Florida Senate - 2023                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 198
       
       
       
       
       
       
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                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
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       The Committee on Transportation (DiCeglie) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete lines 19 - 98
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 2. Effective June 30, 2024, the Tampa Bay Area
    6  Regional Transit Authority is dissolved. The authority shall:
    7         (1) Provide for the discharge of its liabilities. Any
    8  liabilities in excess of its assets must be assumed by each
    9  county represented on the authority’s board in proportion to
   10  each county’s contribution to the authority in the 2021-2022
   11  fiscal year;
   12         (2) Settle and close its affairs, and transfer any pending
   13  activities, including, but not limited to, the administration of
   14  its vanpool program;
   15         (3) Close and appropriately dispense any applicable federal
   16  or state grants or funds;
   17         (4) Provide for distribution of the authority’s remaining
   18  assets, if any, such that each county represented on the
   19  authority’s board receives an amount in proportion to each
   20  county’s contribution to the authority in the 2021-2022 fiscal
   21  year;
   22         (5) Provide written notice of final dissolution to the
   23  Department of Economic Opportunity and each entity represented
   24  on the authority’s board; and
   25         (6) Forward its records to the Department of State upon
   26  final dissolution.
   27         Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section
   28  341.302, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   29         341.302 Rail program; duties and responsibilities of the
   30  department.—The department, in conjunction with other
   31  governmental entities, including the rail enterprise and the
   32  private sector, shall develop and implement a rail program of
   33  statewide application designed to ensure the proper maintenance,
   34  safety, revitalization, and expansion of the rail system to
   35  assure its continued and increased availability to respond to
   36  statewide mobility needs. Within the resources provided pursuant
   37  to chapter 216, and as authorized under federal law, the
   38  department shall:
   39         (3) Develop and periodically update the rail system plan,
   40  on the basis of an analysis of statewide transportation needs.
   41         (b) In recognition of the department’s role in the
   42  enhancement of the state’s rail system to improve freight and
   43  passenger mobility, the department shall:
   44         1. Work closely with all affected communities along an
   45  impacted freight rail corridor to identify and address
   46  anticipated impacts associated with an increase in freight rail
   47  traffic due to implementation of passenger rail.
   48         2. In coordination with the affected local governments and
   49  CSX Transportation, Inc., finalize all viable alternatives from
   50  the department’s Rail Traffic Evaluation Study to identify and
   51  develop an alternative route for through freight rail traffic
   52  moving through Central Florida, including the counties of Polk
   53  and Hillsborough, which would address, to the extent
   54  practicable, the effects of commuter rail.
   55         3. Provide technical assistance to a coalition of local
   56  governments in Central Florida, including the counties of
   57  Brevard, Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lake, Marion, Orange,
   58  Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Manatee, Sarasota, Seminole,
   59  Sumter, and Volusia, and the municipalities within those
   60  counties, to develop a regional rail system plan that addresses
   61  passenger and freight opportunities in the region, is consistent
   62  with the Florida Rail System Plan, and incorporates appropriate
   63  elements of the Tampa Bay Area Regional Authority Master Plan,
   64  the Metroplan Orlando Regional Transit System Concept Plan,
   65  including the SunRail project, and the Florida Department of
   66  Transportation Alternate Rail Traffic Evaluation.
   67         Section 4. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
   68  act, this act shall take effect July 1, 2023.
   69  
   70  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   71  And the title is amended as follows:
   72         Delete lines 6 - 10
   73  and insert:
   74         authority to perform specified activities; amending s.
   75         341.302, F.S.; conforming a provision to changes made
   76         by the act; providing effective dates.