2017-2018 Bill 3309: High Speed Rail System Commission - South Carolina Legislature Online

1 South Carolina General Assembly 2 122nd Session, 2017-2018 3 4 H. 3309 5 6 STATUS INFORMATION 7 8 General Bill 9 Sponsors: Reps. Stavrinakis, Clyburn, CobbHunter and Crosby 10 Document Path: l:\council\bills\dka\3039sa17.docx 11 12 Introduced in the House on January 10, 2017 13 Currently residing in the House Committee on Ways and Means 14 15 Summary: High Speed Rail System Commission 16 17 18 HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS 19 20 Date Body Action Description with journal page number 21 12/15/2016 House Prefiled 22 12/15/2016 House Referred to Committee on Ways and Means 23 1/10/2017 House Introduced and read first time ( House Journalpage 157) 24 1/10/2017 House Referred to Committee on Ways and Means ( House Journalpage 157) 25 1/18/2017 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Crosby 26 27 View the latest legislative information at the website 28 29 30 VERSIONS OF THIS BILL 31 32 12/15/2016 33 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A BILL 10 11 TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 12 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 57175 SO AS TO ESTABLISH A 13 HIGH SPEED RAIL SYSTEM COMMISSION TO EXAMINE 14 AND DEVELOP A PLAN FOR ACTION FOR A HIGH SPEED 15 RAIL SYSTEM IN THIS STATE, TO PROVIDE FOR THE 16 DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION, AND TO REQUIRE THE 17 COMMISSION TO REPORT ITS FINDINGS AND 18 RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY BY 19 JANUARY 1, 2018. 20 21 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South 22 Carolina: 23 24 SECTION 1. Article 1, Chapter 1, Title 57 of the 1976 Code is 25 amended by adding: 26 27 “Section 57175. (A) There is a established a High Speed Rail 28 System Commission to examine the needs and opportunities, 29 together with corresponding economic development opportunities 30 within this State, presented by high speed rail and in conjunction 31 with the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor (SEHSR), and to 32 develop a plan of action for development of a high speed rail 33 system to tie into the SEHSR Corridor and, if feasible, to connect 34 regions and cities of South Carolina with each other and with 35 neighboring states. 36 (B) The commission is composed of the following nine 37 members: 38 (1) four members appointed by the Speaker of the House of 39 Representatives; 40 (2) four members appointed by the President Pro Tempore 41 of the Senate; and

[3309] 2 1 (3) one member from the South Carolina Transportation 2 Infrastructure Bank Board as appointed by the chairman of the 3 board. 4 (C) The Secretary of Commerce and the Director of the 5 Department of Transportation, or their designees, also shall serve 6 as members of the commission. 7 (D) The specific duties of the commission in developing its 8 plan and recommendations include the following: 9 (1) study, assess, develop, and promote effective and 10 competitive plans for the design, construction, financing, and 11 operation of high speed rail service and intercity passenger rail 12 service through and between points in this State and to other states; 13 (2) assess, advise, and assist this State’s efforts to coordinate 14 federal, state, and regional planning that best establishes high 15 speed rail service in and through South Carolina; and 16 (3) coordinate with counterparts in other states on the 17 SEHSR Corridor and, in turn, assess and advise on matters which 18 insure compatible longterm criteria are adopted and that optimum 19 train scheduling is obtained to best provide high speed rail service 20 to all applicable regions in South Carolina, including 21 throughservice passenger train options; and 22 (4) assess, advise, and assist this State’s efforts to maximize 23 federal funding in support of the establishment of high speed 24 interstate rail service for certain parts of South Carolina as 25 elements of the SEHSR Corridor. 26 (E) The expenses of the commission must be paid from the 27 approved accounts of both houses. Staff of the Department of 28 Transportation, the Department of Commerce, and the General 29 Assembly shall assist the commission in the performance of its 30 duties. 31 (F) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 813770, a 32 member of the General Assembly may be appointed to serve on 33 the commission. 34 (G) A member of the commission shall serve without pay, but 35 shall receive mileage, subsistence, and per diem as provided by 36 law for members of state boards, commissions, and committees. 37 (H) The commission shall report its findings and 38 recommendations to the General Assembly by January 1, 2018.” 39 40 SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the 41 Governor. 42 XX 43

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