SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. HB 1737
Amendment No. ___ Barcode 175754
CHAMBER ACTION
Senate House
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11 Senator Laurent moved the following amendment:
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13 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
14 On page 8, between lines 8 and 9,
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16 insert:
17 Section 3. High-Speed Rail Commission created.--
18 (1) The High-Speed Rail Commission is created within
19 the Legislature. The commission shall consist of 10 members to
20 be appointed as follows:
21 (a) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall
22 appoint two members from among the members of the House of
23 Representatives.
24 (b) The President of the Senate shall appoint two
25 members from among the members of the Senate.
26 (c) The Governor shall appoint five members in the
27 following manner: one member shall be a developer; one member
28 shall be an expert in the field of transportation; one member
29 shall be an expert in the field of bond finance; and two
30 members shall represent the business community.
31 (d) The Secretary of the Department of Transportation
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1 shall serve as an ex officio, nonvoting member of the
2 commission.
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4 The commission shall elect a chair and a vice chair from its
5 membership at its first meeting.
6 (2) The commission shall be appointed no later than
7 June 1, 2001, and its first meeting shall be no later than
8 June 15, 2001. The commission shall meet periodically at the
9 request of the chair.
10 (3) Members of the commission shall serve without
11 compensation, except for per diem and reimbursement for travel
12 expenses as provided by s. 112.061, Florida Statutes.
13 (4) A vacancy in the commission shall be filled within
14 30 days after its occurrence in the same manner as the
15 original appointment.
16 (5)(a) The Department of Transportation shall serve as
17 primary staff to the commission, providing technical and
18 administrative assistance and ensuring that commission
19 meetings are electronically recorded. Such recordings shall be
20 preserved pursuant to chapters 119 and 257, Florida Statutes.
21 (b) The Florida Transportation Commission, the
22 Department of Community Affairs, and the Department of
23 Environmental Protection shall, at the commission's request,
24 provide technical, scientific, or other assistance.
25 (c) The commission may request that the Office of
26 Legislative Services provide administrative support to assist
27 the commission in its efforts.
28 (6) The commission shall study and make
29 recommendations on:
30 (a) The total cost of the high-speed rail project,
31 which includes the costs of rights-of-way and improvements;
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. HB 1737
Amendment No. ___ Barcode 175754
1 the rolling stock and other equipment necessary to build and
2 operate a high-speed rail system; system design, engineering,
3 and construction; the use of existing rail; annual operation
4 and maintenance; and all other associated expenses. Such costs
5 should be based, where applicable and appropriate, on
6 demonstrated expenditures for similar projects.
7 (b) The feasibility of technology to be used for the
8 development of the high-speed rail.
9 (c) The route to be used for phase 1 of the high-speed
10 rail, including the names of at least two cities between which
11 the route would be constructed.
12 (d) Funding sources, including federal and local
13 funds, private investment, revenue generated by ridership,
14 cargo, or other users, franchise fees and licenses, lease
15 fees, and other reasonably potential sources of funds.
16 (e) The format and types of information that must be
17 included in a financial or business plan for the high-speed
18 rail system.
19 (f) The commission is tasked with providing the
20 documentation necessary to seek and obtain federal funding in
21 order to build a high-speed rail system in Florida.
22 (g) The possibility and costs of using existing rail.
23 (h) Any other issues the commission deems relevant to
24 the development of a high-speed rail system.
25 (7) The commission shall prepare a report of its
26 findings and recommendations and submit the report to the
27 Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the
28 President of the Senate on or before January 1, 2002. The
29 report also may include suggested legislation. The commission
30 is dissolved at the time it submits its report.
31 Section 4. The Department of Transportation is
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. HB 1737
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1 directed to begin, as soon as possible, collecting and
2 organizing existing research, studies, and reports on
3 high-speed rail systems, in preparation for the commission's
4 first meeting.
5 Section 5. There is appropriated from the State
6 Transportation Trust Fund to the High-Speed Rail Commission
7 the sum of $4.5 million for the purpose of conducting the
8 study described in section 1.
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10 (Redesignate subsequent sections.)
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13 ================ T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ===============
14 And the title is amended as follows:
15 On page 1, line 15, delete that line
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17 and insert:
18 creating the High-Speed Rail Commission;
19 providing for membership and appointment;
20 providing for staff; providing for duties of
21 the commission; providing for dissolution of
22 the commission upon submission of a required
23 report; directing the Department of
24 Transportation to begin collecting and
25 organizing existing data on high-speed rail
26 systems; providing an appropriation; providing
27 an effective date.
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29 WHEREAS, the voters on November 7, 2000, approved a
30 constitutional amendment directing the Legislature, the
31 Cabinet, and the Governor to proceed with development of a
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SENATE AMENDMENT
Bill No. HB 1737
Amendment No. ___ Barcode 175754
1 high-speed rail system capable of speeds in excess of 120
2 miles per hour, and
3 WHEREAS, the constitutional amendment called for the
4 high-speed rail system to be developed by the state and a
5 private entity pursuant to state approval and authorization,
6 and
7 WHEREAS, construction of the system must begin on or
8 before November 1, 2003, and
9 WHEREAS, the constitutional amendment left many
10 technical and financial questions unanswered, NOW, THEREFORE,
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