S1672 - Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority

• Renames the "Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority" to the "Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority" throughout statute and reduces the authority's geographic scope from seven counties (Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota) to five core counties (Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas), with provision for other contiguous counties to join by agreement.

• Reduces the governing board from 15 to 13 voting members, with members appointed within 45 days of creation, and changes quorum and voting requirements from eight to seven members.

• Requires the authority to develop and adopt a "regional transit development plan" instead of a "transportation master plan," and mandates submission of a plan to produce this development plan to the Legislature by the 2018 Regular Session.

• Establishes new requirements for rail projects: any action regarding state funding of commuter rail, heavy rail transit, or light rail transit requires approval by a majority vote of affected county M.P.Os and an act of the Legislature; prohibits authority advocacy for such funding; and mandates independent third-party feasibility studies before project development.

• Directs the board to evaluate by July 1, 2017, whether to abolish, continue, modify, or establish committees (planning, policy, finance, citizens advisory, M.P.O. chairs coordinating, transit management, and technical advisory) and submit recommendations to the Legislature before the 2018 Regular Session.