PRINTER'S NO. 1533
No. 1249 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY MARKOSEK, COSTA, DeWEESE, FABRIZIO, GEIST, KOTIK,
LESCOVITZ, WALKO, McGEEHAN, PISTELLA, HORSEY, WANSACZ,
WASHINGTON, VEON, DALEY, DeLUCA, FRANKEL, GERGELY, HARHAI,
JAMES, LEVDANSKY, PRESTON, READSHAW, SAINATO, SHANER,
R. STEVENSON, THOMAS, YOUNGBLOOD AND PETRARCA, APRIL 29, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, APRIL 29, 2003
AN ACT
1 Establishing the Southwest Pennsylvania Regional Transit
2 Authority Study Commission and providing for its membership,
3 powers and duties; and making an appropriation.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Short title.
7 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Southwest
8 Pennsylvania Regional Transit Authority Study Commission Act.
9 Section 2. Definitions.
10 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
11 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
12 context clearly indicates otherwise:
13 "Commission." The Southwest Pennsylvania Regional Transit
14 Authority Study Commission established in section 3.
15 "Southwest Pennsylvania." The region of this Commonwealth
16 consisting of the following nine counties: Allegheny, Armstrong,
17 Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Washington and
1 Westmoreland.
2 Section 3. Southwest Pennsylvania Regional Transit Authority
3 Study Commission.
4 The Southwest Pennsylvania Regional Transit Authority Study
5 Commission is hereby established. The commission shall consist
6 of the following members:
7 (1) The Governor or designee.
8 (2) The Secretary of Transportation or designee.
9 (3) Four members of the General Assembly, one of whom
10 shall be appointed by the President pro tempore of the
11 Senate, one of whom shall be appointed by the Minority Leader
12 of the Senate, one of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker
13 of the House of Representatives and one of whom shall be
14 appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
15 Representatives.
16 (4) A member of each of the transit entities located
17 within Southwest Pennsylvania.
18 (5) A representative from each county within Southwest
19 Pennsylvania appointed by either the executive or the
20 commissioners of the county.
21 (6) A member from each transit union representing
22 current transit entities in Southwest Pennsylvania.
23 Section 4. Purpose.
24 The purpose of the commission shall be to study the
25 possibility and feasibility of replacing the current transit
26 entities in Southwest Pennsylvania with a regional system.
27 Section 5. Staff and consultants.
28 (a) General rule.--The commission may employ such
29 professional, technical and clerical staff and engage the
30 services of consultants, as it deems necessary to carry out its
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1 responsibilities under this act. The Department of
2 Transportation shall provide necessary office space and
3 administrative support for the commission.
4 (b) Existing personnel and staff.--Whenever possible, the
5 commission shall utilize the services and expertise of existing
6 personnel and staff of State government, and to this end the
7 Governor is hereby directed to make such personnel and staff
8 available to the commission to the fullest extent commensurate
9 with the performance of their other duties.
10 (c) Reimbursement to State agencies.--The commission shall
11 reimburse State agencies, including the Department of
12 Transportation, for any expense incurred in providing to the
13 commission the services as required by this act.
14 Section 6. Meetings.
15 (a) Schedule of meetings.--The commission shall hold an
16 organization meeting as soon as possible after the appointment
17 of all its members. Thereafter, the commission shall hold
18 meetings at the call of the chairman or of a majority of the
19 members serving thereon.
20 (b) Public hearings.--The commission shall also hold public
21 hearings on the matters to be considered by it at locations
22 throughout Southwest Pennsylvania, including specifically those
23 areas most likely to be served by any system that may replace
24 the existing transit entities in Southwest Pennsylvania. All
25 meetings and public hearings of the commission shall be deemed
26 meetings for the purposes of and subject to 65 Pa.C.S. Ch. 7
27 (relating to open meetings).
28 Section 7. Annual reports.
29 The commission shall make annual reports of its activities
30 and recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor.
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1 Section 8. Funding.
2 In addition to the moneys appropriated and other moneys as
3 may be appropriated from time to time by the General Assembly
4 for its work, the commission is authorized to make application
5 for and expend such Federal grants as may be available and may
6 also receive and expend contributions from other public, quasi-
7 public or private sources as may become available.
8 Section 9. Appropriation.
9 The sum of $500,000 is hereby appropriated to the Southwest
10 Pennsylvania Regional Transit Authority Study Commission for the
11 fiscal year July 1, 2003, to June 30, 2004, to carry out the
12 provisions of this act.
13 Section 10. Effective date.
14 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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