Florida Senate - 2023                                     SB 198
       
       
        
       By Senator DiCeglie
       
       
       
       
       
       18-00285A-23                                           2023198__
    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 discharge its liabilities, settle and
    7         close its activities and affairs, and provide for the
    8         distribution of the authority’s assets; amending ss.
    9         339.175 and 341.302, F.S.; conforming provisions to
   10         changes made by the act; providing an effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Part III of chapter 343, Florida Statutes,
   15  consisting of ss. 343.90, 343.91, 343.92, 343.922, 343.94,
   16  343.941, 343.943, 343.944, 343.947, 343.95, 343.96, 343.962,
   17  343.97, 343.973, 343.975, and 343.976, Florida Statutes, is
   18  repealed.
   19         Section 2. Notwithstanding any other law, the Tampa Bay
   20  Area Regional Transit Authority is dissolved. The authority
   21  shall discharge or make provision for the authority’s debts,
   22  obligations, and other liabilities; settle and close the
   23  authority’s activities and affairs; and provide for distribution
   24  of the authority’s assets, or the proceeds of such assets, such
   25  that each local general-purpose government represented on the
   26  authority’s board receives a distribution generally in
   27  proportion to each entity’s contribution to the acquisition of
   28  the assets.
   29         Section 3. Paragraph (i) of subsection (6) of section
   30  339.175, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   31         339.175 Metropolitan planning organization.—
   32         (6) POWERS, DUTIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES.—The powers,
   33  privileges, and authority of an M.P.O. are those specified in
   34  this section or incorporated in an interlocal agreement
   35  authorized under s. 163.01. Each M.P.O. shall perform all acts
   36  required by federal or state laws or rules, now and subsequently
   37  applicable, which are necessary to qualify for federal aid. It
   38  is the intent of this section that each M.P.O. shall be involved
   39  in the planning and programming of transportation facilities,
   40  including, but not limited to, airports, intercity and high
   41  speed rail lines, seaports, and intermodal facilities, to the
   42  extent permitted by state or federal law.
   43         (i) There is created the Chairs Coordinating Committee,
   44  composed of the M.P.O.’s serving Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough,
   45  Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota Counties. The
   46  committee must, at a minimum:
   47         1. Coordinate transportation projects deemed to be
   48  regionally significant by the committee.
   49         2. Review the impact of regionally significant land use
   50  decisions on the region.
   51         3. Review all proposed regionally significant
   52  transportation projects in the respective transportation
   53  improvement programs which affect more than one of the M.P.O.’s
   54  represented on the committee.
   55         4. Institute a conflict resolution process to address any
   56  conflict that may arise in the planning and programming of such
   57  regionally significant projects.
   58         Section 4. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section
   59  341.302, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   60         341.302 Rail program; duties and responsibilities of the
   61  department.—The department, in conjunction with other
   62  governmental entities, including the rail enterprise and the
   63  private sector, shall develop and implement a rail program of
   64  statewide application designed to ensure the proper maintenance,
   65  safety, revitalization, and expansion of the rail system to
   66  assure its continued and increased availability to respond to
   67  statewide mobility needs. Within the resources provided pursuant
   68  to chapter 216, and as authorized under federal law, the
   69  department shall:
   70         (3) Develop and periodically update the rail system plan,
   71  on the basis of an analysis of statewide transportation needs.
   72         (b) In recognition of the department’s role in the
   73  enhancement of the state’s rail system to improve freight and
   74  passenger mobility, the department shall:
   75         1. Work closely with all affected communities along an
   76  impacted freight rail corridor to identify and address
   77  anticipated impacts associated with an increase in freight rail
   78  traffic due to implementation of passenger rail.
   79         2. In coordination with the affected local governments and
   80  CSX Transportation, Inc., finalize all viable alternatives from
   81  the department’s Rail Traffic Evaluation Study to identify and
   82  develop an alternative route for through freight rail traffic
   83  moving through Central Florida, including the counties of Polk
   84  and Hillsborough, which would address, to the extent
   85  practicable, the effects of commuter rail.
   86         3. Provide technical assistance to a coalition of local
   87  governments in Central Florida, including the counties of
   88  Brevard, Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lake, Marion, Orange,
   89  Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Manatee, Sarasota, Seminole,
   90  Sumter, and Volusia, and the municipalities within those
   91  counties, to develop a regional rail system plan that addresses
   92  passenger and freight opportunities in the region, is consistent
   93  with the Florida Rail System Plan, and incorporates appropriate
   94  elements of the Tampa Bay Area Regional Authority Master Plan,
   95  the Metroplan Orlando Regional Transit System Concept Plan,
   96  including the SunRail project, and the Florida Department of
   97  Transportation Alternate Rail Traffic Evaluation.
   98         Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.