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.