HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STAFF ANALYSIS
BILL #: HB 389 Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority
SPONSOR(S): Mariano
TIED BILLS: IDEN./SIM. BILLS: SB 422
REFERENCE ACTION ANALYST STAFF DIRECTOR or
BUDGET/POLICY CHIEF
1) Tourism, Infrastructure & Energy Subcommittee 18 Y, 0 N Johnson Keating
2) Local Administration & Veterans Affairs
Subcommittee
3) Commerce Committee
SUMMARY ANALYSIS
The Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority (TBARTA) is an agency of the state, covering Hernando,
Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, and Pinellas counties, whose purpose is to plan, develop, fund, implement, and
operate a regional transit system in the Tampa Bay area. TBARTA’s governing board consists of 13 voting
members and two non-voting advisors. The 13 voting board members include:
One county commissioner from each of its five member counties;
The mayors of the largest municipalities, by population, within the service area of each of the following
independent transit agencies: Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (St. Petersburg) and Hillsborough
Area Regional Transit Authority (Tampa);
Two members appointed from the governing boards of the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority and the
Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority; and
Four members from the regional business community appointed by the Governor.
Seven members of the board constitutes a quorum, and the vote of seven members is necessary for the board
to take any action.
The bill authorizes the mayors from the largest municipalities within the TBARTA service area to designate an
alternate, who must be a member of the municipality’s city council, to attend board meetings and to act in their
place with full voting rights. The bill provides that a simple majority of board members constitutes a quorum
and a simple majority of the voting members present is necessary for any action to be taken by the governing
board. The bill renames the TBARTA Metropolitan Planning Organization Chairs Coordinating Committee as
the Chairs Coordinating Committee and deletes the requirement that TBARTA provide administrative support
and direction to the committee. Finally, the bill deletes an obsolete provision related to a 2018 report.
The bill does not appear to have a fiscal impact on state government and may reduce TBARTA’s expenditures.
The bill has an effective date of July 1, 2021.
This document does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill sponsor or House of Representatives .
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FULL ANALYSIS
I. SUBSTANTIVE ANALYSIS
A. EFFECT OF PROPOSED CHANGES:
Present Situation
Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority
Part V of Ch. 343, F.S., creates the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority (TBARTA)1 as a body
politic and corporate and agency of the state, covering Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, and
Pinellas counties and any other contiguous county that is party to an agreement of participation.2
TBARTA’s purpose is to plan, develop, fund, implement, and operate a regional transit system in the
Tampa Bay area.3 TBARTA must produce a regional transit development plan, integrating the transit
development plans of participant counties, with priority assigned to regionally significant transit projects
and facilities.4
TBARTA’s governing board consists of 13 voting members and two non-voting advisors. The secretary
of the Department of Transportation (DOT) appoints two non-voting advisors to the board who are the
district secretaries for the two DOT districts within TBARTA’s designated area. The 13 voting members
of the board are appointed as follows:
The county commissions of Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, and Pinellas counties
each appoint one county commissioner to the board;
Two members of the board are the mayors of the municipalities with the largest populations5
within the service area of each of the following independent transit agencies: Pinellas Suncoast
Transit Authority (St. Petersburg) and Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (Tampa);
The following independent transit agencies each appoint from the membership of their
governing bodies one member to the board: Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority and
Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority; and
The Governor appoints four members from the regional business community, each of whom
must reside in one of the counties governed by the authority and may not be an elected official.6
Seven members of the board constitutes a quorum, and the vote of seven members is necessary for
TBARTA to take any action.7 A vacancy does not impair the right of a quorum of the board to exercise
all rights and perform all duties of TBARTA.8
Beginning July 1, 2017, TBARTA’s board was required to evaluate the abolishment, continuance,
modification, or establishment of the following committees:
Planning committee;
Policy committee;
Finance committee;
Citizens advisory committee;
TBARTA Metropolitan Planning Organization Chairs Coordinating Committee;
Transit management committee; and
Technical advisory committee.
After the board completed its evaluation, it was required to submit its recommendations for
abolishment, continuance, modification, or establishment of the committees to the President of the
1
Prior to 2017, TBARTA was named the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority.
2
Ss. 343.90 and 343.91(1)(a), F.S.
3
S. 343.922(1), F.S.
4
S. 343.922(3), F.S.
5
The municipality with the largest population is determined by the most recent decennial census.
6
S. 343.92(2), F.S.
7
S. 343.92(8), F.S.
8
Id.
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Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives before the beginning of the 2018 Regular
Legislative Session.9 The report was submitted in January 2018.
TBARTA Metropolitan Planning Organization Chairs Coordinating Committee
The TBARTA Metropolitan Planning Organization Chairs Coordinating Committee (committee) is
created within TBARTA, and is composed of the metropolitan planning organizations (MPO’s)10 serving
Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota counties. TBARTA is
required to provide administrative support and direction to the committee. The committee must, at a
minimum:
Coordinate transportation projects deemed to be regionally significant by the committee;
Review the impact of regionally significant land use decisions on the region;
Review all proposed regionally significant transportation projects in the respective transportation
improvement programs which affect more than one of the MPO’s represented on the committee;
and
Institute a conflict resolution process to address any conflict that may arise in the planning and
programming of such regionally significant projects.11
The committee conducts two meetings a year, one in the summer and one in the fall. Every year, the
committee receives public comment and adopts the West Central Florida Regional Roadway Network,
Transportation Regional Incentive Program Priority Projects, and Regional Multi-Use Trail Priority
Projects. The committee transmits these priorities to DOT. The committee also makes a yearly
recommendation to TBARTA’s board for the TBARTA regional priority projects.12
Effect of the Bill
The bill authorizes the mayors of the largest municipalities within the service areas of the Pinellas
Suncoast Transit Authority (St. Petersburg) and the Hillsborough Regional Transit Authority (Tampa) to
designate alternates. The mayor’s designated alternate must be an elected member of the
municipality’s city council and approved as the mayor’s designated alternate by the municipality’s city
council. In the event that the mayor is unable to attend a TBARTA board meeting, the mayor’s
designated alternate must attend the meeting on the mayor’s behalf and has the full right to vote.
The bill revises the quorum requirements for TBARTA’s board meeting, allowing for a simple majority of
the TBARTA board to constitute a quorum. It also provides that a simple majority of the voting
members present, rather than seven members, are necessary for any action to be taken by the board.
The bill removes obsolete language that required TBARTA to submit recommendations for
abolishment, continuance, modification, or establishment of TBARTA committees to the Legislature
before the 2018 Regular Session.
The bill renames the TBARTA Metropolitan Planning Organization Chairs Coordinating Committee as
the Chairs Coordinating Committee, modifies its organization so it is no longer created within TBARTA,
and deletes the requirement that TBARTA provide administrative support and direction to the
committee. The bill does not change the committee’s membership.
The bill also removes requirements that TBARTA present regional transit development plans to the
committee and coordinate plans and projects with the committee.
B. SECTION DIRECTORY:
Section 1 Amends s. 339.175, F.S., relating to metropolitan planning organizations.
9
S. 343.92(9), F.S.
10
MPOs are federally-required transportation planning entities in urbanized areas with populations of 50,000 or more.
11
S. 339.175(6)(i), F.S.
12
TBARTA, MPOs Chairs Coordinating Committee, https://tbarta.com/en/boards-meetings/mpos-chairs-coordinating-committee/
(last visited January 28, 2021).
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Section 2 Amends s. 343.92, F.S., relating to TBARTA.
Section 3 Amends s. 343.922, F.S., providing TBARTA’s powers and duties.
Section 4 Provides an effective date of July 1, 2020.
II. FISCAL ANALYSIS & ECONOMIC IMPACT STATEMENT
A. FISCAL IMPACT ON STATE GOVERNMENT:
1. Revenues:
The bill does not appear to impact state revenues.
2. Expenditures:
The bill does not appear to impact state expenditures.
B. FISCAL IMPACT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
1. Revenues:
The bill does not appear to impact local government revenues.
2. Expenditures:
The bill may reduce TBARTA’s expenditures associated with no longer being required to staff the
Chairs Coordinating Committee.
C. DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT ON PRIVATE SECTOR:
None.
D. FISCAL COMMENTS:
None.
III. COMMENTS
A. CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES:
1. Applicability of Municipality/County Mandates Provision:
Not applicable. The bill does not appear to require counties or municipalities to spend funds or take
action requiring the expenditure of funds; reduce the authority that counties or municipalities have to
raise revenues in the aggregate; or reduce the percentage of state tax shared with counties or
municipalities.
2. Other:
None.
B. RULE-MAKING AUTHORITY:
The bill does not provide a grant of rulemaking, nor does it require rulemaking.
C. DRAFTING ISSUES OR OTHER COMMENTS:
None.
IV. AMENDMENTS/ COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE CHANGES
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Statutes affected: H 389 Filed: 339.175