Bill Text: FL S0368 | 2020 | Regular Session | Introduced

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

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Bill Title: Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2020-03-14 - Died on Calendar [S0368 Detail]

Download: Florida-2020-S0368-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2020                                     SB 368
       
       
        
       By Senator Rouson
       
       
       
       
       
       19-00634-20                                            2020368__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit
    3         Authority; amending s. 343.92, F.S.; authorizing
    4         certain mayors who are members of the governing board
    5         of the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority to
    6         appoint a designee to attend a board meeting to act in
    7         his or her place with full voting rights on all
    8         issues; requiring the designee to be an elected
    9         official of the governing body of the mayor’s
   10         municipality; providing that a certain number of board
   11         members constitutes a quorum whether those members
   12         attend physically, telephonically, or electronically;
   13         providing an effective date.
   14          
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) and subsection
   18  (8) of section 343.92, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   19         343.92 Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority.—
   20         (2) The governing board of the authority shall consist of
   21  13 voting members appointed no later than 45 days after the
   22  creation of the authority.
   23         (b) The 13 voting members of the board shall be as follows:
   24         1. The county commissions of Hernando, Hillsborough,
   25  Manatee, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties shall each appoint one
   26  county commissioner to the board. Members appointed under this
   27  subparagraph shall serve 2-year terms with not more than three
   28  consecutive terms being served by any person. If a member under
   29  this subparagraph leaves elected office, a vacancy exists on the
   30  board to be filled as provided in this subparagraph within 90
   31  days.
   32         2. Two members of the board shall be the mayor of the
   33  largest municipality within the service area of each of the
   34  following independent transit agencies or their legislatively
   35  created successor agencies: Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority
   36  and Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority. The largest
   37  municipality is that municipality with the largest population as
   38  determined by the most recent United States Decennial Census. If
   39  a mayor under this subparagraph is unable to attend a meeting,
   40  the mayor may appoint a designee to attend the meeting to act in
   41  his or her place with full voting rights on all issues. The
   42  designee must be an elected official of the governing body of
   43  the mayor’s municipality.
   44         3. The following independent transit agencies or their
   45  legislatively created successor agencies shall each appoint from
   46  the membership of their governing bodies one member to the
   47  board: Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority and Hillsborough Area
   48  Regional Transit Authority. Each member appointed under this
   49  subparagraph shall serve a 2-year term with not more than three
   50  consecutive terms being served by any person. If a member no
   51  longer meets the transit authority’s criteria for appointment, a
   52  vacancy exists on the board, which must be filled as provided in
   53  this subparagraph within 90 days.
   54         4. The Governor shall appoint to the board four members
   55  from the regional business community, each of whom must reside
   56  in one of the counties governed by the authority and may not be
   57  an elected official. Of the members initially appointed under
   58  this subparagraph, one shall serve a 1-year term, two shall
   59  serve 2-year terms, and one shall serve a term as the initial
   60  chair as provided in subsection (5). Thereafter, a member
   61  appointed under this subparagraph shall serve a 2-year term with
   62  not more than three consecutive terms being served by any
   63  person.
   64  
   65  Appointments may be staggered to avoid mass turnover at the end
   66  of any 2-year or 4-year period. A vacancy during a term shall be
   67  filled within 90 days in the same manner as the original
   68  appointment for the remainder of the unexpired term.
   69         (8) Seven members of the board, whether in attendance
   70  physically, telephonically, or electronically, shall constitute
   71  a quorum, and the vote of seven members is necessary for any
   72  action to be taken by the authority. The authority may meet upon
   73  the constitution of a quorum. A vacancy does not impair the
   74  right of a quorum of the board to exercise all rights and the
   75  ability to perform all duties of the authority.
   76         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.