassau County appointed by the Board
53	of County Commissioners of Nassau County.
54	(f) Two citizens of Putnam County appointed by the Board
55	of County Commissioners of Putnam County.
56	(g) Two citizens of St. Johns County appointed by the
57	Board of County Commissioners of St. Johns County.
58	(h) The chair of the Jacksonville Transportation
59	Authority, who shall serve as chair of the commission.
60	(i) The Department of Transportation's district secretary
61	serving in district II, who shall be a nonvoting member of the
62	commission.
63	(j) The chair of the Northeast Florida Regional Council,
64	who shall be a nonvoting member of the commission.
65	(k) The chair of the North Florida Transportation Planning
66	Organization, who shall be a nonvoting member of the commission.
67	(2)(a) Members shall serve until the work of the
68	commission is completed and the commission is terminated, except
69	that persons serving under paragraphs (1)(h)-(k) shall cease
70	membership if they no longer serve in the position indicated in
71	paragraphs (1)(h)-(k) and shall be replaced by the person
72	replacing them in such position.
73	(b) Members of the commission shall serve without
74	compensation but shall be reimbursed for all necessary expenses
75	in the performance of their duties, including travel expenses,
76	in accordance with s. 112.061, Florida Statutes.
77	(c) A county commission, or the city council in the case
78	of Duval County, may remove or suspend a member appointed by it
79	for cause, including, but not limited to, failure to attend two
80	or more meetings of the commission during any 9-month period.
81	(3) The staff of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority
82	shall act as staff to the commission and, subject to the
83	appropriation of funding by the board of the Jacksonville
84	Transportation Authority and such other funds as the commission
85	may receive, shall supply such information, assistance, and
86	facilities as are deemed necessary for the commission to carry
87	out its duties under this act.
88	(4) The commission shall have such committees with such
89	membership, duties, and other matters as the chair shall
90	determine. Members of such committees need not be members of the
91	commission and may include persons from airport authorities,
92	port authorities, rail or other transportation industries, and
93	others. All committees shall report to the commission at each
94	commission meeting and shall present their final reports for
95	consideration by the commission in accordance with the direction
96	of the chair.
97	(5)(a) The commission shall meet at the times and
98	locations as the chair shall determine. There shall be regular
99	monthly meetings, to the extent reasonably convenient, that are
100	held in one or more central locations; however, at least one
101	meeting must be held in each of the counties throughout the
102	region. Each meeting must include provision for public comments.
103	(b) The commission shall make available to the public its
104	meeting minutes, reports, and recommendations upon request and,
105	to the extent feasible, shall publish its reports and
106	recommendations electronically. The Jacksonville Transportation
107	Authority shall make its Internet website available to the
108	commission for such purposes.
109	(6) By December 31, 2012, the commission shall prepare and
110	submit to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
111	Speaker of the House of Representatives a report detailing its
112	findings and making specific legislative recommendations,
113	including a regional transportation elements plan, the defining
114	characteristics of transportation elements of regional
115	significance, and an implementation plan for undertaking a
116	regional transportation elements plan, and which may include the
117	establishment of the regional transportation authority, draft
118	legislation consistent with this act, and any other
119	recommendations it deems appropriate.
120	(7) A county's membership in the commission, and the
121	participation of a county's appointees in the work of the
122	commission, is not intended to constitute the consent of the
123	county to inclusion within the jurisdiction of a regional
124	transportation authority.
125	(8) This act shall expire and the commission shall
126	terminate upon delivery of the final report required in
127	subsection (6).
128	Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.