Bill Text: CT HB05460 | 2010 | General Assembly | Introduced

Connecticut House Bill 5460 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: An Act Concerning The Transportation Strategy Board.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-03-05 - Public Hearing 03/10 [HB05460 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2010-HB05460-Introduced.html


General Assembly		*Raised Bill No. 5460*
*February Session, 2010*		LCO No. 1965
		01965_______TRA
Referred to Committee on Transportation
Introduced by:
(TRA)

AN ACT CONCERNING THE TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY BOARD.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 13b-57e of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2010):

(a) There is established the Connecticut Transportation Strategy Board, [within the Office of Policy and Management for administrative purposes only,] the members of which shall be appointed as follows:

(1) Five members from the private sector who have expertise in transportation, business, finance or law as follows: (A) The Governor shall appoint one member [, who shall be the chairperson, and] whose first term shall expire on June 30, 2005, (B) the president pro tempore of the Senate shall appoint one member whose first term shall expire on June 30, 2004, (C) the speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint one member whose first term shall expire on June 30, 2003, (D) the minority leader of the Senate shall appoint one member whose first term shall expire on June 30, 2003, and (E) the minority leader of the House of Representatives shall appoint one member whose first term shall expire on June 30, 2002;

(2) One member from each TIA, for which position the chairpersons of the board of the local planning agencies in such TIA, after consulting with the participants in such TIA, shall nominate, for consideration by the appointing authority, three individuals who live in such TIA and who have significant experience in and knowledge of local, regional and state governmental processes, including at least one chief elected official in a town in such TIA. If the chairpersons of the board of the local planning agencies in such TIA fail to nominate three qualifying individuals within one hundred eighty days of the expiration of the previous appointment term, the appointing authority may appoint an individual meeting the qualifications of this subdivision. Appointments shall be made as follows: (A) The chairpersons of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to transportation shall appoint one member from the southeast corridor TIA, whose first term shall expire on June 30, 2002, (B) the president pro tempore of the Senate shall appoint one member from the I-91 corridor TIA, whose first term shall expire on June 30, 2003, provided, on and after July 1, 2006, subsequent appointments shall be from the I-84 corridor TIA, (C) the speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint one member from the coastal corridor TIA, whose first term shall expire on June 30, 2004, (D) the majority leader of the Senate shall appoint one member from the I-395 corridor TIA, whose first term shall expire on June 30, 2005, and (E) the majority leader of the House of Representatives shall appoint one member from the I-84 corridor TIA, whose first term shall expire on June 30, 2005, provided, on and after July 1, 2006, subsequent appointments shall be from the I-91 corridor TIA; and

(3) The Commissioners of Transportation, Environmental Protection, Economic and Community Development and Public Safety, [and] the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and the chairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to transportation, or their respective designees.

(b) Upon the expiration of the term of a member of the board who is appointed as provided in subdivision (1) or (2) of subsection (a) of this section, each subsequent appointee to the board shall serve for a term of four years. No [person] such appointee shall serve as a member of the board for more than two consecutive terms. A vacancy in the position of an appointed board member shall be filled by the appointing authority for the remainder of the term.

(c) The board shall elect a chairperson and a vice-chairperson from among its members and may employ an executive director, who shall have extensive knowledge and experience in transportation planning, and a board administrator. The board may establish such subcommittees as it deems appropriate and appoint the members of such subcommittees from among its members. [Ten] Twelve members of the board shall be present to constitute a quorum.

(d) The members of the board shall not be compensated for their service as members of the board.

(e) The board may issue guidelines for coordination and organization to the TIAs. These guidelines shall not constitute regulations, as defined in subdivision (13) of section 4-166.

(f) [The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management shall be responsible for staff support for the board.] The board may employ two persons to act as support staff. The [secretary] board may utilize the staff of [said office and, in consultation with the responsible agency head, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Economic and Community Development, or any other state agency for that purpose] the Department of Transportation in carrying out its planning and other responsibilities. Within available appropriations, the board may hire consultants. [with approval by the secretary, and such consultants shall be procured through the Office of Policy and Management or the Department of Transportation, as determined by the secretary.]

(g) The Transportation Strategy Board is a public agency, as defined in section 1-200, for purposes of the Freedom of Information Act, and is a quasi-public agency, as defined in section 1-79, for purposes of chapter 10.

Sec. 2. Section 13b-14 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2010):

Comprehensive long-range planning concerning the future transportation needs of the state shall be coordinated and performed by the [department under the direction and supervision of the commissioner] Transportation Strategy Board, shall be directed to all available and future modes of transportation including, but not limited to, transportation by highway, air, water and rail, and shall be designed to assure a modern, safe and efficient system of transportation facilities and services.

Sec. 3. Subsection (a) of section 13b-57g of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(a) Not later than January 15, 2002, the board shall propose to the General Assembly an initial transportation strategy, and, not later than January 5, 2011, the board shall propose to the General Assembly revisions to such transportation strategy. Such revisions shall include an estimate of funds needed to implement such revised strategic plan and the long-term transportation plan, recommendations to restrict the uses of the Special Transportation Fund, and recommendations for additional revenue sources for said fund.

Sec. 4. Subsection (g) of section 13b-57g of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(g) The board shall include in the strategy and any revisions to it (1) a projection of the required capital investments and operating costs over the next succeeding ten years, and the recommended sources of such funds, and (2) a distinction between transportation costs for operations and maintenance and transportation investments which shall (A) be based on the strategy and evaluated against strategic goals, (B) provide additional benefits that are tangible and attainable, (C) include a range of transportation uses including, but not limited to, transit, airways, highways, waterways and freight, to gain public support, (D) reach as many people as possible throughout the entire community in each TIA, and (E) respond to widely perceived needs.


This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	October 1, 2010	13b-57e
Sec. 2	October 1, 2010	13b-14
Sec. 3	from passage	13b-57g(a)
Sec. 4	from passage	13b-57g(g)

Statement of Purpose:

To provide the Transportation Strategy Board with greater independence, increase the membership of the board to include the chairpersons and ranking members of the transportation committee and require the board to submit a revised strategic plan to the General Assembly.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]