§508.3. Office of multimodal commerce; functions; commissioner; deputy commissioner; powers and duties

            A.(1) There is hereby created within the Department of Transportation and Development, the office of multimodal commerce, which shall administer the planning and programming functions of the department related to strategic and intermodal issues, aviation including vertiports, commercial trucking, intercity public mass transit, railroad expansion and development, port and water transportation systems, and related matters, and any other special programs as may be directed by the governor.

            (2) The office shall advise the office of project delivery on intermodal issues and implement the master plan as it relates to intermodal transportation.

            (3) Notwithstanding Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, any powers, duties, responsibilities and corresponding department employees, equipment, facilities, and funding of the Department of Transportation and Development with respect to federal programs on rail safety and the administration of federal rail safety and hazard mitigation funds and the like shall remain with the office of project delivery of the Department of Transportation and Development.

            B. The office of multimodal commerce shall be vested with the powers, duties, responsibilities, budgetary authority, and department employees, equipment, facilities, and funding necessary to carry out the functions conferred upon it by the provisions of Paragraphs (A)(1) and (2) of this Section.

            C.(1) The office of multimodal commerce shall be under the supervision of a commissioner of multimodal commerce, who shall administer all department functions and duties for which the office of multimodal commerce is responsible. The commissioner shall be appointed by the governor, subject to Senate confirmation, and shall serve at the pleasure of the governor.

            (2) The commissioner shall have authority, in accordance with applicable rules and regulations of the civil service commission, to employ, appoint, transfer, assign, and promote such personnel as is necessary for the efficient administration of the office of multimodal commerce.

            (3) The commissioner shall receive an annual salary fixed by the governor, which salary shall not exceed the amount approved for such position by the legislature while in session, and shall be allowed his actual and necessary traveling expenses incurred in the discharge of his official duties.

            D. The powers, duties, responsibilities, budgetary authority, employees, equipment, facilities, and funding of the office of multimodal commerce shall be allocated among the following divisions of such office:

            (1) Commercial trucking.

            (2) Ports and waterways.

            (3) Aviation.

            (4) Freight and passenger rail development.

            Acts 2014, No. 719, §1, eff. July 1, 2016; Acts 2015, No. 31, §1, eff. July 1, 2016; Acts 2024, No. 316, §1; Acts 2025, No. 375, §1.

            NOTE: See Acts 2015, No. 31, §4, regarding eff. date of Subsection C.