Florida Senate - 2023 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for CS for SB 1250
Ì773030iÎ773030
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
04/26/2023 .
.
.
.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
The Committee on Fiscal Policy (DiCeglie) recommended the
following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 206.46, Florida
6 Statutes, is amended to read:
7 206.46 State Transportation Trust Fund.—
8 (2) Notwithstanding any other law, from the revenues
9 deposited into the State Transportation Trust Fund a maximum of
10 7 percent in each fiscal year shall be transferred into the
11 Right-of-Way Acquisition and Bridge Construction Trust Fund
12 created in s. 215.605, as needed to meet the requirements of the
13 documents authorizing the bonds issued or proposed to be issued
14 under ss. 215.605 and 337.276 or at a minimum amount sufficient
15 to pay for the debt service coverage requirements of outstanding
16 bonds. Notwithstanding the 7 percent annual transfer authorized
17 in this subsection, the annual amount transferred under this
18 subsection may not exceed an amount necessary to provide the
19 required debt service coverage levels for a maximum debt service
20 not to exceed $425 $350 million. Such transfer shall be payable
21 primarily from the motor and diesel fuel taxes transferred to
22 the State Transportation Trust Fund from the Fuel Tax Collection
23 Trust Fund.
24 Section 2. Subsection (3) of section 215.616, Florida
25 Statutes, is amended to read:
26 215.616 State bonds for federal aid highway construction.—
27 (3) The term of the bonds may shall not exceed a term of 18
28 12 years. Before Prior to the issuance of bonds, the Department
29 of Transportation must shall determine that annual debt service
30 on all bonds issued pursuant to this section does not exceed 10
31 percent of annual apportionments to the department for federal
32 highway aid in accordance with the provisions of Title 23 of the
33 United States Code.
34 Section 3. Subsections (6) and (7) of section 288.9606,
35 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
36 288.9606 Issue of revenue bonds.—
37 (6) The proceeds of any bonds of the corporation may not be
38 used, in any manner, to acquire any building or facility that
39 will be, during the pendency of the financing, used by, occupied
40 by, leased to, or paid for by any state, county, or municipal
41 agency or entity. This subsection does not prohibit the use of
42 proceeds of bonds of the corporation for the purpose of
43 financing the acquisition or construction of a transportation
44 facility under a public-private partnership agreement authorized
45 under s. 334.30.
46 (7) Notwithstanding any provision of this section, the
47 corporation in its corporate capacity may, without authorization
48 from a public agency under s. 163.01(7), issue revenue bonds or
49 other evidence of indebtedness under this section to:
50 (a) Finance the undertaking of any project within the state
51 that promotes renewable energy as defined in s. 366.91 or s.
52 377.803;
53 (b) Finance the undertaking of any project within the state
54 that is a project contemplated or allowed under s. 406 of the
55 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; or
56 (c) If permitted by federal law, finance qualifying
57 improvement projects within the state under s. 163.08; or
58 (d) Finance the costs of acquisition or construction of a
59 transportation facility by a private entity or consortium of
60 private entities under a public-private partnership agreement
61 authorized under s. 334.30.
62 Section 4. Subsection (6) of section 311.101, Florida
63 Statutes, is amended to read:
64 311.101 Intermodal Logistics Center Infrastructure Support
65 Program.—
66 (6) The department shall provide up to 50 percent of
67 project costs for eligible projects. For eligible projects in
68 rural areas of opportunity designated in accordance with s.
69 288.0656(7)(a), the department may provide up to 100 percent of
70 project costs.
71 Section 5. Section 316.0777, Florida Statutes, is amended
72 to read:
73 316.0777 Automated license plate recognition systems;
74 installation within the rights-of-way of the State Highway
75 System; public records exemption.—
76 (1) As used in this section, the term:
77 (a) “Active,” “criminal intelligence information,” and
78 “criminal investigative information” have the same meanings as
79 provided in s. 119.011(3).
80 (b) “Agency” has the same meaning as provided in s.
81 119.011.
82 (c) “Automated license plate recognition system” means a
83 system of one or more mobile or fixed high-speed cameras
84 combined with computer algorithms to convert images of license
85 plates into computer-readable data.
86 (d) “Criminal justice agency” has the same meaning as
87 provided in s. 119.011.
88 (2)(a) As used in this subsection, the term “law
89 enforcement agency” means an agency that has a primary mission
90 of preventing and detecting crime and enforcing state penal,
91 criminal, traffic, and motor vehicle laws and in furtherance of
92 that mission employs law enforcement officers as defined in s.
93 943.10(1).
94 (b) At the discretion of the Department of Transportation,
95 an automated license plate recognition system may be installed
96 within the rights-of-way, as defined in s. 334.03(21), of any
97 road on the State Highway System when installed at the request
98 of a law enforcement agency for the purpose of collecting active
99 criminal intelligence information or active criminal
100 investigative information as those terms are described in s.
101 119.011(3). Such installations must be in accordance with
102 placement and installation guidelines developed by the
103 Department of Transportation. An automated license plate
104 recognition system may not be used to issue a notice of
105 violation or a traffic citation. An automated license plate
106 recognition system must be removed within 30 days after the
107 Department of Transportation notifies the requesting law
108 enforcement agency that such removal must occur.
109 (c) Installation and removal of an automated license plate
110 recognition system is at the sole expense of the requesting law
111 enforcement agency. The Department of Transportation is not
112 liable for any damages caused to any person by the requesting
113 law enforcement agency’s operation of such a system.
114 (d) Records containing images and data generated through
115 use of an automated license plate recognition system may not be
116 retained longer than the maximum period provided in the
117 retention schedule established pursuant to s. 316.0778.
118 (3)(2) The following information held by an agency is
119 confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I
120 of the State Constitution:
121 (a) Images and data containing or providing personal
122 identifying information obtained through the use of an automated
123 license plate recognition system.
124 (b) Personal identifying information of an individual in
125 data generated or resulting from images obtained through the use
126 of an automated license plate recognition system.
127 (4)(3) Such information may be disclosed as follows:
128 (a) Any such information may be disclosed by or to a
129 criminal justice agency in the performance of the criminal
130 justice agency’s official duties.
131 (b) Any such information relating to a license plate
132 registered to an individual may be disclosed to the individual,
133 unless such information constitutes active criminal intelligence
134 information or active criminal investigative information.
135 (5)(4) This exemption applies to such information held by
136 an agency before, on, or after the effective date of this
137 exemption.
138 Section 6. Effective upon this act becoming a law, present
139 paragraphs (d) through (g) of subsection (1) of section 330.30,
140 Florida Statutes, are redesignated as paragraphs (e) through
141 (h), respectively, and a new paragraph (d) is added to that
142 subsection, to read:
143 330.30 Approval of airport sites; registration and
144 licensure of airports.—
145 (1) SITE APPROVALS; REQUIREMENTS, EFFECTIVE PERIOD,
146 REVOCATION.—
147 (d) For the purpose of granting site approval, the
148 department may not require an applicant to provide a written
149 memorandum of understanding or letter of agreement with other
150 airport sites regarding air traffic pattern separation
151 procedures unless such memorandum or letter is required by the
152 Federal Aviation Administration or is deemed necessary by the
153 department.
154 Section 7. Subsection (10) is added to section 332.007,
155 Florida Statutes, to read:
156 332.007 Administration and financing of aviation and
157 airport programs and projects; state plan.—
158 (10) Subject to the availability of appropriated funds, and
159 unless otherwise provided in the General Appropriations Act or
160 the substantive bill implementing the General Appropriations
161 Act, the department may fund up to 100 percent of eligible
162 project costs of all of the following at a publicly owned,
163 publicly operated airport located in a rural community as
164 defined in s. 288.0656 which does not have any scheduled
165 commercial service:
166 (a) The capital cost of runway and taxiway projects that
167 add capacity. Such projects must be prioritized based on the
168 amount of available nonstate matching funds.
169 (b) Economic development transportation projects pursuant
170 to s. 339.2821.
171
172 Any remaining funds must be allocated for projects specified in
173 subsection (6).
174 Section 8. Subsection (5) of section 334.044, Florida
175 Statutes, is amended, and subsection (36) is added to that
176 section, to read:
177 334.044 Powers and duties of the department.—The department
178 shall have the following general powers and duties:
179 (5) To purchase, lease, or otherwise acquire property and
180 materials, including the purchase of promotional items as part
181 of public information and education campaigns for the promotion
182 of scenic highways, traffic and train safety awareness,
183 alternatives to single-occupant vehicle travel, and commercial
184 motor vehicle safety, electric vehicle use and charging
185 stations, autonomous vehicles, and context design for electric
186 vehicles and autonomous vehicles; to purchase, lease, or
187 otherwise acquire equipment and supplies; and to sell, exchange,
188 or otherwise dispose of any property that is no longer needed by
189 the department.
190 (36) To expend funds, at the department’s discretion, for
191 training, testing, and licensing for full-time employees of the
192 department who are required to have a valid Class A or Class B
193 commercial driver license as a condition of employment with the
194 department.
195 Section 9. Section 337.025, Florida Statutes, is amended to
196 read:
197 337.025 Innovative transportation projects; department to
198 establish program.—
199 (1) The department may establish a program for
200 transportation projects demonstrating innovative techniques of
201 highway and bridge design, construction, maintenance, and
202 finance which have the intended effect of measuring resiliency
203 and structural integrity and controlling time and cost increases
204 on construction projects. Such techniques may include, but are
205 not limited to, state-of-the-art technology for pavement,
206 safety, and other aspects of highway and bridge design,
207 construction, and maintenance; innovative bidding and financing
208 techniques; accelerated construction procedures; and those
209 techniques that have the potential to reduce project life cycle
210 costs. To the maximum extent practical, the department must use
211 the existing process to award and administer construction and
212 maintenance contracts. When specific innovative techniques are
213 to be used, the department is not required to adhere to those
214 provisions of law that would prevent, preclude, or in any way
215 prohibit the department from using the innovative technique.
216 However, before using an innovative technique that is
217 inconsistent with another provision of law, the department must
218 document in writing the need for the exception and identify what
219 benefits the traveling public and the affected community are
220 anticipated to receive. The department may enter into no more
221 than $200 $120 million in contracts awarded annually for the
222 purposes authorized by this section.
223 (2) The annual cap on contracts provided in subsection (1)
224 does not apply to:
225 (a) turnpike enterprise projects.
226 (b) Low-bid design-build milling and resurfacing contracts.
227 Section 10. Paragraph (c) of subsection (6) and subsection
228 (7) of section 337.11, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
229 337.11 Contracting authority of department; bids; emergency
230 repairs, supplemental agreements, and change orders; combined
231 design and construction contracts; progress payments; records;
232 requirements of vehicle registration.—
233 (6)
234 (c) When the department determines that it is in the best
235 interest of the public for reasons of public concern, economy,
236 improved operations, or safety, and only when circumstances
237 dictate rapid completion of the work, the department may, up to
238 the amount of $500,000 $250,000, enter into contracts for
239 construction and maintenance without advertising and receiving
240 competitive bids. The department may enter into such contracts
241 only upon a determination that the work is necessary for one of
242 the following reasons:
243 1. To ensure timely completion of projects or avoidance of
244 undue delay for other projects;
245 2. To accomplish minor repairs or construction and
246 maintenance activities for which time is of the essence and for
247 which significant cost savings would occur; or
248 3. To accomplish nonemergency work necessary to ensure
249 avoidance of adverse conditions that affect the safe and
250 efficient flow of traffic.
251
252 The department shall make a good faith effort to obtain two or
253 more quotes, if available, from qualified contractors before
254 entering into any contract. The department shall give
255 consideration to disadvantaged business enterprise
256 participation. However, when the work exists within the limits
257 of an existing contract, the department shall make a good faith
258 effort to negotiate and enter into a contract with the prime
259 contractor on the existing contract.
260 (7)(a) If the department determines that it is in the best
261 interests of the public, the department may combine the design
262 and construction phases of a building, a major bridge, a limited
263 access facility, or a rail corridor project into a single
264 contract. Such contract is referred to as a design-build
265 contract.
266 (b) If the department determines that it is in the best
267 interests of the public, the department may combine the design
268 and construction phases of a project fully funded in the work
269 program into a single contract and select the design-build firm
270 in the early stages of a project to ensure that the design-build
271 firm is part of the collaboration and development of the design
272 as part of a step-by-step progression through construction. Such
273 a contract is referred to as a phased design-build contract. For
274 phased design-build contracts, selection and award must include
275 a two-phase process. For phase one, the department shall
276 competitively award the contract to a design-build firm based
277 upon qualifications. For phase two, the design-build firm shall
278 competitively bid construction trade subcontractor packages and,
279 based upon these bids, negotiate with the department a fixed
280 firm price or guaranteed maximum price that meets the project
281 budget and scope as advertised in the request for
282 qualifications.
283 (c) Design-build contracts and phased design-build
284 contracts may be advertised and awarded notwithstanding the
285 requirements of paragraph (3)(c). However, construction
286 activities may not begin on any portion of such projects for
287 which the department has not yet obtained title to the necessary
288 rights-of-way and easements for the construction of that portion
289 of the project has vested in the state or a local governmental
290 entity and all railroad crossing and utility agreements have
291 been executed. Title to rights-of-way shall be deemed to have
292 vested in the state when the title has been dedicated to the
293 public or acquired by prescription.
294 (d)(b) The department shall adopt by rule procedures for
295 administering design-build and phased design-build contracts.
296 Such procedures shall include, but not be limited to:
297 1. Prequalification requirements.
298 2. Public announcement procedures.
299 3. Scope of service requirements.
300 4. Letters of interest requirements.
301 5. Short-listing criteria and procedures.
302 6. Bid proposal requirements.
303 7. Technical review committee.
304 8. Selection and award processes.
305 9. Stipend requirements.
306 (e)(c) The department must receive at least three letters
307 of interest in order to proceed with a request for proposals.
308 The department shall request proposals from no fewer than three
309 of the design-build firms submitting letters of interest. If a
310 design-build firm withdraws from consideration after the
311 department requests proposals, the department may continue if at
312 least two proposals are received.
313 Section 11. Paragraph (i) of subsection (6) of section
314 339.175, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
315 339.175 Metropolitan planning organization.—
316 (6) POWERS, DUTIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES.—The powers,
317 privileges, and authority of an M.P.O. are those specified in
318 this section or incorporated in an interlocal agreement
319 authorized under s. 163.01. Each M.P.O. shall perform all acts
320 required by federal or state laws or rules, now and subsequently
321 applicable, which are necessary to qualify for federal aid. It
322 is the intent of this section that each M.P.O. shall be involved
323 in the planning and programming of transportation facilities,
324 including, but not limited to, airports, intercity and high
325 speed rail lines, seaports, and intermodal facilities, to the
326 extent permitted by state or federal law.
327 (i) By December 31, 2023, There is created the Chairs
328 Coordinating Committee, composed of the M.P.O.’s serving Citrus,
329 Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, and Pinellas, Polk, and
330 Sarasota Counties must submit to the Governor, the President of
331 the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a
332 feasibility report exploring the benefits, costs, and process of
333 consolidation into a single M.P.O. serving the contiguous
334 urbanized area, the goal of which is to. The committee must, at
335 a minimum:
336 1. Coordinate transportation projects deemed to be
337 regionally significant by the committee.
338 2. Review the impact of regionally significant land use
339 decisions on the region.
340 3. Review all proposed regionally significant
341 transportation projects in the respective transportation
342 improvement programs which affect more than one of the M.P.O.’s
343 represented on the committee.
344 4. Institute a conflict resolution process to address any
345 conflict that may arise in the planning and programming of such
346 regionally significant projects.
347 Section 12. Subsection (1) of section 341.052, Florida
348 Statutes, is amended to read:
349 341.052 Public transit block grant program; administration;
350 eligible projects; limitation.—
351 (1) There is created a public transit block grant program
352 which shall be administered by the department. Block grant funds
353 shall only be provided to “Section 9” providers and “Section 18”
354 providers designated by the United States Department of
355 Transportation and community transportation coordinators as
356 defined in chapter 427. Eligible providers must establish public
357 transportation development plans consistent, to the maximum
358 extent feasible, with approved local government comprehensive
359 plans of the units of local government in which the provider is
360 located and the long-range transportation plans of the
361 metropolitan planning area in which the provider is located. In
362 developing public transportation development plans, eligible
363 providers must solicit comments from local workforce development
364 boards established under chapter 445. The development plans must
365 address how the public transit provider will work with the
366 appropriate local workforce development board to provide
367 services to participants in the welfare transition program.
368 Eligible providers must provide information to the local
369 workforce development board serving the county in which the
370 provider is located regarding the availability of transportation
371 services to assist program participants.
372 Section 13. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
373 341.061, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
374 341.061 Transit safety standards; inspections and system
375 safety reviews.—
376 (1)(a) The department shall adopt by rule minimum safety
377 standards for governmentally owned fixed-guideway transportation
378 systems, and privately owned or operated fixed-guideway
379 transportation systems operating in this state which are
380 financed wholly or partly by state funds, and any governmentally
381 or privately owned fixed-guideway transportation systems
382 operating in this state which are located within an independent
383 special district created by local act which have boundaries
384 within two contiguous counties. Standards must be site-specific
385 for fixed-guideway transportation systems and shall be developed
386 jointly by the department and representatives of the affected
387 systems, giving full consideration to nationwide industry safety
388 norms relating to the development and operation of fixed
389 guideway transportation systems. The department shall conduct
390 structural safety inspections in adherence with s. 335.074 for
391 any fixed-guideway transportation systems that are raised or
392 have bridges, as appropriate. Inspectors must follow
393 departmental safety protocols during safety inspections,
394 including requiring the suspension of system service to ensure
395 safety and welfare of inspectors and the traveling public during
396 such inspections.
397 Section 14. Subsections (2) and (3) of section 341.071,
398 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
399 341.071 Transit productivity and performance measures;
400 reports.—
401 (2) Each public transit provider shall establish
402 productivity and performance measures, which must be approved by
403 the department and which must be selected from measures
404 developed pursuant to s. 341.041(3). Each provider shall, by
405 January 31 of each year, report to the department relative to
406 these measures. In approving these measures, the department
407 shall give consideration to the goals and objectives of each
408 system, the needs of the local area, and the role for public
409 transit in the local area. The report must include the shall
410 also specifically address potential enhancements to productivity
411 and performance which would have the effect of increasing
412 farebox recovery ratio.
413 (3) Each public transit provider shall publish on its
414 website in the local newspaper of its area the productivity and
415 performance measures established for the year and a report that
416 which provides quantitative data relative to the attainment of
417 established productivity and performance measures.
418 Section 15. Effective upon this act becoming a law, part IV
419 of chapter 348, Florida Statutes, consisting of ss. 348.965,
420 348.966, 348.967, 348.968, 348.969, 348.97, 348.971, 348.972,
421 348.973, 348.974, 348.9751, 348.9761, 348.9771, and 348.9781,
422 Florida Statutes, is repealed.
423 Section 16. Effective upon this act becoming a law, the
424 governance and control of the Santa Rosa Bay Bridge Authority is
425 transferred to the Department of Transportation.
426 (1) Since the Santa Rosa Bay Bridge Authority’s bridge
427 system was transferred to the department under the terms of the
428 lease-purchase agreement and a settlement agreement between the
429 department and the authority which was effective as of the close
430 of business on June 30, 2022, any remaining assets, facilities,
431 tangible and intangible property, and any rights in such
432 property, and other legal rights of the authority are
433 transferred to the department. The department succeeds to all
434 powers of the authority. The department may review other
435 contracts, financial obligations, and contractual obligations
436 and liabilities of the authority and may assume legal liability
437 for such obligations that are determined by the department to be
438 necessary for the continued operation of the bridge system.
439 (2) The bridge system, or any portion thereof, may be
440 transferred by the department and become part of the turnpike
441 system under the Florida Turnpike Enterprise Law, ss. 338.22
442 338.241, Florida Statutes.
443 Section 17. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
444 act and except for this section, which shall take effect upon
445 this act becoming a law, this act shall take effect July 1,
446 2023.
447
448 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
449 And the title is amended as follows:
450 Delete everything before the enacting clause
451 and insert:
452 A bill to be entitled
453 An act relating to the Department of Transportation;
454 amending s. 206.46, F.S.; increasing the maximum
455 amount of debt service coverage that may be
456 transferred from the State Transportation Trust Fund
457 to the Right-of-Way Acquisition and Bridge
458 Construction Trust Fund; amending s. 215.616, F.S.;
459 increasing the maximum term of state bonds for federal
460 aid highway construction; amending s. 288.9606, F.S.;
461 providing construction regarding the proceeds of bonds
462 of the Florida Development Finance Corporation;
463 revising purposes for which the corporation may,
464 without certain authorization from a public agency,
465 issue revenue bonds or other evidence of indebtedness;
466 amending s. 311.101, F.S.; authorizing the department
467 to provide up to 100 percent of project costs for
468 certain eligible projects in rural areas of
469 opportunity; amending s. 316.0777, F.S.; defining the
470 term “law enforcement agency”; authorizing
471 installation of an automated license plate recognition
472 system within the right-of-way of any road on the
473 State Highway System for a specified purpose;
474 providing that such installations are solely within
475 the department’s discretion and must be in accordance
476 with placement and installation guidelines developed
477 by the department; prohibiting use of an automated
478 license plate recognition system to issue a notice of
479 violation or a traffic citation; requiring removal of
480 such a system within a specified timeframe at the
481 expense of the requesting law enforcement agency upon
482 notification by the department; providing that the
483 department is not liable for any damages resulting
484 from the requesting law enforcement agency’s operation
485 of such a system; providing for a maximum period of
486 retention of certain records generated through the use
487 of an automated license plate recognition system;
488 amending s. 330.30, F.S.; prohibiting the department
489 from requiring an applicant to provide a written
490 memorandum of understanding or letter of agreement
491 with other airport sites regarding air traffic pattern
492 separation procedures under certain circumstances;
493 providing exceptions; amending s. 332.007, F.S.;
494 authorizing the department, subject to the
495 availability of appropriated funds, to fund up to 100
496 percent of eligible project costs of certain projects
497 at specified publicly owned, publicly operated
498 airports with no scheduled commercial service;
499 providing prioritization criteria; providing for
500 allocation of any remaining funds; amending s.
501 334.044, F.S.; revising the department’s powers and
502 duties; amending s. 337.025, F.S.; increasing the
503 annual cap on contracts that the department may enter
504 into for innovative transportation projects; revising
505 exceptions to such cap; amending s. 337.11, F.S.;
506 increasing the maximum cost of contracts for
507 construction and maintenance the department may enter
508 into without advertising and receiving competitive
509 bids; revising requirements for design-build
510 contracts; authorizing the department to enter into
511 phased design-build contracts under certain
512 circumstances; providing requirements for design-build
513 and phased design-build contracts; requiring the
514 department to adopt rules for administering phased
515 design-build contracts; amending s. 339.175, F.S.;
516 abolishing the Chairs Coordinating Committee;
517 requiring metropolitan planning organizations serving
518 specified counties to submit a certain feasibility
519 report by a specified date, with certain goals;
520 amending s. 341.052, F.S.; requiring that public
521 transportation development plans of eligible providers
522 of public transit block grants be consistent with the
523 long-range transportation plans of the metropolitan
524 planning area in which the providers are located;
525 amending s. 341.061, F.S.; requiring the department to
526 adopt by rule minimum safety standards for certain
527 fixed-guideway transportation systems; requiring the
528 department to conduct certain structural inspections
529 and follow certain safety protocols during such
530 inspections; amending s. 341.071, F.S.; revising
531 requirements of annual public transit provider
532 reports; requiring each public transit provider to
533 publish on its website, rather than in the local
534 newspaper, certain performance measures; repealing
535 part IV of ch. 348, F.S., relating to the Santa Rosa
536 Bay Bridge Authority; transferring the governance and
537 control of the Santa Rosa Bay Bridge Authority to the
538 department; transferring the remaining assets,
539 facilities, property, and property rights of the
540 authority to the department; providing that the
541 department succeeds to all powers of the authority;
542 authorizing the department to review other contracts,
543 financial obligations, and contractual obligations and
544 liabilities of the authority and to assume legal
545 liability for such obligations determined by the
546 department to be necessary for the continued operation
547 of the bridge system; authorizing the department to
548 transfer the bridge system, or any portion thereof, to
549 become part of the turnpike system; providing
550 effective dates.