HR 1951: House Study Committee on MARTA Governance, Financial Accountability, and Regional Transit Oversight; create

House Resolution 1951

By: Representatives Tran of the 80th, Drenner of the 85th, Silcox of the 53rd, Roberts of the 52nd, and Crawford of the 89th

A RESOLUTION

Creating the House Study Committee on MARTA Governance, Financial Accountability, and Regional Transit Oversight; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is a joint public instrumentality of DeKalb County, Fulton County, Clayton County, and the City of Atlanta and is the exclusive provider of heavy rail in the metropolitan Atlanta region; and

WHEREAS, local governments and MARTA are committed to collaboratively planning, building, and operating public transportation services that improve accessibility and mobility, drive economic development, and enhance the quality of life for all who live, work, and play in metropolitan Atlanta; and

WHEREAS, MARTA has requested an extension on the collection of the its penny sales and use tax from 2057 to 2067 and continues to face declining ridership at between 50 to 60 percent of pre-pandemic levels; and

WHEREAS, it is prudent to undertake a thorough review of MARTA operations to ensure the financial management, oversight, and operational structure of MARTA aligns with all parties and their shared interest in the successful operation and funding of transit service in metropolitan Atlanta; and

WHEREAS, it is imperative that MARTA moves forward with complete transparency, including clarity of terms, accounting, and mission, and further study is needed to define the roles, responsibilities, and financial commitments of MARTA and its participating jurisdictions relative to use of funds, annual reporting, and external audits; and

WHEREAS, study is needed to ensure best practices in the use of funds, annual reporting, and external audits for transit providers in the 13 county region within the jurisdiction of the Atlanta-region Transit Link "ATL" Authority; and

WHEREAS, examination is required of issues related to the governance, financial management, and regional oversight of MARTA and all transit operations in the metropolitan Atlanta region, including:

(1) Measures to strengthen transparency and accountability in transit governance;

(2) Requirements for quarterly financial reporting and public disclosure of financial statements;

(3) A comprehensive review and through analysis of the MARTA Act and its governance framework;

(4) Strategies for addressing and restructuring existing MARTA debt obligations;

(5) The allocation and oversight of regional transit sales tax revenues;

(6) The feasibility of enhanced financial oversight by an agency to be recommended, including potential authority for regional review of MARTA financial planning and budgeting;

(7) Independent annual external audits, including audits of executive salaries, consulting contracts, and procurement practices;

(8) Review of current financial structures of major capital projects and system expansion, with recommendations to ensure the on-time delivery of capital and transit oriented development projects;

(9) Strategies for securing stable federal funding for transit infrastructure and operations;

(10) Opportunities to leverage transit oriented development and real estate assets to support operating revenues and increase ridership;

(11) Policies and practices that ensure MARTA operates as a financially sustainable and economically solvent transit system with long-term viability; and

(12) Governance reforms necessary to strengthen regional coordination of transit system delivery with a strategic framework to achieve tangible outcomes.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:

(1) Creation of House study committee. There is created the House Study Committee on MARTA Governance, Financial Accountability, and Regional Transit Oversight.

(2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of the following members:

(A) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint:

(i) Five members of the House of Representatives as members of the committee. The Speaker shall also designate one of such members as chairperson; and

(ii) Four citizens comprising one resident from DeKalb County, Fulton County, Clayton County, and the City of Atlanta;

(B) The Executive Director of the Atlanta-region Transit Link "ATL" Authority, or his or her designee;

(C) The General Manager/CEO of MARTA, or his or her designee; and

(D) The Executive Director of the Atlanta Regional Commission, or his or her designee.

(3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs, issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.

(4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.

(5) Allowances, expenses, and funding.

(A) The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.

(B) Members of the committee who are state officials, other than legislative members, or who are state employees shall receive no compensation for their services on the committee, but they may be reimbursed for expenses incurred by them in the performance of their duties as members of the committee in the same manner as they are reimbursed for expenses in their capacities as state officials or employees.

(C) Members of the committee who are not legislators, state officials, or state employees shall receive a daily expense allowance in an amount the same as that specified in subsection (b) of Code Section 45-7-21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, as well as the mileage or transportation allowance authorized for state employees.

(D) The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. Funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds appropriated to the House of Representatives; except that funds for the reimbursement of the expenses of state officials, other than legislative members, and for the reimbursement of the expenses of state employees shall come from funds appropriated to or otherwise available to their respective agencies.

(6) Report.

(A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolution, subject to subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.

(B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.

(C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee. A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with the Clerk of the House of Representatives.

(D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Clerk of the House of Representatives a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu thereof.

(7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2026.