Florida Senate - 2015                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for SB 918
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì129140tÎ129140                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  04/08/2015           .                                
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       Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government (Hays)
       recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment to Amendment (322890) (with directory and
    2  title amendments)
    3  
    4         Delete lines 2537 - 2643
    5  and insert:
    6         (10) This section does not apply to the development and
    7  implementation of pilot projects pursuant to s. 373.037.
    8         Section 22. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) and subsections
    9  (3) and (4) of section 373.705, Florida Statutes, are amended,
   10  and subsection (5) is added to that section, to read:
   11         373.705 Water resource development; water supply
   12  development.—
   13         (2) It is the intent of the Legislature that:
   14         (b) Water management districts take the lead in identifying
   15  and implementing water resource development projects, and be
   16  responsible for securing necessary funding for regionally
   17  significant water resource development projects, including
   18  regional significant projects that prevent or limit adverse
   19  water resource impacts, avoid competition among water users, or
   20  support the provision of new water supplies in order to meet a
   21  minimum flow or minimum water level or to implement a recovery
   22  or prevention strategy or water reservation.
   23         (3)(a) The water management districts shall fund and
   24  implement water resource development as defined in s. 373.019.
   25  The water management districts are encouraged to implement water
   26  resource development as expeditiously as possible in areas
   27  subject to regional water supply plans.
   28         (b) Each governing board shall include in its annual budget
   29  submittals required under this chapter:
   30         1. The amount of funds for each project in the annual
   31  funding plan developed pursuant to s. 373.536(6)(a)4.;
   32         2. The total amount needed for the fiscal year to implement
   33  water resource development projects, as prioritized in its
   34  regional water supply plans; and
   35         3.The amount of funds requested for each project submitted
   36  for consideration for state funding pursuant to s. 403.0616.
   37         (4)(a) Water supply development projects that are
   38  consistent with the relevant regional water supply plans and
   39  that meet one or more of the following criteria shall receive
   40  priority consideration for state or water management district
   41  funding assistance:
   42         1. The project supports establishment of a dependable,
   43  sustainable supply of water which is not otherwise financially
   44  feasible;
   45         2. The project provides substantial environmental benefits
   46  by preventing or limiting adverse water resource impacts, but
   47  requires funding assistance to be economically competitive with
   48  other options; or
   49         3. The project significantly implements reuse, storage,
   50  recharge, or conservation of water in a manner that contributes
   51  to the sustainability of regional water sources.
   52         (b) Except for pilot projects identified in paragraph (c),
   53  water supply development projects that meet the criteria in
   54  paragraph (a) and that meet one or more of the following
   55  additional criteria shall be given first consideration for state
   56  or water management district funding assistance:
   57         1. The project brings about replacement of existing sources
   58  in order to help implement a minimum flow or minimum water
   59  level; or
   60         2. The project implements reuse that assists in the
   61  elimination of domestic wastewater ocean outfalls as provided in
   62  s. 403.086(9); or
   63         3. The project reduces or eliminates the adverse effects of
   64  competition between legal users and the natural system.
   65         (c) First consideration for state or water management
   66  district funding for water supply development projects shall be
   67  given to pilot projects pursuant to s. 373.037 before
   68  consideration of water supply development projects identified in
   69  paragraphs (a) and (b) within the restricted allocation area
   70  where the pilot project is located.
   71         (5) The water management districts shall promote expanded
   72  cost-share criteria for additional conservation practices, such
   73  as soil and moisture sensors and other irrigation improvements,
   74  water-saving equipment, and water-saving household fixtures.
   75         Section 23. Paragraph (f) of subsection (3), paragraph (a)
   76  of subsection (6), and paragraphs (e) and (f) of subsection (8)
   77  of section 373.707, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   78         373.707 Alternative water supply development.—
   79         (3) The primary roles of the water management districts in
   80  water resource development as it relates to supporting
   81  alternative water supply development are:
   82         (f) The provision of technical and financial assistance to
   83  local governments and publicly owned and privately owned water
   84  utilities for alternative water supply projects and for self
   85  suppliers for alternative water supply projects to the extent
   86  assistance for self-suppliers promotes the policies in paragraph
   87  (1)(f).
   88         (6)(a) Where state The statewide funds are provided through
   89  specific appropriation for a priority project of the water
   90  resources work program pursuant to s. 403.0616, or pursuant to
   91  the Water Protection and Sustainability Program, such funds
   92  serve to supplement existing water management district or basin
   93  board funding for alternative water supply development
   94  assistance and should not result in a reduction of such funding.
   95  For each project identified in the annual funding plans prepared
   96  pursuant to s. 373.536(6)(a)4. Therefore, the water management
   97  districts shall include in the annual tentative and adopted
   98  budget submittals required under this chapter the amount of
   99  funds allocated for water resource development that supports
  100  alternative water supply development and the funds allocated for
  101  alternative water supply projects selected for inclusion in the
  102  Water Protection and Sustainability Program. It shall be the
  103  goal of each water management district and basin boards that the
  104  combined funds allocated annually for these purposes be, at a
  105  minimum, the equivalent of 100 percent of the state funding
  106  provided to the water management district for alternative water
  107  supply development. If this goal is not achieved, the water
  108  management district shall provide in the budget submittal an
  109  explanation of the reasons or constraints that prevent this goal
  110  from being met, an explanation of how the goal will be met in
  111  future years, and affirmation of match is required during the
  112  budget review process as established under s. 373.536(5). The
  113  Suwannee River Water Management District and the Northwest
  114  Florida Water Management District shall not be required to meet
  115  the match requirements of this paragraph; however, they shall
  116  try to achieve the match requirement to the greatest extent
  117  practicable.
  118         (8)
  119         (e) Applicants for projects that may receive funding
  120  assistance pursuant to the Water Protection and Sustainability
  121  Program shall, at a minimum, be required to pay 60 percent of
  122  the project’s construction costs. The water management districts
  123  may, at their discretion, totally or partially waive this
  124  requirement for projects sponsored by:
  125         1. Financially disadvantaged small local governments as
  126  defined in former s. 403.885(5); or
  127         2. Water users for projects determined by a water
  128  management district governing board to be in the public interest
  129  pursuant to paragraph (1)(f), if the projects are not otherwise
  130  financially feasible.
  131  
  132  The water management districts or basin boards may, at their
  133  discretion, use ad valorem or federal revenues to assist a
  134  project applicant in meeting the requirements of this paragraph.
  135         (f) The governing boards shall determine those projects
  136  that will be selected for financial assistance. The governing
  137  boards may establish factors to determine project funding;
  138  however, significant weight shall be given to the following
  139  factors:
  140         1. Whether the project provides substantial environmental
  141  benefits by preventing or limiting adverse water resource
  142  impacts.
  143         2. Whether the project reduces competition for water
  144  supplies.
  145         3. Whether the project brings about replacement of
  146  traditional sources in order to help implement a minimum flow or
  147  level or a reservation.
  148         4. Whether the project will be implemented by a consumptive
  149  use permittee that has achieved the targets contained in a goal
  150  based water conservation program approved pursuant to s.
  151  373.227.
  152         5. The quantity of water supplied by the project as
  153  compared to its cost.
  154         6. Projects in which the construction and delivery to end
  155  users of reuse water is a major component.
  156         7. Whether the project will be implemented by a
  157  multijurisdictional water supply entity or regional water supply
  158  authority.
  159         8. Whether the project implements reuse that assists in the
  160  elimination of domestic wastewater ocean outfalls as provided in
  161  s. 403.086(9).
  162         9. Whether the county or municipality, or the multiple
  163  counties or municipalities, in which the project is located has
  164  implemented a high-water recharge protection tax assessment
  165  program as provided in s. 193.625.
  166         10. Whether the project is a pilot project under s.
  167  373.037.
  168  
  169  ====== D I R E C T O R Y  C L A U S E  A M E N D M E N T ======
  170  And the directory clause is amended as follows:
  171         Delete lines 2516 - 2517
  172  and insert:
  173         Section 21. Subsection (9) of section 373.703, Florida
  174  Statutes, is amended, and subsection (10) is added to that
  175  section, to read:
  176  
  177  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  178  And the title is amended as follows:
  179         Delete lines 3934 - 3946
  180  and insert:
  181         for the purpose of carrying out its powers; providing
  182         an exception for certain pilot projects; amending s.
  183         373.705, F.S.; revising the legislative intent;
  184         requiring water management district governing boards
  185         to include certain information in their annual budget
  186         submittals; providing first consideration for funding
  187         assistance to certain water supply development
  188         projects; requiring water management districts to
  189         promote expanded cost-share criteria for additional
  190         conservation practices; amending s. 373.707, F.S.;
  191         authorizing water management districts to provide
  192         technical and financial assistance to certain self
  193         suppliers and to waive certain construction costs of
  194         alternative water supply development projects
  195         sponsored by certain water users; requiring the
  196         governing board to give significant weight for project
  197         funding to whether the project is a pilot project;
  198         amending s. 373.709,