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<section article="gtr" article_name="Transportation" number="7-201.1" title_number="7" title_name="Mass Transit" subtitle_number="2" subtitle_name="Maryland Transit Administration">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Baltimore Core Transit Service” means:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The Administration’s Baltimore–area local bus;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The Administration’s Baltimore–area light rail;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>The Administration’s Baltimore–area metro subway; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>The Administration’s Baltimore–area paratransit.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“Board” means the Board of Directors for Baltimore Core Transit Service.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>There is a Board of Directors for Baltimore Core Transit Service in the Administration.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Board consists of the following voting members:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Five members who live in the Baltimore Core Transit Service area, appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, including:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>At least one member who uses transit in the Baltimore Core Transit Service area;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>At least one member who represents riders with accessibility challenges;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>At least one member representing an anchor institution that also provides transportation services in the Baltimore Core Transit Service area; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>One member who is an employee of the Administration and is a member of the labor union representing the plurality of frontline workers that has a collective bargaining agreement with the Administration;</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Two members appointed by the Mayor of Baltimore City;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>One member appointed by the Baltimore County Executive; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>One member appointed by the Anne Arundel County Executive.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>The Secretary and the Administrator shall serve as nonvoting ex officio Board members.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The Governor shall appoint a student who regularly uses Administration services to commute to and from school as a nonvoting Board member.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The Governor shall designate the chair of the Board, who shall serve as chair at the pleasure of the Governor.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The term of a Board member is 3 years.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The terms of the members are staggered as required by the terms provided for members of the Board on January 1, 2027.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>At the end of a term, a member continues to serve until a successor is appointed and qualifies.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>A member who is appointed after a term has begun serves only for the rest of the term and until a successor is appointed and qualifies.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Department and the Administration shall provide staff for the Board, including a Deputy Administrator who shall serve as the executive director and report directly to the Administrator.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Administration shall provide office space for the Board.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>A member of the Board:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>May not receive compensation as a member of the Board; but</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>The Board shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Approve major service plans, policies, and initiatives for Baltimore Core Transit Service, as determined by the Board and the Administration on a reasonable basis;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Provide advice on major project initiatives, as determined by the Board and the Administration on a reasonable basis;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Advise the Administrator on, and consent to, the appointment of the Deputy Administrator by the Administrator and consult with the Administrator on any removal of the Deputy Administrator by the Administrator;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Review and approve the Administration’s operating and capital budget requests for Baltimore Core Transit Service; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Establish, in consultation with the Department and the Administration, a timeline for review and approval under this paragraph:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>That is consistent with the Department’s budget process; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Under which the operating and capital budget requests shall be considered approved by operation of law if the Board does not take action within the timeline;</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>Have approval authority, supported by at least two–thirds of the members of the Board, over any decision by the Department or the Administration to withdraw a New Starts Capital Investment Grant or another federal grant under a substantially similar program for any Baltimore Core Transit Service area project once that project has been accepted into the Engineering Phase by the Federal Transit Administration;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Meet at least quarterly; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Accept public comments during the meetings and, at all times, electronically;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>Include in the quarterly agenda each of the following topics at least once each year:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The Capital Needs Inventory Report;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The Consolidated Transportation Program priorities and initial budget requests under § 2–103.1 of this article; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Any update on the Central Maryland Regional Transit Plan under § 7–301.1 of this title;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="8">
      <text>Provide input and engage in advocacy for Baltimore Core Transit Service;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="9">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Request and review information from the Annual Attainment Report and the Administration concerning the attainment of the Administration’s goals, including performance goals and metrics;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Evaluate any other measures of the performance of Baltimore Core Transit Service; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Issue written recommendations concerning how the results of the Board’s review and evaluation should influence the Administration’s priorities in future years;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="10">
      <text>Review service change reports and approve major service change proposals;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="11">
      <text>Review and approve any update to the Central Maryland Regional Transit Plan;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="12">
      <text>Review and approve the Capital Needs Inventory Report;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="13">
      <text>Review local transit plans and services in the Baltimore region to ensure coordination between the local transit services and Baltimore Core Transit Service;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="14">
      <text>Organize and establish policies and procedures for the operations of the Board, including conflict of interest standards, consistent with Title 5 of the General Provisions Article and § 7–211 of this subtitle, that prohibit a Board member from having any inappropriate professional, financial, or nonfinancial interest in a matter over which the Board has jurisdiction;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="15">
      <text>Not later than 6 months after the Board first meets, adopt bylaws to govern the operations of the Board;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="16">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Keep minutes of Board meetings and maintain proper records of all Board activity; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Post all minutes, records, notices, comments, or other information issued by the Board or received from the public on a public website established and maintained by the Board; and</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="17">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Submit an annual report to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, the House Appropriations Committee, and the House Ways and Means Committee, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, on system performance, trends, major projects, and other activities; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Make the report available to the general public and ensure that the report is readily available on the website of the Administration.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Board shall meet at a time and place designated by the chair.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Board shall meet as often as its duties require, but not less than quarterly.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
