Senate Bill 2868

AN ACT TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI RAIL CROSSING SAFETY TASK FORCE TO STUDY AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE LEGISLATURE WITH REGARD TO PRESENT AND FUTURE NEEDS OF RAIL CROSSING SAFETY IN MISSISSIPPI; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) There is created the Mississippi Rail Crossing Safety Task Force to study and make recommendations with regard to present and future needs of rail crossing safety in Mississippi. The task force shall make a report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature annually, 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;

(d) Two (2) members of the Office of Public Safety Planning, appointed by the Governor;

(e) The Executive Director of Mississippi Municipalities Association, or his designee;

(f) The Executive Director of Mississippi Association of County Supervisors, or his designee;

(g) A representative of the Canadian National/Illinois Central Railroad;

(h) A representative of the Norfolk Southern Railway Company;

(i) A representative of the Kansas City Southern Rail Company;

(j) A representative of CSX Transportation;

(k) A representative of the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company;

(l) A representative of the Columbus and Greenville Railway Company;

(m) A representative of the Mississippi Export Railway Company; and

(n) A representative from each of the shortline railroads.

(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 may 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) 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, 2007.