Florida Senate - 2017 CS for SB 250
By the Committee on Transportation; and Senator Artiles
596-02744-17 2017250c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to high-occupancy toll lanes and
3 express lanes; amending s. 338.166, F.S.; specifying
4 that the Department of Transportation may collect
5 tolls on high-occupancy toll lanes or express lanes
6 only for the discharge of certain bond indebtedness on
7 a project existing before a specified date; requiring
8 that the tolls be eliminated after discharge of the
9 project’s bond indebtedness; prohibiting the creation
10 of high-occupancy toll lanes or express lanes on or
11 after a specified date; requiring existing lanes to no
12 longer be high-occupancy toll lanes or express lanes
13 upon elimination of their tolls; creating s. 338.2225,
14 F.S.; providing a legislative purpose; authorizing the
15 department to collect a toll on express lanes that,
16 before a specified date, exist, or are under
17 construction, on any part of the turnpike system for
18 the discharge of certain bond indebtedness; requiring
19 the elimination of the toll after discharge of the
20 bond indebtedness; prohibiting express lanes from
21 being on any part of the turnpike system; authorizing
22 express lanes that, before a specified date, exist, or
23 are under construction, on any part of the turnpike
24 system to continue to exist but not as express lanes;
25 providing an effective date.
26
27 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
28
29 Section 1. Section 338.166, Florida Statutes, is amended to
30 read:
31 338.166 Termination of high-occupancy toll lanes or express
32 lanes.—
33 (1) Under s. 11, Art. VII of the State Constitution, the
34 department may request the Division of Bond Finance to issue
35 bonds secured by toll revenues collected on high-occupancy toll
36 lanes or express lanes established on facilities owned by the
37 department. However,
38 (2) the department may continue to collect a the toll on
39 the high-occupancy toll lanes or express lanes only for after
40 the discharge of any bond indebtedness related to a such project
41 that exists before July 1, 2017. After the discharge of any bond
42 indebtedness related to such project, the toll on the high
43 occupancy toll lanes or express lanes must be eliminated All
44 tolls so collected shall first be used to pay the annual cost of
45 the operation, maintenance, and improvement of the high
46 occupancy toll lanes or express lanes project or associated
47 transportation system.
48 (2)(3) High-occupancy toll lanes or express lanes may not
49 be created on or after July 1, 2017. Upon elimination of the
50 tolls on existing high-occupancy toll lanes or express lanes
51 pursuant to subsection (1), such lanes may continue to exist but
52 not as high-occupancy toll lanes or express lanes Any remaining
53 toll revenue from the high-occupancy toll lanes or express lanes
54 shall be used by the department for the construction,
55 maintenance, or improvement of any road on the State Highway
56 System within the county or counties in which the toll revenues
57 were collected or to support express bus service on the facility
58 where the toll revenues were collected.
59 (3)(4) The department may implement variable rate tolls on
60 high-occupancy toll lanes or express lanes.
61 (4)(5) Except for high-occupancy toll lanes or express
62 lanes, tolls may not be charged for use of an interstate highway
63 where tolls were not charged as of July 1, 1997.
64 (5)(6) This section does not apply to the turnpike system
65 as defined under the Florida Turnpike Enterprise Law.
66 Section 2. Section 338.2225, Florida Statutes, is created
67 to read:
68 338.2225 Express lanes on any part of the turnpike system;
69 prohibition.—
70 (1) The purpose of this section is to eliminate all express
71 lanes that exist, or are under construction, on any part of the
72 Florida Turnpike System and to prohibit the creation of such
73 express lanes.
74 (2) The department may collect a toll on express lanes
75 that, before July 1, 2017, exist, or are under construction, on
76 any part of the turnpike system, but such collection may be only
77 for the discharge of any bond indebtedness that relates to the
78 expense of constructing the express lanes. After the discharge
79 of such bond indebtedness, the toll on the express lanes must be
80 eliminated.
81 (3) Except for express lanes that, before July 1, 2017,
82 exist, or are under construction, on any part of the turnpike
83 system, no express lanes shall be on any part of the turnpike
84 system. Upon elimination of the tolls on express lanes pursuant
85 to subsection (2), such lanes may continue to exist but not as
86 express lanes.
87 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.