| 1 | 1 | | BILL AS INTRODUCED S.85 |
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| 2 | 2 | | 2025 Page 1 of 2 |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | VT LEG #380570 v.1 |
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| 6 | 6 | | S.85 1 |
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| 7 | 7 | | Introduced by Senator Harrison 2 |
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| 8 | 8 | | Referred to Committee on 3 |
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| 9 | 9 | | Date: 4 |
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| 10 | 10 | | Subject: Surface transportation; State acquisition of railroads; leases; 5 |
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| 11 | 11 | | extensions; approval 6 |
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| 12 | 12 | | Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require that 7 |
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| 13 | 13 | | all extensions for leases of State-owned railroad property shall be approved by 8 |
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| 14 | 14 | | the General Assembly. 9 |
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| 15 | 15 | | An act relating to approval of railroad lease extensions 10 |
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| 16 | 16 | | It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 11 |
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| 17 | 17 | | Sec. 1. 5 V.S.A. § 3405 is amended to read: 12 |
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| 18 | 18 | | § 3405. LEASE FOR CONTINUED OPERATION 13 |
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| 19 | 19 | | (a) The Secretary, as agent for the State, with the approval of the General 14 |
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| 20 | 20 | | Assembly, or if the General Assembly is not in session, approval of the Joint 15 |
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| 21 | 21 | | Transportation Oversight Committee, is authorized to lease or otherwise 16 |
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| 22 | 22 | | arrange for the continued operation of all or any State-owned railroad property 17 |
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| 23 | 23 | | to any responsible person, provided that approval for the operation, if 18 |
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| 24 | 24 | | necessary, is granted by the federal Surface Transportation Board under 49 19 |
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| 25 | 25 | | C.F.R. Part 1150 (certificate to construct, acquire, or operate railroad lines). 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.85 |
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| 26 | 26 | | 2025 Page 2 of 2 |
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| 28 | 28 | | |
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| 29 | 29 | | VT LEG #380570 v.1 |
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| 30 | 30 | | The transaction shall be subject to any further terms and conditions as in the 1 |
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| 31 | 31 | | opinion of the Secretary are necessary and appropriate to accomplish the 2 |
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| 32 | 32 | | purpose of this chapter. 3 |
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| 33 | 33 | | (b) To preserve continuity of service on State-owned railroads, the 4 |
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| 34 | 34 | | Secretary may enter into a short-term lease or operating agreement, for a term 5 |
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| 35 | 35 | | not to exceed six months, with a responsible railroad operator. The Secretary 6 |
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| 36 | 36 | | shall notify the House and Senate Committees on Transportation within 10 7 |
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| 37 | 37 | | calendar days after entering into any lease or agreement pursuant to this 8 |
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| 38 | 38 | | subsection. 9 |
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| 39 | 39 | | (c) The Secretary shall notify the House and Senate Committees on 10 |
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| 40 | 40 | | Transportation or, if the General Assembly is not in session, the Joint 11 |
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| 41 | 41 | | Transportation Oversight Committee when there are 12 months remaining on 12 |
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| 42 | 42 | | the operating lease for any State-owned railroad, and when there are 12 months 13 |
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| 43 | 43 | | remaining on a lease extension for the operating lease for any State-owned 14 |
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| 44 | 44 | | railroad. 15 |
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| 45 | 45 | | Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE 16 |
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| 46 | 46 | | This act shall take effect on passage. 17 |
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