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Session of 2000
          HOUSE BILL No. 3032           By Committee on Appropriations           3-14          

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10             AN  ACT enacting the interstate midwest regional passenger rail
11             compact.
12      
13       Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
14             Section  1. The ``interstate midwest regional passenger rail compact''
15       is hereby enacted into law and entered into by this state as a party with
16       any other state or states legally joining therein in substantially this form.
17       PURPOSE 18             The purpose of this compact is to facilitate and promote the improve-
19       ment and development of regional passenger rail service in the midwest.
20       A commission is hereby created to achieve this purpose and to carry out
21       the duties specified in this compact.
22       POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION 23             (a) The duties of the commission are to:
24             (1) Secure the funding and authorization necessary to make passen-
25       ger rail improvements a reality for the region;
26             (2) examine and facilitate ways that states can form partnerships to
27       implement improved passenger rail service in the region;
28             (3) create and facilitate a long-term, interstate plan for high-speed
29       rail passenger service implementation; and
30             (4) serve as a liaison with amtrak, the federal railroad administration,
31       the high-speed ground transportation association, and other regions and
32       entities to ensure that the midwest is adequately represented and inte-
33       grated into national plans for passenger rail development.
34             (b) In addition to its exercise of these duties, the commission may:
35             (1) Provide the multistate leadership necessary to implement the in-
36       terstate midwest regional passenger rail compact;
37             (2) work with local elected officials, economic development planning
38       organizations and similar entities to raise the visibility of passenger rail
39       service needs; and
40             (3) educate other state officials and the public on the advantages of
41       passenger rail services as an integral part of an intermodal transportation
42       system in the region.
43       MEMBERSHIP AND COMPENSATION

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  1             The manner of appointment of commission members, terms of office,
  2       provisions for removal and suspension and manner of appointment to fill
  3       vacancies shall be determined by each party state pursuant to its laws,
  4       but each member shall be a resident of the state of appointment. Com-
  5       mission members shall serve without compensation, but the actual and
  6       necessary expenses incurred by a commission member in the perform-
  7       ance of duties shall be met by the state which the member represents,
  8       according to its laws.
  9       OFFICERS 10             The commission shall elect annually from among its members, a chair
11       and a vice-chair, who shall not be a resident of the state represented by
12       the chair, and a secretary-treasurer.
13       POWERS AND DUTIES OF OFFICERS 14             The chair of the commission, if present, shall preside at meetings of
15       the commission, serve as a principal spokesperson for the commission
16       and perform other duties assigned by the commission. The vice-chair shall
17       perform the duties of the chair if the chair is absent or unable to perform
18       required duties. The secretary-treasurer shall create and maintain a rec-
19       ord of commission meetings and shall receive and be responsible for
20       money paid to the commission and shall disburse money as authorized
21       by the commission according to law.
22       MEETINGS AND COMMISSION ADMINISTRATION 23             The commission shall meet at the call of the chair or at the call of a
24       majority of its members, upon 14 days' notice, but at least three times in
25       each calendar year.
26       FINANCE 27             The commission may accept, for any of its purposes and functions,
28       donations, gifts, grants and appropriations of money, equipment, supplies,
29       materials and services from the federal government, from any party state
30       or from any department, agency or municipality thereof, or from any
31       institution, person, firm or corporation. The commission, out of the funds
32       available to it, shall pay all expenses incurred by the commission in exe-
33       cuting the duties imposed upon it by this compact. The commission shall
34       not go into debt. The commission shall submit to the officer designated
35       by the laws of each party state, periodically as required by the laws of
36       each party state, a budget of its actual past and estimated future
37       expenditures.
38       ENACTMENT AND EFFECTIVE DATE 39             The compact shall be open for membership for this state as a party
40       with any other state or states legally joining therein. It shall become ef-
41       fective immediately after the passage of an act by any party states incor-
42       porating the provisions of this compact into the laws of such states. The
43       compact shall become effective with respect to any eligible state when

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  1       such state has enacted the compact into law. Withdrawal from this com-
  2       pact shall be by enactment of a statute repealing the same and shall take
  3       effect one year after the effective date of such statute.
  4        Sec.  2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
  5       publication in the statute book.