Bill Text: FL S0426 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2022-03-14 - Died in Transportation [S0426 Detail]
Download: Florida-2022-S0426-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2022 SB 426
By Senator Brandes
24-00033-22 2022426__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit
3 Authority; repealing part III of ch. 343, F.S.,
4 relating to the creation and operation of the
5 authority; dissolving the authority and requiring the
6 authority to discharge its liabilities, settle and
7 close its activities and affairs, and provide for the
8 distribution of the authority’s assets; amending ss.
9 339.175 and 341.302, F.S.; conforming provisions to
10 changes made by the act; providing an effective date.
11
12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
13
14 Section 1. Part III of chapter 343, Florida Statutes,
15 consisting of ss. 343.90, 343.91, 343.92, 343.922, 343.94,
16 343.941, 343.943, 343.944, 343.947, 343.95, 343.96, 343.962,
17 343.97, 343.973, 343.975, and 343.976, Florida Statutes, is
18 repealed.
19 Section 2. Notwithstanding any other law, the Tampa Bay
20 Area Regional Transit Authority is dissolved. The authority
21 shall discharge or make provision for the authority’s debts,
22 obligations, and other liabilities; settle and close the
23 authority’s activities and affairs; and provide for distribution
24 of the authority’s assets, or the proceeds of such assets, such
25 that each local general-purpose government represented on the
26 authority’s board receives a distribution generally in
27 proportion to each entity’s contribution to the acquisition of
28 the assets.
29 Section 3. Paragraph (i) of subsection (6) of section
30 339.175, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
31 339.175 Metropolitan planning organization.—
32 (6) POWERS, DUTIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES.—The powers,
33 privileges, and authority of an M.P.O. are those specified in
34 this section or incorporated in an interlocal agreement
35 authorized under s. 163.01. Each M.P.O. shall perform all acts
36 required by federal or state laws or rules, now and subsequently
37 applicable, which are necessary to qualify for federal aid. It
38 is the intent of this section that each M.P.O. shall be involved
39 in the planning and programming of transportation facilities,
40 including, but not limited to, airports, intercity and high
41 speed rail lines, seaports, and intermodal facilities, to the
42 extent permitted by state or federal law.
43 (i) There is created the Chairs Coordinating Committee,
44 composed of the M.P.O.’s serving Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough,
45 Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota Counties. The
46 committee must, at a minimum:
47 1. Coordinate transportation projects deemed to be
48 regionally significant by the committee.
49 2. Review the impact of regionally significant land use
50 decisions on the region.
51 3. Review all proposed regionally significant
52 transportation projects in the respective transportation
53 improvement programs which affect more than one of the M.P.O.’s
54 represented on the committee.
55 4. Institute a conflict resolution process to address any
56 conflict that may arise in the planning and programming of such
57 regionally significant projects.
58 Section 4. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section
59 341.302, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
60 341.302 Rail program; duties and responsibilities of the
61 department.—The department, in conjunction with other
62 governmental entities, including the rail enterprise and the
63 private sector, shall develop and implement a rail program of
64 statewide application designed to ensure the proper maintenance,
65 safety, revitalization, and expansion of the rail system to
66 assure its continued and increased availability to respond to
67 statewide mobility needs. Within the resources provided pursuant
68 to chapter 216, and as authorized under federal law, the
69 department shall:
70 (3) Develop and periodically update the rail system plan,
71 on the basis of an analysis of statewide transportation needs.
72 (b) In recognition of the department’s role in the
73 enhancement of the state’s rail system to improve freight and
74 passenger mobility, the department shall:
75 1. Work closely with all affected communities along an
76 impacted freight rail corridor to identify and address
77 anticipated impacts associated with an increase in freight rail
78 traffic due to implementation of passenger rail.
79 2. In coordination with the affected local governments and
80 CSX Transportation, Inc., finalize all viable alternatives from
81 the department’s Rail Traffic Evaluation Study to identify and
82 develop an alternative route for through freight rail traffic
83 moving through Central Florida, including the counties of Polk
84 and Hillsborough, which would address, to the extent
85 practicable, the effects of commuter rail.
86 3. Provide technical assistance to a coalition of local
87 governments in Central Florida, including the counties of
88 Brevard, Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lake, Marion, Orange,
89 Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Manatee, Sarasota, Seminole,
90 Sumter, and Volusia, and the municipalities within those
91 counties, to develop a regional rail system plan that addresses
92 passenger and freight opportunities in the region, is consistent
93 with the Florida Rail System Plan, and incorporates appropriate
94 elements of the Tampa Bay Area Regional Authority Master Plan,
95 the Metroplan Orlando Regional Transit System Concept Plan,
96 including the SunRail project, and the Florida Department of
97 Transportation Alternate Rail Traffic Evaluation.
98 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.
