Amend the bill, as and if amended, by adding appropriately numbered new SECTIONS to read:
/ SECTION __. Section 57-1-370(B) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(B) Concerning the development, content, and implementation of the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, the commission must:
(1) develop a process for consulting with nonmetropolitan local officials, with responsibility for transportation, that provides an opportunity for their participation in the development of the long-range Statewide Transportation Plan and the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program;
(2) approve the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program and ensure that it is developed pursuant to federal laws and regulations and approve an updated Statewide Transportation Improvement Program from time to time as permitted by and in the manner required by federal laws or regulations;
(3) develop and revise the transportation plan for inclusion in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, for each nonmetropolitan planning area in consultation with local officials with responsibility for transportation;
(4) work in consultation with each metropolitan planning organization to develop and revise a transportation improvement program for each metropolitan planning area;
(5) select from the approved Statewide Transportation Improvement Program the transportation projects undertaken in nonmetropolitan areas in consultation with the affected nonmetropolitan local officials with responsibility for transportation;
(6) select projects to be undertaken, in consultation with each metropolitan planning organization, from the metropolitan planning organization's approved transportation improvement plan in metropolitan areas not designated as a transportation management area;
(7) consult with each metropolitan planning organization, in metropolitan areas designated as transportation management areas, concerning the projects selected to be undertaken from the approved transportation improvement program and in accordance with the priorities approved by the transportation improvement program; and
(8) when selecting projects to be undertaken from nontransportation management area metropolitan planning organizations' transportation improvement programs, or selecting the nonmetropolitan area projects to be undertaken that are included in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, and when consulting with metropolitan planning organizations designated as transportation management areas, the commission shall establish a priority list of projects to the extent permitted by federal laws or regulations, taking into consideration at least the following criteria:
(a) financial viability including a life cycle analysis of estimated maintenance and repair costs over the expected life of the project;
(b) public safety;
(c) potential for economic development;
(d) traffic volume and congestion;
(e) truck traffic;
(f) the pavement quality index;
(g) environmental impact;
(h) alternative transportation solutions; and
(i) consistency with local land use plans.; and
(9) establish project priority lists for each program category proposed to be included in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program and the State Non-Federal Aid Highway Program. The projects on the list shall be in the order in which those projects will be placed in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, unless the commission provides written justification for circumstances requiring deviation from the list order. The commission may deviate from the list if there are significant financial or engineering considerations, which include:
(a) delayed permitting;
(b) acts of God, governmental acts, acts of terrorism, war, fire, flood, earthquake, hurricane, other natural disasters, explosion, or civil commotion;
(c) pending legal actions directly related to the proposed project;
(d) economic growth; or
(e) federal law or regulation."
SECTION __. A. Section 57-1-310 through Section 57-1-330 of the 1976 Code are amended to read:
"Section 57-1-310. (A) The congressional districts of this State are constituted and created Department of Transportation Districts of the State, designated by numbers corresponding to the numbers of the respective congressional districts. The Commission of the Department of Transportation shall be composed of one member from each transportation district and one two member members from the State at large, all appointed by the Governor, upon the advice and consent of the Senate, subject to the provisions of Section 57-1-325. In making appointments to the commission, the Governor shall take into account race, gender, and other demographic factors, such as residence in rural or urban areas, so as to represent, to the greatest extent possible, all segments of the population of the State; however, consideration of these factors in making an appointment in no way creates a cause of action or basis for an employee grievance for a person appointed or for a person who fails to be appointed. The members of the commission shall represent the transportation needs of the State as a whole and may not subordinate the needs of the State to those of any particular area of the State.
(B) The at-large appointment made by the Governor must be transmitted to the Joint Transportation Review Committee.
(C) The qualifications that each commission member must possess, include, but are not limited to:
(1) a baccalaureate or more advanced degree from:
(a) a recognized institution of higher learning requiring face-to-face contact between its students and instructors prior to completion of the academic program;
(b) an institution of higher learning that has been accredited by a regional or national accrediting body; or
(c) an institution of higher learning chartered before 1962; or
(2) a background of at least five years in any combination of the following fields of expertise:
(a) transportation;
(b) construction;
(c) finance;
(d) law;
(e) environmental issues;
(f) management; or
(g) engineering.
(D)(C) A member of the General Assembly or member of his immediate family may not be appointed to the commission while the member is serving in the General Assembly; nor shall a member of the General Assembly or a member of his immediate family be appointed to the commission for a period of four years after the member either:
(1) ceases to be a member of the General Assembly; or
(2) fails to file for election to the General Assembly in accordance with Section 7-11-15.
Section 57-1-320. A county within a Department of Transportation district may not have a resident commission member for more than eight consecutive years and in no event shall any two persons from the same county serve as a commission member simultaneously.
Section 57-1-325. (A) The Governor shall submit his transportation district appointees to the Senate and the House of Representatives for referral to the appropriate legislative delegation. Legislative delegation for these purposes means legislators residing in the congressional district corresponding to the transportation district of the appointee.
(B) Upon receipt of a referral, the legislative delegation shall meet to approve or disapprove the Governor's appointee. The legislative delegation shall report its findings to the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Governor. If the legislative delegation approves the Governor's appointee, the appointment shall be referred to the Joint Transportation Review Committee. If the delegation disapproves the appointee, the Governor shall make another appointment. If the legislative delegation fails to approve of the Governor's appointee within forty-five days of the appointee's referral to the delegation, the appointee is deemed to have been disapproved.
Section 57-1-330. (A) All commission members are appointed to serve at the pleasure of the Governor to a term of office of four years which expires on February fifteenth of the appropriate year. However, a commission member may not serve more than two eight consecutive terms full years, and may not serve more than twelve years, regardless of when the term was years were served so long as four full years have passed since the commissioner last served. Commissioners shall continue to serve until their successors are appointed and confirmed, provided that a commissioner only may serve in a hold-over capacity for a period not to exceed six months. If either the eight consecutive year limit or the twelve total years limit is met, a vacancy occurs, and the commissioner may not serve in a hold over capacity. Any vacancy occurring in the office of commissioner shall be filled by appointment in the manner provided in this article for the unexpired term only. Except for the at-large member, a person is not eligible to serve as a commission member who is not a resident of that district at the time of his appointment. Failure by such commission member to maintain residency in the district for which he is appointed shall result in the forfeiture of his office.
(B) The at-large commission member may be appointed from any county in the State unless another commission member is serving from that county. Failure by the at-large commission member to maintain residence in the State shall result in a forfeiture of his office.
Commission members may be removed from office at the discretion of the Governor subject to the prior approval of the appropriate legislative delegation.
B . Article 7, Chapter 1, Title 57 of the 1976 Code is repealed.
C. This SECTION takes effect July 1, 2017, except that the members of the Commission of the Department of Transportation serving on June 30, 2017, shall continue to serve until their current term expires, and until their successor is appointed and confirmed. If a vacancy occurs in the seat of a member serving on June 30, 2017, before the member's term otherwise expires, the vacancy must be filled in the manner specified in Chapter 1, Title 57 of the 1976 Code, as amended by this act, and the member filling the vacancy shall serve until the term expires. Commissioners serving on June 30, 2017, and anyone serving for the remainder of their term do not serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The members serving on June 30, 2017, if otherwise eligible, may be reappointed pursuant to Section 57-1-310, as amended by this act.
SECTION __. Article 1, Chapter 1, Title 57 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 57-1-100. (A) Upon receipt of a proper resolution submitted by a county or municipal governing authority to the Secretary indicating its conditions, willingness, and desire to incorporate into the county or municipal road system a road on the state highway system and to assume the maintenance thereof, the Department may at its discretion accept the resolution and remove the road from the state highway system and it shall thereafter form a part of the county or municipal road system.
(B) As a condition of such transfer, the Department may provide a thing of value, including but not limited to credits towards future construction projects, payment of funds from the state's share of the County Transportation Committee funds, or satisfaction of debt owed to the Department. Such thing of value may be equal to the amount of the present value of the forty-year projected future maintenance cost of the road to be transferred and may be funded by the state's share of the County Transportation Committee funds. Any such condition of transfer shall be agreed to in writing by the parties." /
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend title to conform.