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HB 53 2026
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to a rapid rail transit compact; 2
creating s. 351.41, F.S.; authorizing the Governor to 3
execute a rapid rail transit compact with specified 4
states to join the Southern Rail Commission; providing 5
the form of the compact; providing an effective date. 6
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WHEREAS, North Florida has lacked passenger rail service 8
since September 2005, when track damage from Hurricane Katrina 9
led to the termination of Amtrak's Sunset Limited route, which 10
ran from New Orleans to Pensacola, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, 11
and Orlando, and 12
WHEREAS, the Southern Rail Commission (SRC), formed by the 13
United States Congress in 1982, has evolved over time with a 14
vision to "promote the safe, reliable, and efficient movement of 15
people and goods to enhance economic development along rail 16
corridors; provide transportation choices; and facilitate 17
emergency evacuation routes," and 18
WHEREAS, the States of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi 19
are members of the SRC, and 20
WHEREAS, the SRC has been highly successful in 21
collaborating with Amtrak and other partners to obtain federal 22
funding for the restoration of passenger rail service in its 23
member states, including $178 million in federal grant funding 24
in September 2023 to restore passenger rail service from New 25
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Orleans, Louisiana, to Mobile, Alabama, and 26
WHEREAS, the new route between New Orleans and Mobile, 27
referred to as the "Mardi Gras Service," made its first run on 28
August 18, 2025, and runs twice daily between New Orleans and 29
Mobile, with stops in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and 30
Pascagoula, Mississippi, and 31
WHEREAS, the SRC has also identified a project connecting 32
the entire Gulf Coast with services from Baton Rouge to Orlando, 33
called the Gulf Coast Passenger Rail route, and 34
WHEREAS, states such as Florida, which are contiguous to 35
existing SRC member states, are eligible to become SRC members, 36
and 37
WHEREAS, by joining the SRC, Florida can leverage the power 38
of a multistate coalition to study, plan, and obtain federal 39
funding for passenger rail initiatives that benefit its 40
residents and businesses, without obligating this state to spend 41
state funds on rail infrastructure, and 42
WHEREAS, passenger rail stimulates economic development by 43
fostering tourism, attracting businesses, improving access to 44
markets, promoting job creation, and spurring investment in 45
local communities, and 46
WHEREAS, passenger rail enhances connectivity between 47
communities, businesses, military bases, health care facilities, 48
educational institutions, sports venues, and tourist 49
attractions, fostering regional cooperation and cohesion among 50
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
diverse populations, and 51
WHEREAS, passenger rail can expand this state's capacity 52
for emergency evacuation and disaster response during 53
emergencies and provide another option for mobilizing emergency 54
response personnel, particularly when roadways have reached 55
capacity or have been damaged, and 56
WHEREAS, passenger rail provides an alternative mode of 57
transportation, reducing traffic congestion on highways by 58
alleviating the strain on existing road infrastructure, which 59
increases safety and efficiency for all travelers, and 60
WHEREAS, accessible and convenient transportation options 61
increase quality of life for residents by providing greater 62
mobility, reducing travel times, and offering an alternative to 63
driving, NOW, THEREFORE, 64
65
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 66
67
Section 1. Section 351.41, Florida Statutes, is created to 68
read: 69
351.41 Rapid Rail Transit Compact.—The Governor, on behalf 70
of this state, is hereby authorized to execute a compact, in 71
substantially the following form, with the States of Alabama, 72
Louisiana, and Mississippi, and the Legislature hereby signifies 73
in advance its approval and ratification of such compact: 74
75
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
RAPID RAIL TRANSIT COMPACT 76
ARTICLE I 77
The purpose of this compact is to study the feasibility of 78
rapid rail transit service between the states of Alabama, 79
Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi and to establish a joint 80
interstate commission to assist in this effort. 81
82
ARTICLE II 83
This compact shall become effective immediately as to the 84
states ratifying it whenever the States of Alabama, Florida, 85
Louisiana, and Mississippi have ratified it and Congress has 86
given consent thereto. Any state not mentioned in this article 87
which is contiguous with any member state may become a party to 88
this compact, subject to approval by the legislature of each of 89
the member states. 90
91
ARTICLE III 92
The states which are parties to this compact, hereinafter 93
referred to as party states, do hereby establish and create a 94
joint agency which shall be known as the Southern Rail 95
Commission, hereinafter referred to as the commission, or any 96
successor name adopted by all members of the commission. The 97
membership of such commission shall consist of the governor of 98
each party state, one representative each from the Mississippi 99
Energy and Transportation Board, or its successor, the Office of 100
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Aviation and Public Transportation of the Louisiana Department 101
of Transportation and Development, or its successor, the Alabama 102
Department of Energy, or its successor, and the Florida 103
Department of Transportation, or its successor, and five other 104
citizens of each party state, to be appointed by the governor 105
thereof. The appointed members of the commission shall serve for 106
terms of 4 years each. Vacancies on the commission shall be 107
filled by appointment by the governor for the unexpired portion 108
of the term. The members of the commission shall not be 109
compensated for service on the commission, but each of the 110
appointed members shall be entitled to actual and reasonable 111
expenses incurred in attending meetings, or incurred otherwise 112
in the performance of his or her duties as a member of the 113
commission. The members of the commission shall hold regular 114
quarterly meetings and such special meetings as its business may 115
require. They shall choose annually a chairman and vice chairman 116
from among their members, and the chairmanship shall rotate each 117
year among the party states in order of their acceptance of this 118
compact. The commission shall adopt rules and regulations for 119
the transaction of its business and a record shall be kept of 120
all its business. It shall be the duty of the commission to 121
study the feasibility of providing interstate rapid rail transit 122
service between the party states. Toward this end, the 123
commission shall have power to hold hearings; to conduct studies 124
and surveys of all problems, benefits, and other matters 125
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
associated with such service, and to make reports thereon; to 126
acquire, by gift, grant, or otherwise, from local, state, 127
federal, or private sources, such money or property as may be 128
provided for the proper performance of its functions, and to 129
hold and dispose of same; to cooperate with other public or 130
private groups, whether local, state, regional, or national, 131
having an interest in such service; to formulate and execute 132
plans and policies for emphasizing the purpose of this compact 133
before the Congress of the United States and other appropriate 134
officers and agencies of the United States; and to exercise such 135
other powers as may be appropriate to enable it to accomplish 136
its functions and duties and to carry out the purposes of this 137
compact. 138
139
ARTICLE IV 140
Each party state agrees that its legislature may, in its 141
discretion, from time to time make available and pay over to the 142
commission funds for the establishment and operation of the 143
commission. The contribution of each party state shall be in 144
equal amounts, if possible, but nothing in this article shall be 145
construed as binding the legislature of any state to make an 146
appropriation of a set amount of funds at any particular time. 147
148
ARTICLE V 149
Nothing in this compact shall be construed so as to 150
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
conflict with any existing statute, or to limit the powers of 151
any party state, or to repeal or prevent legislation, or to 152
affect any existing or future cooperative arrangement or 153
relationship between any federal agency and a party state. 154
155
ARTICLE VI 156
(1) This compact shall continue in force and remain 157
binding upon each party state until the legislature or governor 158
of each or any state takes action to withdraw therefrom. 159
However, any such withdrawal does not become effective until 6 160
months after the date of the action taken by the legislature or 161
governor. Notice of such action shall be given to the other 162
party state or states by the secretary of state of the party 163
state which takes such action. 164
(2) There is hereby granted to the Governor, to the 165
members of the commission for Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and 166
Mississippi, and to the compact administrator all the powers 167
provided for in the compact and in this section. All officers of 168
this state are hereby authorized and directed to do all things 169
falling within their respective jurisdictions which are 170
necessary or incidental to carrying out the purpose of the 171
compact. 172
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 173