Mississippi § 57-43-1 - Establishment of Railroad Revitalization Fund; development of comprehensive state rail plan; plan to include distinct freight and passenger components; periodic update of plan; deposits and expenditures.

§ 57-43-1. Establishment of Railroad Revitalization Fund; development of comprehensive state rail plan; plan to include distinct freight and passenger components; periodic update of plan; deposits and expenditures.

There is established in the State Treasury a revolving fund to be designated as the “Railroad Revitalization Fund.” Monies (including interest earnings) in this fund shall be expended either separately or in combination with any available federal funds for railroad research, railroad planning and railroad administration costs incurred by the Mississippi Department of Transportation directly attributable to railroad revitalization projects; assistance to railroads for the rehabilitation or improvement of rail lines; and construction, improvement or rehabilitation of railroad facilities. The Mississippi Department of Transportation, in consultation with the Mississippi Development Authority, the Southern High-Speed Rail Commission as created in Section 57-45-1 and the railroads operating in the State of Mississippi, shall develop the State Rail Plan, which shall be a comprehensive plan that coordinates all aspects of the rail infrastructure within the state and includes distinct freight and passenger components, and is described as follows: The passenger component of the State Rail Plan means that part of the plan developed by the Mississippi Department of Transportation, in consultation with the Mississippi Development Authority and the Southern High-Speed Rail Commission and with the railroads operating in the state and in concert with the freight component of the State Rail Plan, that promotes passenger rail travel within the state in a manner that is compatible with opportunities for the state to obtain federal funding assistance that may be available for intercity passenger rail service and/or high-speed rail corridor service, and that contains provisions that include, but are not limited to, the following: Articulating the ongoing comprehensive vision and objectives associated with promoting passenger rail travel within the state; Identifying all viable routes for passenger rail service; Enhancing the existing passenger rail segments within the state and constructing additional segments; and Providing recommendations to the providers of passenger rail service within the state for complying with federal requirements necessary for the state to qualify for any available federal funding. The freight component of the State Rail Plan means the plan developed by the Mississippi Department of Transportation, in consultation with the Mississippi Development Authority and the railroads operating in the state and in concert with the passenger component of the State Rail Plan, that promotes freight rail service within the state, including, but not limited to, service to and from water ports in the state and the articulation of the ongoing comprehensive vision and objectives associated with promoting freight rail service within the state. During fiscal years 2009 and 2010, a total cumulative sum not to exceed Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) of the “Railroad Revitalization Fund” shall be used specifically for the purpose of initially developing the State Rail Plan, as described in subsection (2) of this section. After the initial development of the State Rail Plan, the plan shall be updated periodically, not less than every five (5) years. Except as may be otherwise provided in Section 2 of Chapter 497, Laws of 2009, funds appropriated or otherwise provided by the Legislature for rail line assistance as described in subsections (1) through (3) of this section shall be deposited in the Railroad Revitalization Fund. Any monies received by the Mississippi Department of Transportation by agreements, grants, gifts or other means from individuals, companies or other business entities, municipalities, counties, local railroad authorities or regional railroad authorities or other governmental agencies for the purposes set forth in this chapter, except federal grants made under Section 5 of the Department of Transportation Act, as amended (49 USCS 1654), shall be credited to the Railroad Revitalization Fund. Any interest received from investment of monies in the fund shall be credited to the fund and shall not be deposited into the State General Fund. Use of this fund for the required periodic updates to the State Rail Plan and for railroad research, planning and administration costs incurred by the Mississippi Department of Transportation that are directly attributable to railroad revitalization projects shall be paid from any available funds of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, including those derived from collections from the locomotive fuel tax for the previous year.