Florida Senate - 2021                                    SB 1130
       
       
        
       By Senator Brandes
       
       
       
       
       
       24-01213A-21                                          20211130__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit
    3         Authority; repealing part IV 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 IV of chapter 343, Florida Statutes,
   15  consisting of sections 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   18  repealed.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) The Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority
   44  Metropolitan Planning Organization Chairs Coordinating Committee
   45  is created within the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority,
   46  composed of the M.P.O.’s serving Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough,
   47  Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota Counties. The
   48  authority shall provide administrative support and direction to
   49  the committee. The committee must, at a minimum:
   50         1. Coordinate transportation projects deemed to be
   51  regionally significant by the committee.
   52         2. Review the impact of regionally significant land use
   53  decisions on the region.
   54         3. Review all proposed regionally significant
   55  transportation projects in the respective transportation
   56  improvement programs which affect more than one of the M.P.O.’s
   57  represented on the committee.
   58         4. Institute a conflict resolution process to address any
   59  conflict that may arise in the planning and programming of such
   60  regionally significant projects.
   61         Section 4. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section
   62  341.302, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   63         341.302 Rail program; duties and responsibilities of the
   64  department.—The department, in conjunction with other
   65  governmental entities, including the rail enterprise and the
   66  private sector, shall develop and implement a rail program of
   67  statewide application designed to ensure the proper maintenance,
   68  safety, revitalization, and expansion of the rail system to
   69  assure its continued and increased availability to respond to
   70  statewide mobility needs. Within the resources provided pursuant
   71  to chapter 216, and as authorized under federal law, the
   72  department shall:
   73         (3) Develop and periodically update the rail system plan,
   74  on the basis of an analysis of statewide transportation needs.
   75         (b) In recognition of the department’s role in the
   76  enhancement of the state’s rail system to improve freight and
   77  passenger mobility, the department shall:
   78         1. Work closely with all affected communities along an
   79  impacted freight rail corridor to identify and address
   80  anticipated impacts associated with an increase in freight rail
   81  traffic due to implementation of passenger rail.
   82         2. In coordination with the affected local governments and
   83  CSX Transportation, Inc., finalize all viable alternatives from
   84  the department’s Rail Traffic Evaluation Study to identify and
   85  develop an alternative route for through freight rail traffic
   86  moving through Central Florida, including the counties of Polk
   87  and Hillsborough, which would address, to the extent
   88  practicable, the effects of commuter rail.
   89         3. Provide technical assistance to a coalition of local
   90  governments in Central Florida, including the counties of
   91  Brevard, Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lake, Marion, Orange,
   92  Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Manatee, Sarasota, Seminole,
   93  Sumter, and Volusia, and the municipalities within those
   94  counties, to develop a regional rail system plan that addresses
   95  passenger and freight opportunities in the region, is consistent
   96  with the Florida Rail System Plan, and incorporates appropriate
   97  elements of the Tampa Bay Area Regional Authority Master Plan,
   98  the Metroplan Orlando Regional Transit System Concept Plan,
   99  including the SunRail project, and the Florida Department of
  100  Transportation Alternate Rail Traffic Evaluation.
  101         Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.