Florida Senate - 2023                              CS for SB 198
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Transportation; and Senator DiCeglie
       
       
       
       
       
       596-02022-23                                           2023198c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit
    3         Authority; repealing part III 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 perform specified activities; amending s.
    7         341.302, F.S.; conforming a provision to changes made
    8         by the act; providing effective dates.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Part III of chapter 343, Florida Statutes,
   13  consisting of ss. 343.90, 343.91, 343.92, 343.922, 343.94,
   14  343.941, 343.943, 343.944, 343.947, 343.95, 343.96, 343.962,
   15  343.97, 343.973, 343.975, and 343.976, Florida Statutes, is
   16  repealed.
   17         Section 2. Effective June 30, 2024, the Tampa Bay Area
   18  Regional Transit Authority is dissolved. The authority shall:
   19         (1) Provide for the discharge of its liabilities. Any
   20  liabilities in excess of its assets must be assumed by each
   21  county represented on the authority’s board in proportion to
   22  each county’s contribution to the authority in the 2021-2022
   23  fiscal year;
   24         (2) Settle and close its affairs, and transfer any pending
   25  activities, including, but not limited to, the administration of
   26  its vanpool program;
   27         (3) Close and appropriately dispense any applicable federal
   28  or state grants or funds;
   29         (4) Provide for distribution of the authority’s remaining
   30  assets, if any, such that each county represented on the
   31  authority’s board receives an amount in proportion to each
   32  county’s contribution to the authority in the 2021-2022 fiscal
   33  year;
   34         (5) Provide written notice of final dissolution to the
   35  Department of Economic Opportunity and each entity represented
   36  on the authority’s board; and
   37         (6) Forward its records to the Department of State upon
   38  final dissolution.
   39         Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section
   40  341.302, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   41         341.302 Rail program; duties and responsibilities of the
   42  department.—The department, in conjunction with other
   43  governmental entities, including the rail enterprise and the
   44  private sector, shall develop and implement a rail program of
   45  statewide application designed to ensure the proper maintenance,
   46  safety, revitalization, and expansion of the rail system to
   47  assure its continued and increased availability to respond to
   48  statewide mobility needs. Within the resources provided pursuant
   49  to chapter 216, and as authorized under federal law, the
   50  department shall:
   51         (3) Develop and periodically update the rail system plan,
   52  on the basis of an analysis of statewide transportation needs.
   53         (b) In recognition of the department’s role in the
   54  enhancement of the state’s rail system to improve freight and
   55  passenger mobility, the department shall:
   56         1. Work closely with all affected communities along an
   57  impacted freight rail corridor to identify and address
   58  anticipated impacts associated with an increase in freight rail
   59  traffic due to implementation of passenger rail.
   60         2. In coordination with the affected local governments and
   61  CSX Transportation, Inc., finalize all viable alternatives from
   62  the department’s Rail Traffic Evaluation Study to identify and
   63  develop an alternative route for through freight rail traffic
   64  moving through Central Florida, including the counties of Polk
   65  and Hillsborough, which would address, to the extent
   66  practicable, the effects of commuter rail.
   67         3. Provide technical assistance to a coalition of local
   68  governments in Central Florida, including the counties of
   69  Brevard, Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lake, Marion, Orange,
   70  Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Manatee, Sarasota, Seminole,
   71  Sumter, and Volusia, and the municipalities within those
   72  counties, to develop a regional rail system plan that addresses
   73  passenger and freight opportunities in the region, is consistent
   74  with the Florida Rail System Plan, and incorporates appropriate
   75  elements of the Tampa Bay Area Regional Authority Master Plan,
   76  the Metroplan Orlando Regional Transit System Concept Plan,
   77  including the SunRail project, and the Florida Department of
   78  Transportation Alternate Rail Traffic Evaluation.
   79         Section 4. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
   80  act, this act shall take effect July 1, 2023.