Florida Senate - 2020 CS for SB 368
By the Committee on Infrastructure and Security; and Senator
Rouson
596-02646-20 2020368c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit
3 Authority; amending s. 339.175, F.S.; renaming the
4 Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority Metropolitan
5 Planning Organization Chairs Coordinating Committee as
6 the Chairs Coordinating Committee; deleting a
7 requirement that the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit
8 Authority provide the committee with administrative
9 support and direction; amending s. 343.92, F.S.;
10 providing that a mayor’s designated alternate may be a
11 member of the governing board of the authority;
12 requiring that the alternate be an elected member of
13 the city council of the mayor’s municipality and be
14 approved by the municipality’s city council; requiring
15 a mayor’s designated alternate to attend meetings
16 under certain circumstances, in which case the
17 alternate has full voting rights; providing that a
18 simple majority of board members constitutes a quorum
19 and that a simple majority of those members present is
20 necessary for any action to be taken; deleting
21 obsolete language; amending s. 343.922, F.S.; deleting
22 a provision requiring that the authority present the
23 original regional transit development plan and updates
24 to specified entities; deleting a provision requiring
25 that the authority coordinate plans and projects with
26 the TBARTA Metropolitan Planning Organization Chairs
27 Coordinating Committee and participate in the regional
28 M.P.O. planning process to ensure regional
29 comprehension of the authority’s mission, goals, and
30 objectives; deleting a provision requiring that the
31 authority provide administrative support and direction
32 to the TBARTA Metropolitan Planning Organization
33 Chairs Coordinating Committee; providing an effective
34 date.
35
36 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
37
38 Section 1. Paragraph (i) of subsection (6) of section
39 339.175, Florida Statutes, is amended to read
40 339.175 Metropolitan planning organization.—
41 (6) POWERS, DUTIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES.—The powers,
42 privileges, and authority of an M.P.O. are those specified in
43 this section or incorporated in an interlocal agreement
44 authorized under s. 163.01. Each M.P.O. shall perform all acts
45 required by federal or state laws or rules, now and subsequently
46 applicable, which are necessary to qualify for federal aid. It
47 is the intent of this section that each M.P.O. shall be involved
48 in the planning and programming of transportation facilities,
49 including, but not limited to, airports, intercity and high
50 speed rail lines, seaports, and intermodal facilities, to the
51 extent permitted by state or federal law.
52 (i) There is created the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit
53 Authority Metropolitan Planning Organization Chairs Coordinating
54 Committee is created within the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit
55 Authority, composed of the M.P.O.’s serving Citrus, Hernando,
56 Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota
57 Counties. The authority shall provide administrative support and
58 direction to the committee. The committee must, at a minimum:
59 1. Coordinate transportation projects deemed to be
60 regionally significant by the committee.
61 2. Review the impact of regionally significant land use
62 decisions on the region.
63 3. Review all proposed regionally significant
64 transportation projects in the respective transportation
65 improvement programs which affect more than one of the M.P.O.’s
66 represented on the committee.
67 4. Institute a conflict resolution process to address any
68 conflict that may arise in the planning and programming of such
69 regionally significant projects.
70 Section 2. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) and subsections
71 (8) and (9) of section 343.92, Florida Statutes, are amended to
72 read
73 343.92 Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority.—
74 (2) The governing board of the authority shall consist of
75 13 voting members appointed no later than 45 days after the
76 creation of the authority.
77 (b) The 13 voting members of the board shall be as follows:
78 1. The county commissions of Hernando, Hillsborough,
79 Manatee, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties shall each appoint one
80 county commissioner to the board. Members appointed under this
81 subparagraph shall serve 2-year terms with not more than three
82 consecutive terms being served by any person. If a member under
83 this subparagraph leaves elected office, a vacancy exists on the
84 board to be filled as provided in this subparagraph within 90
85 days.
86 2.a. Two members of the board shall be the mayor, or the
87 mayor’s designated alternate, of the largest municipality within
88 the service area of each of the following independent transit
89 agencies or their legislatively created successor agencies:
90 Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority and Hillsborough Area
91 Regional Transit Authority. The largest municipality is that
92 municipality with the largest population as determined by the
93 most recent United States Decennial Census.
94 b. The mayor’s designated alternate must be an elected
95 member of the municipality’s city council and approved as the
96 mayor’s designated alternate by the municipality’s city council.
97 In the event the mayor is unable to attend a meeting, the
98 mayor’s designated alternate shall attend the meeting on the
99 mayor’s behalf and has the full right to vote.
100 3. The following independent transit agencies or their
101 legislatively created successor agencies shall each appoint from
102 the membership of their governing bodies one member to the
103 board: Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority and Hillsborough Area
104 Regional Transit Authority. Each member appointed under this
105 subparagraph shall serve a 2-year term with not more than three
106 consecutive terms being served by any person. If a member no
107 longer meets the transit authority’s criteria for appointment, a
108 vacancy exists on the board, which must be filled as provided in
109 this subparagraph within 90 days.
110 4. The Governor shall appoint to the board four members
111 from the regional business community, each of whom must reside
112 in one of the counties governed by the authority and may not be
113 an elected official. Of the members initially appointed under
114 this subparagraph, one shall serve a 1-year term, two shall
115 serve 2-year terms, and one shall serve a term as the initial
116 chair as provided in subsection (5). Thereafter, a member
117 appointed under this subparagraph shall serve a 2-year term with
118 not more than three consecutive terms being served by any
119 person.
120
121 Appointments may be staggered to avoid mass turnover at the end
122 of any 2-year or 4-year period. A vacancy during a term shall be
123 filled within 90 days in the same manner as the original
124 appointment for the remainder of the unexpired term.
125 (8) A simple majority Seven members of the board shall
126 constitute a quorum, and a simple majority of the voting members
127 present shall be necessary for any action to be taken by the
128 board the vote of seven members is necessary for any action to
129 be taken by the authority. The authority may meet upon the
130 constitution of a quorum. A vacancy does not impair the right of
131 a quorum of the board to exercise all rights and the ability to
132 perform all duties of the authority.
133 (9) Beginning July 1, 2017, the board must evaluate the
134 abolishment, continuance, modification, or establishment of the
135 following committees:
136 (a) Planning committee.
137 (b) Policy committee.
138 (c) Finance committee.
139 (d) Citizens advisory committee.
140 (e) Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority Metropolitan
141 Planning Organization Chairs Coordinating Committee.
142 (f) Transit management committee.
143 (g) Technical advisory committee.
144
145 The board must submit its recommendations for abolishment,
146 continuance, modification, or establishment of the committees to
147 the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
148 Representatives before the beginning of the 2018 Regular
149 Session.
150 Section 3. Paragraphs (e), (f), and (g) of subsection (3)
151 of section 343.922, Florida Statutes, are amended to read
152 343.922 Powers and duties.—
153 (3)
154 (e) The authority shall present the original regional
155 transit development plan and updates to the governing bodies of
156 the counties within the designated region, to the TBARTA
157 Metropolitan Planning Organization Chairs Coordinating
158 Committee, and to the legislative delegation members
159 representing those counties within 90 days after adoption.
160 (f) The authority shall coordinate plans and projects with
161 the TBARTA Metropolitan Planning Organization Chairs
162 Coordinating Committee, to the extent practicable, and
163 participate in the regional M.P.O. planning process to ensure
164 regional comprehension of the authority’s mission, goals, and
165 objectives.
166 (g) The authority shall provide administrative support and
167 direction to the TBARTA Metropolitan Planning Organization
168 Chairs Coordinating Committee as provided in s. 339.175(6)(i).
169 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.