REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY                                                  H.B. 5168 (H-1) & 5169:

                                                                                                    SUMMARY OF BILL

                                                                                      REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

House Bill 5168 (Substitute H-1 as reported without amendment)               (enacted version)

House Bill 5169 (as reported without amendment)

Sponsor:  Representative John Walsh (H.B. 5168)

Representative Wayne A. Schmidt (H.B. 5169)

House Committee:  Transportation and Infrastructure

Senate Committee:  Transportation

 

CONTENT

 

House Bill 5168 (H-1) would amend the Regional Transit Authority Act to require the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) board to provide in its bylaws that, beginning on July 1, 2024, approval of an agreement for the transfer to the RTA of assets of a nonprofit street railway corporation organized under the Nonprofit Street Railway Act would require the approval of 7/9 of the voting members of the board. The same number of votes would be required for a determination to acquire, construct, operate, or maintain a commuter rail line operating between the city with the largest population in the county in the public transit region with the fourth-largest population, and the most populous city of the most populous county in this State.

 

Beginning on July 1, 2024, a requirement for the unanimous approval of the board for a determination to acquire, construct, operate, or maintain any form of rail passenger service within a public transit region would not apply to a street railway system organized under the Nonprofit Street Railway Act.

 

The bill would allow the board to enter into an agreement with a street railway to secure Federal money for an authority or its activities under the Act, or other action necessary for the recognition by the U.S. Department of Transportation of activities or functions of the RTA or the street railway as a connected project.

 

The board would have to ensure that 100% of Federal matching money or aid received by the RTA for the construction or operation of a street railway system within a public transit region would be spent on public transportation service routes located in the county or counties in which the street railway system was constructed. If the Authority accepted a transfer of assets of a street railway and the street railway operated exclusively on routes located within a qualified county, the RTA would have to ensure that any operational deficit related to the operation of the street railway was paid with money raised in the qualified county or a member jurisdiction in the qualified county. The Authority also would have to ensure that any operational deficit related to the operation of a commuter rail line was paid with money raised in each county or a member jurisdiction of each county in which the commuter rail line operated.

 

House Bill 5169 would amend the Regional Transit Authority Act to specify that a public transportation provider would not include a street railway organized under the Nonprofit Street Railway Act.

 

House Bills 5168 and 5169 would be effective 90 days after their enactment.

 

MCL 124.546 (H.B. 5168)                                                   Legislative Analyst:  Jeff Mann

       124.542 (H.B. 5169)


FISCAL IMPACT

 

The bills would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.

 

Date Completed:  6-11-14                                                 Fiscal Analyst:  Glenn Steffens

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.