Florida Senate - 2022                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 1078
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì586774SÎ586774                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  01/24/2022           .                                
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       The Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (Hutson)
       recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Subsection (4) is added to section 582.15,
    6  Florida Statutes, to read:
    7         582.15 Organization of district, etc.—
    8         (4)After the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
    9  Services has determined that operation of a proposed district is
   10  administratively practicable and feasible, the district shall be
   11  subdivided into five numbered subdivisions that match, as
   12  practicable, the boundaries of either the five county commission
   13  districts or five school board districts within the county. When
   14  neither the county commission nor the school board is subdivided
   15  into five districts, the department shall subdivide the district
   16  into five numbered subdivisions as nearly equal in area as
   17  practicable to ensure geographical representation within that
   18  soil and water conservation district’s governing body.
   19         Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 582.18, Florida
   20  Statutes, is amended to read:
   21         582.18 Election of supervisors of each district.—
   22         (1) The election of supervisors for each soil and water
   23  conservation district shall be held every 2 years, with one
   24  supervisor elected from each of the five numbered subdivisions
   25  created by the department pursuant to s. 582.15(4). The
   26  elections shall be held at the time of the general election
   27  provided for by s. 100.041. The office of the supervisor of a
   28  soil and water conservation district is a nonpartisan office,
   29  and candidates for such office are prohibited from campaigning
   30  or qualifying for election based on party affiliation.
   31         (a) Each candidate for supervisor for such district must
   32  shall qualify as directed by chapter 99.
   33         (b) Each nominee who collects or expends campaign
   34  contributions shall conduct her or his campaign for supervisor
   35  of a soil and water conservation district in accordance with the
   36  provisions of chapter 106. Candidates who neither receive
   37  contributions nor make expenditures, other than expenditures for
   38  verification of signatures on petitions, are exempt from the
   39  provisions of chapter 106 requiring establishment of bank
   40  accounts and appointment of a campaign treasurer, but shall file
   41  periodic reports as required by s. 106.07.
   42         (c) The names of all nominees on behalf of whom such
   43  nominating petitions have been filed shall appear upon ballots
   44  in accordance with the general election laws. All qualified
   45  electors residing within the district shall be eligible to vote
   46  in such election. The candidates who receive the largest number
   47  of the votes cast from each group of candidates in such election
   48  shall be the elected supervisors from such group for such
   49  district. In the case of a newly created district participating
   50  in a regular election for the first time, three groups of
   51  candidates shall be elected from district subdivisions 1, 3, and
   52  5 for terms of 4 years, and candidates two groups shall be
   53  elected from district subdivisions 2 and 4 for initial terms of
   54  2 years. Each candidate elected shall assume office on the first
   55  Tuesday after the first Monday in January following the
   56  election.
   57         Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 582.19, Florida
   58  Statutes, is amended to read:
   59         582.19 Qualifications and tenure of supervisors.—
   60         (1) The governing body of the district shall consist of
   61  five supervisors, elected as provided in s. 582.18 hereinabove.
   62  To qualify to serve on the governing body of a district, a
   63  supervisor must be an eligible voter who lives and owns land
   64  within the numbered subdivision from which she or he is elected
   65  and must be actively engaged in the business of farming or
   66  animal husbandry.
   67         Section 4. (1)The term of office of a supervisor serving
   68  on a soil and water conservation district’s governing body at
   69  the time of this act becoming a law expires on January 10, 2023.
   70         (2)By January 1, 2023, a district in existence on July 1,
   71  2022, which was not subdivided in its initial creation pursuant
   72  to chapter 582, Florida Statutes, must be subdivided into five
   73  numbered subdivisions that match, as practicable, the boundaries
   74  of either the five county commission districts or five school
   75  board districts in the county. When neither the county
   76  commission nor the school board is subdivided into five
   77  districts, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
   78  shall subdivide the district into five numbered subdivisions as
   79  nearly equal in area as practicable to ensure geographical
   80  representation within that soil and water conservation
   81  district’s governing body.
   82         (3)The following procedures apply to the election of
   83  supervisors of soil and water conservation districts subdivided
   84  by the department pursuant to subsection (2):
   85         (a)District governing body seats 1, 3, and 5, which have
   86  terms that initially expired in January 2025 or 2027, as
   87  applicable depending on the year in which the district was
   88  formed, shall represent district subdivisions 1, 3, and 5,
   89  respectively. Such seats shall be filled for a term of 4 years.
   90         (b)District governing body seats 2 and 4, which have terms
   91  that initially expired in January 2025 or 2027, as applicable
   92  depending on the year in which the district was formed, shall
   93  represent district subdivisions 2 and 4, respectively. Such
   94  seats shall initially be filled for a term of 2 years in order
   95  to achieve staggered terms; thereafter, any such seats shall be
   96  filled for a term of 4 years as provided under s. 582.19,
   97  Florida Statutes.
   98         Section 5. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
   99  
  100  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  101  And the title is amended as follows:
  102         Delete everything before the enacting clause
  103  and insert:
  104                        A bill to be entitled                      
  105         An act relating to soil and water conservation
  106         districts; amending s. 582.15, F.S.; providing for the
  107         subdivision of certain proposed soil and water
  108         conservation districts; requiring the Department of
  109         Agriculture and Consumer Services to subdivide certain
  110         proposed soil and water conservation districts;
  111         amending s. 582.18, F.S.; requiring the supervisors of
  112         each soil and water conservation district to be
  113         elected from each of the district’s subdivisions;
  114         providing for the initial terms of office of
  115         candidates elected in each district subdivision;
  116         amending s. 582.19, F.S.; providing qualification
  117         requirements for supervisors to serve on the governing
  118         body of a soil and water conservation district;
  119         providing for the expiration of the terms of office of
  120         certain supervisors serving on soil and water
  121         conservation district governing bodies; providing for
  122         the subdivision of certain soil and water conservation
  123         districts by a specified date; requiring the
  124         department to subdivide certain soil and water
  125         conservation districts by a specified date; providing
  126         transitional provisions regarding the implementation
  127         of newly subdivided districts and the election of
  128         supervisors; providing an effective date.