6/12/01...1352s

26june01...1777CofC

2001 SESSION

01-0316

03/10

HOUSE BILL 258

COMMITTEE: Transportation

ANALYSIS

This bill establishes a task force to conduct an ongoing study of the feasibility of re-establishing the Lawrence, Massachusetts to Manchester, New Hampshire rail service line and the Concord to Lebanon northern passenger rail service line.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

6/12/01...1352s

26june01...1777CofC

01-0316

03/10

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand One

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

271:1 Task Force Established; Membership. There is established a task force on re-establishing the Lawrence, Massachusetts to Manchester, New Hampshire rail service line and the Concord to Lebanon northern passenger rail service line.

I. The task force shall be composed of the following members:

(a) Two members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.

(b) Two members of the senate, appointed by the senate president.

(c) Three persons appointed by the governor, one of whom shall represent the interests of intercity bus service and one of whom shall represent the interests of railroads.

(d) The commissioner of the department of transportation, or designee.

(e) One person appointed by the Concord mayor and council.

(f) One person appointed by the Lebanon manager and council.

(g) One person appointed by the Manchester mayor and aldermen.

(h) One person appointed by the New Hampshire Railroad Revitalization Association.

(i) One person appointed by the Business & Industry Association of New Hampshire.

(j) One person appointed by the Lakes Region Planning Commission.

(k) One person appointed by the Central New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission.

(l) One person appointed by the Rockingham Planning Commission.

(m) One person appointed by the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission.

(n) One person appointed by the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission.

(o) One person appointed by TRAIN RIDERS/Northeast.

(p) The commissioner of the department of environmental services, or designee.

II. The term of office for each task force member shall be coterminous with the member's term of office in his or her respective agency or organization, or as designated by the appointing body. Vacancies in task force membership shall be filled as soon as practicable by the appointing body.

III. The task force members listed in subparagraphs I(c)-(p) may seek the assistance of additional members of their respective agencies or organizations as necessary to assist with a task or project undertaken by the task force.

IV. The task force members may solicit input or recommendations from other individuals, groups, or organizations as necessary.

271:2 Duties of Task Force. The task force shall investigate, consistently with the principles established in 2000,7, the feasibility of reestablishing the Lawrence, Massachusetts to Manchester, New Hampshire rail service line and the Concord to Lebanon northern passenger rail service line. As part of its investigation, the task force shall assess the accessibility of anticipated stops along the corridor. The task force shall also monitor the progress of any actions taken to reestablish the Lawrence, Massachusetts to Manchester, New Hampshire rail service line and the Concord to Lebanon northern passenger rail service line.

271:3 Compensation. Members of the task force shall serve without compensation, except that the legislative members of the task force shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the task force.

271:4 Initial Meeting; Chairperson. The members of the task force shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the task force shall be called by the first-named house member.

271:5 Report. The task force shall issue a report of its progress and findings to the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate president, and the governor and council, on December 1, 2001, every 6 months thereafter, and upon its termination.

271:6 Termination. The task force shall terminate when regular passenger rail service has been re-established on the Lawrence, Massachusetts to Manchester, New Hampshire and Concord to Lebanon rail lines or when the task force concludes that re-establishment of such service is not feasible. The chairperson of the task force shall certify to the secretary of state that the task force has terminated.

271:7 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.

(Approved: July 16, 2001)

(Effective Date: July 16, 2001)