House Bill 529

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 65-1-705, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PRESCRIBE TERMS OF OFFICE FOR APPOINTED MEMBERS OF THE PORT MULTI-MODAL FUND COMMITTEE, THE AIRPORT MULTI-MODAL FUND COMMITTEE AND THE PUBLIC TRANSIT MULTI-MODAL FUND COMMITTEE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 65-1-705, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

65-1-705. (1) (a) There is hereby created the Port Multi-Modal Fund Committee whose membership shall consist of:

(i) Seven (7) directors of ports, appointed by the President of the Mississippi Water Resources Association, or their designees, as follows: three (3) directors of the coastal ports and four (4) directors of the inland river ports;

(ii) The Executive Director of MDA, or his designee;

(iii) The Executive Director of MDOT, or his designee; and

(iv) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Water Resources Association, or his designee.

(b) From and after July 1, 2007, members of the Port Multi-Modal Fund Committee, except for the executive directors of the Mississippi Development Authority, the Mississippi Department of Transportation and the Mississippi Water Resources Association, shall serve for terms as provided in this paragraph. The Mississippi Water Resources Association shall designate posts for each of the port directors. The director of Post One shall serve for an initial term of one (1) year; the directors of Post Two, Post Three and Post Four shall serve for an initial term of three (3) years; the directors of Post Five and Post Six shall serve for an initial term of four (4) years; and the director of Post Seven shall serve for an initial term of five (5) years. All succeeding terms shall be for five (5) years. Members serving on the committee on June 30, 2007, shall be eligible for reappointment to the committee, and there shall be no limit on the number of terms for which a member may be appointed.

(c) A majority of the membership of the committee shall constitute a quorum. MDOT shall call meetings of the committee and shall call a meeting for the purpose of reviewing and approving applications as required in Section 65-1-707 by not later than August 1 of each fiscal year.

(2) (a) There is hereby created an Airport Multi-Modal Fund Committee whose membership shall consist of:

(i) Five (5) directors of airports appointed by the President of the Mississippi Airport Association, or their designees, at least three (3) of whom shall represent airports with commercial passenger service;

(ii) The Executive Director of MDA, or his designee; and

(iii) The Executive Director of MDOT, or his designee.

(b) From and after July 1, 2007, members of the Airport Multi-Modal Fund Committee, except for the executive directors of the Mississippi Development Authority and the Mississippi Department of Transportation, shall serve for terms as provided for in this paragraph. The Mississippi Airport Association shall designate posts for each of the airport directors. The director of Post One shall serve for an initial term of one (1) year; the director of Post Two shall serve for an initial term of two (2) years; the director of Post Three shall serve for an initial term of three (3) years; the director of Post Four shall serve for an initial term of four (4) years; and the director of Post Five shall serve for an initial term of five (5) years. All succeeding terms shall be for five (5) years. Members serving on the committee on June 30, 2007, shall be eligible for reappointment to the committee, and there shall be no limit on the number of terms for which a member may be appointed.

(3) (a) There is hereby created the Railroad Multi-Modal Fund Committee whose membership shall consist of:

(i) The director of each railroad, or his designee;

(ii) The Executive Director of MDA, or his designee; and

(iii) The Executive Director of MDOT, or his designee.

(b) A majority of the membership of the committee shall constitute a quorum. MDOT shall call meetings of the committee and shall call a meeting for the purpose of reviewing and approving applications as required in Section 65-1-707 by not later than August 1 of each fiscal year.

(4) (a) There is hereby created the Public Transit Multi-Modal Fund Committee whose membership shall consist of:

(i) Three (3) directors of transit systems, other than the Coast Transit Authority and the City of Jackson Transit System serving the greater Jackson urbanized area, appointed by the President of the Mississippi Public Transit Association, or their designees;

(ii) The Executive Director of MDA, or his designee; and

(iii) The Executive Director of MDOT, or his designee.

(b) From and after July 1, 2007, members of the Public Transit Multi-Modal Fund Committee, except for the executive directors of the Mississippi Development Authority and the Mississippi Department of Transportation, shall serve for terms as provided in this paragraph. The Mississippi Public Transit Association shall designate posts for each of the public transit system directors. The director of Post One shall serve for an initial term of one (1) year; the director of Post Two shall serve for an initial term of two (2) years; and the director of Post Three shall serve for an initial term of three (3) years. All succeeding terms shall be for three (3) years. Members serving on the committee on June 30, 2007, shall be eligible for reappointment to the committee, and there shall be no limit on the number of terms for which a member may be appointed.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2007.