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18 repealed.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.