_____________ bill NO. _____________

INTRODUCED BY _________________________________________________

By Request of the ****

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT ESTABLISHING A COMMISSION TO STUDY AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION; ESTABLISHING MEMBERSHIP, DUTIES, AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS; providing an appropriation; and PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE date and A TERMINATION DATE."

WHEREAS, passenger rail, air, and bus services provide mobility for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, students, tourists, and business people; and

WHEREAS, some communities in Montana are poorly served by public transportation, and options for passenger transportation services in Montana continue to decline; and

WHEREAS, if state services are unavailable, many Montanans need local, tribal, or county transportation services for help getting to appointments for medical or other physical needs; and

WHEREAS, Amtrak's North Coast Hiawatha ceased operation through southern Montana in 1979, and transportation to and from the major population centers of southern Montana would be greatly enhanced by passenger rail service; and

WHEREAS, additional passenger transportation services will increase passenger transportation-related employment because of the need for upgraded infrastructure and operating personnel; and

WHEREAS, tourism is Montana's second-largest industry and would be enhanced by improved passenger transportation services; and

WHEREAS, the Empire Builder is one of the most popular long-distance passenger trains in the United States, and it is greatly needed for the citizens of Montana's Hi-Line who have limited public transportation options but is challenged by lack of rail capacity causing frequent delays; and

WHEREAS, there is currently no board or commission within the state of Montana that is charged with the sole responsibility of overseeing and advocating for passenger transportation services, including passenger rail, passenger air, and passenger bus services.

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

NEW SECTION. Section 1. Passenger transportation study commission. (1) There is a passenger transportation study commission composed of eight members. The commission is allocated to the legislative services division for staffing services and administrative purposes only.

(2) (a) The commission consists of the following members:

(i) two members of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker with the concurrence of the minority leader, one from the majority party and one from the minority party;

(ii) two senators appointed by the president with the concurrence of the minority leader, one from the majority party and one from the minority party; and

(iii) four regional representatives, subject to subsection (2)(b), selected by the director of the department of transportation who represent different areas of the state and represent the interests of expanded passenger transportation services in the state.

(b) Selections made in accordance with subsection (2)(a)(iii) must include a representative of a passenger rail commission and a representative of the bus transportation sector.

(3) The commission shall:

(a) examine opportunities for expanding and improving passenger transportation service in the state;

(b) provide specific recommendations on how to improve passenger transportation services in the state, including but not limited to the establishment of a permanent passenger transportation commission;

(c) outline financial opportunities, including cooperative interstate agreements, grant and loan programs, and other resources that the state may utilize to grow passenger transportation services; and

(d) assess any other areas of passenger transportation that the commission considers necessary to expand and improve passenger transportation services in the state.

(4) The commission shall complete its work and issue a written report of its findings and recommendations by September 1, 2022, to the 68th legislature in accordance with 5-11-210.

(5) Members of the commission must be compensated as provided in 2-15-124 and must be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in 2-18-501 through 2-18-503. Members of the commission who are full-time salaried officers or employees of the state or of any political subdivision of the state are entitled to their regular compensation. Legislator members must be compensated as provided in 5-2-302.

NEW SECTION. Section 2. Appropriation. There is appropriated $30,000 from the general fund to the legislative services division for the biennium beginning July 1, 2021, for the purposes of funding the commission and the study as provided in [section 1].

NEW SECTION. Section 3. Effective date. [This act] is effective July 1, 2021.

NEW SECTION. Section 4. Termination. [This act] terminates June 30, 2023.