Florida Senate - 2009 SB 582
By Senator Baker
20-00542A-09 2009582__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to transportation; providing
3 legislative findings with respect to the need to
4 preserve investments in transportation infrastructure
5 and reduce congestion; creating the Florida
6 Transportation Revenue Study Commission for the
7 purpose of studying the state's transportation needs
8 and developing recommendations; requiring that the
9 commission submit a report to the Legislature by a
10 specified date; establishing powers and duties of the
11 commission; providing for membership and authorizing
12 the reimbursement of members for per diem and travel
13 expenses; providing requirements for meetings of the
14 commission; requiring the Center for Urban
15 Transportation Research at the University of South
16 Florida to provide staff support to the commission;
17 providing funding for the commission through federal
18 funds for metropolitan transportation planning;
19 providing an effective date.
20
21 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
22
23 Section 1. Florida Transportation Revenue Study
24 Commission.—
25 (1) The Legislature finds and declares that the costs of
26 preserving investments in transportation infrastructure and
27 eliminating or reducing congestion in the movement of people and
28 goods is expected to substantially increase, and those costs
29 will have a commensurate effect on the state's economy,
30 environment, and quality of life.
31 (2) The Florida Transportation Revenue Study Commission is
32 created for the purpose of studying state, regional, and local
33 transportation needs and developing new and innovative funding
34 options and recommendations that address this state's future
35 transportation needs. The commission shall submit a written
36 report to the Legislature containing its findings and
37 recommendations by January 1, 2011. The report presented by the
38 commission shall, at a minimum, include findings and
39 recommendations regarding:
40 (a) The stability of existing transportation revenue
41 sources, taking into account energy-efficient vehicles, emerging
42 technologies, alternative fuels, and other state and federal
43 initiatives.
44 (b) The funding needs of state, regional, and local
45 transportation facilities and services and the ability to
46 address those needs.
47 (c) New and innovative funding options that can be used by
48 the state, metropolitan planning organizations, local
49 governments, and other major transportation providers to fund
50 transportation facilities and services.
51 (3) The commission shall consist of 13 members. Three
52 members shall be appointed by the Governor, three members shall
53 be appointed by the President of the Senate, and three members
54 shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of
55 Representatives. One member shall be the Secretary of
56 Transportation, or the secretary's designee, one member shall be
57 appointed by the Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory
58 Council, one member shall be appointed by the Florida
59 Association of Counties, Inc., from among its members, and one
60 member shall be appointed by the Florida League of Cities, Inc.,
61 from among its members. The membership of the commission must
62 represent transportation organizations, local governments,
63 developers and homebuilders, the business community, the
64 environmental community, and other appropriate stakeholders in
65 the transportation system. One member shall be designated by the
66 Governor as chair of the commission. Members shall be appointed
67 to a term that ends upon adjournment sine die of the 2011
68 regular legislative session. Any vacancy that occurs on the
69 commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original
70 appointment. Members of the commission shall serve without
71 compensation, but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem and
72 travel expenses in accordance with s. 112.061, Florida Statutes,
73 while in performance of their duties.
74 (4) The first meeting of the commission shall be held by
75 October 1, 2009, and thereafter the commission shall meet at the
76 call of the chair but not less frequently than three times per
77 year. Each member of the commission is entitled to one vote, and
78 actions of the commission are not binding unless taken by a
79 majority vote of the members present. A majority of the
80 membership constitutes a quorum at any meeting of the
81 commission. The commission may adopt its own rules of procedure
82 and has such other powers as are necessary to complete its
83 responsibilities.
84 (5) The Center for Urban Transportation Research at the
85 University of South Florida shall provide staff and other
86 resources necessary to assist the commission in accomplishing
87 its goals. All agencies under the control of the Governor are
88 directed, and all other federal, state, and local agencies are
89 requested, to render assistance to, and cooperate with, the
90 commission.
91 Section 2. Funding for the Florida Transportation Revenue
92 Study Commission.—Subject to the consent and approval of the
93 Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council, the sum of
94 $225,000 in federal funds for metropolitan transportation
95 planning shall be provided to the Center for Urban
96 Transportation Research at the University of South Florida for
97 the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 fiscal years for the purpose of
98 paying the expenses of staff services and providing other
99 related assistance to the Florida Transportation Revenue Study
100 Commission.
101 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.