Florida Senate - 2021                                     SB 684
       
       
        
       By Senator Brandes
       
       
       
       
       
       24-00888A-21                                           2021684__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Department of Transportation;
    3         requiring the department to allow persons to purchase
    4         certain commuter passes for their motor vehicles;
    5         requiring that funds collected from the sale of the
    6         commuter passes be deposited in specified trust funds
    7         and used for the operation and maintenance of the
    8         Pinellas Bayway System; requiring the department or
    9         the Florida Turnpike Enterprise, as appropriate, to
   10         index annual commuter pass costs to certain inflation
   11         indicators; requiring the department or the
   12         enterprise, as appropriate, to use a specified portion
   13         of funds collected from the sale of commuter passes
   14         during a specified period of time for landscaping and
   15         beautification; beginning on a specified date,
   16         requiring the department or the enterprise, as
   17         appropriate, to annually use a specified amount of
   18         funds for landscaping and beautification; beginning on
   19         a specified date, requiring the department or the
   20         enterprise, as appropriate, to index the landscaping
   21         and beautification allocation amount to certain
   22         inflation indicators; specifying that funds provided
   23         under this act are in addition to any funds otherwise
   24         allocated by the department or the enterprise, as
   25         appropriate, for such purposes; providing an effective
   26         date.
   27          
   28  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   29  
   30         Section 1. (1) The Department of Transportation shall allow
   31  any person to purchase a commuter pass for each motor vehicle
   32  the person owns at an annual cost of $60 per vehicle which
   33  exempts the motor vehicle from any Pinellas Bayway System tolls
   34  during the term of the pass. Funds collected from the sale of
   35  commuter passes must be deposited in the State Transportation
   36  Trust Fund, or in the Turnpike General Reserve Trust Fund if the
   37  Pinellas Bayway System is transferred pursuant to s.
   38  338.165(11), Florida Statutes, and used for the operation and
   39  maintenance of the Pinellas Bayway System.
   40         (2) The department or the Florida Turnpike Enterprise, as
   41  appropriate, shall index the annual commuter pass cost to the
   42  annual Consumer Price Index or similar inflation indicators,
   43  rounded to the nearest dollar. Commuter pass cost adjustments
   44  for inflation under this section may be made no more frequently
   45  than once a year and may be made no less frequently than once
   46  every 5 years.
   47         (3) Notwithstanding subsection (1), the first $10 of each
   48  commuter pass sold during the first 12 months after July 1,
   49  2021, must be used by the department or the turnpike enterprise,
   50  as appropriate, for landscaping and beautification of the
   51  Pinellas Bayway System.
   52         (4) Beginning July 1, 2022, the department or the turnpike
   53  enterprise, as appropriate, shall use no less than $100,000
   54  annually for such landscaping and beautification. Beginning July
   55  1, 2027, and every 5 years thereafter, the department or the
   56  turnpike enterprise, as appropriate, shall index the $100,000
   57  annual limitation to the annual Consumer Price Index or similar
   58  inflation indicators, the result of which shall constitute the
   59  annual limitation on use of funds for landscaping and
   60  beautification until the next scheduled adjustment. Any amounts
   61  that exceed the adjusted annual limitation shall be deposited
   62  and used as provided in subsection (1).
   63         (5) The funds provided under this section for landscaping
   64  and beautification of the Pinellas Bayway System shall be in
   65  addition to any funds otherwise allocated by the department or
   66  the turnpike enterprise, as appropriate, for such purposes.
   67         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.