House Bill 161

AN ACT TO CREATE THE PUBLIC/MASS TRANSIT TASK FORCE TO STUDY AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE LEGISLATURE WITH REGARD TO PRESENT AND FUTURE NEEDS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN MISSISSIPPI; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) There is created the Public/Mass Transit Task Force to study and make recommendations with regard to present and future needs of public transportation in Mississippi. The task force shall make a report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature during the 2006 Regular Legislative Session, including any recommended legislation.

(2) The task force shall be composed of the following nine (9) members:

(a) The Chairman of the House Transportation Committee;

(b) The Chairman of the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee;

(c) Two (2) members of the Mississippi Public Transportation Association appointed by the association's executive director;

(d) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation;

(e) The Director of Public Transit of the Mississippi Department of Transportation; and

(f) Three (3) persons appointed by the Governor, each of whom represents either metropolitan planning organizations or planning and development districts.

(3) Appointments shall be made within thirty (30) days after the effective date of this act, and, within fifteen (15) days thereafter on a day to be designated jointly by the Speaker of the House and the Lieutenant Governor, the task force shall meet and organize by selecting from its membership a chairman and a vice chairman. The vice chairman shall also serve as secretary and shall be responsible for keeping all records of the task force. A majority of the members of the task force shall constitute a quorum. In the selection of its officers and the adoption of rules, resolutions and reports, an affirmative vote of a majority of the task force shall be required. All members shall be notified in writing of all meetings, such notices to be mailed at least fifteen (15) days before the date on which a meeting is to be held.

(4) Members of the task force who are not legislators, state officials or state employees shall be compensated at the per diem rate authorized by Section 25-3-69 and shall be reimbursed in accordance with Section 25-3-41 for mileage and actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. Legislative members of the task force shall be paid from the contingent expense funds of their respective houses in the same manner as provided for committee meetings when the Legislature is not in session. However, no per diem or expense for attending meetings of the task force will be paid to legislative members of the task force while the Legislature is in session. No task force member may incur per diem, travel or other expenses unless previously authorized by vote, at a meeting of the task force, which action shall be recorded in the official minutes of the meeting. Nonlegislative members shall be paid from any funds made available to the task force for that purpose.

(5) The task force shall use clerical and legal staff already employed by the Legislature and any other staff assistance made available to it. To effectuate the purposes of this section, any department, division, board, bureau, commission or agency of the state or of any political subdivision thereof shall, at the request of the chairman of the task force, provide to the task force such facilities, assistance and data as will enable the task force properly to carry out its duties.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2005.