The Florida Senate

212.20  Funds collected, disposition; additional powers of department; operational expense; refund of taxes adjudicated unconstitutionally collected.--

(1)  The department shall pay over to the Chief Financial Officer of the state all funds received and collected by it under the provisions of this chapter, to be credited to the account of the General Revenue Fund of the state.

(2)  The department is authorized to employ all necessary assistants to administer this chapter properly and is also authorized to purchase all necessary supplies and equipment which may be required for this purpose.

(3)  The estimated amount of money needed for the administration of this chapter shall be included by the department in its annual legislative budget request for the operation of its office.

(4)  When there has been a final adjudication that any tax pursuant to s. 212.0596 was levied, collected, or both, contrary to the Constitution of the United States or the State Constitution, the department shall, in accordance with rules, determine, based upon claims for refund and other evidence and information, who paid such tax or taxes, and refund to each such person the amount of tax paid. For purposes of this subsection, a "final adjudication" is a decision of a court of competent jurisdiction from which no appeal can be taken or from which the official or officials of this state with authority to make such decisions has or have decided not to appeal.

(5)  For the purposes of this section:

(a)  "Proceeds" means all tax or fee revenue collected or received by the department, including interest and penalties.

(b)  "Reallocate" means reduction of the accounts of initial deposit and redeposit into the indicated account.

(6)  Distribution of all proceeds under this chapter and s. 202.18(1)(b) and (2)(b) shall be as follows:

(a)  Proceeds from the convention development taxes authorized under s. 212.0305 shall be reallocated to the Convention Development Tax Clearing Trust Fund.

(b)  Proceeds from discretionary sales surtaxes imposed pursuant to ss. 212.054 and 212.055 shall be reallocated to the Discretionary Sales Surtax Clearing Trust Fund.

(c)  Proceeds from the fees imposed under ss. 212.05(1)(h)3. and 212.18(3) shall remain with the General Revenue Fund.

(d)  The proceeds of all other taxes and fees imposed pursuant to this chapter or remitted pursuant to s. 202.18(1)(b) and (2)(b) shall be distributed as follows:

1.  In any fiscal year, the greater of $500 million, minus an amount equal to 4.6 percent of the proceeds of the taxes collected pursuant to chapter 201, or 5 percent of all other taxes and fees imposed pursuant to this chapter or remitted pursuant to s. 202.18(1)(b) and (2)(b) shall be deposited in monthly installments into the General Revenue Fund.

2.  Two-tenths of one percent shall be transferred to the Ecosystem Management and Restoration Trust Fund to be used for water quality improvement and water restoration projects.

3.  After the distribution under subparagraphs 1. and 2., 8.814 percent of the amount remitted by a sales tax dealer located within a participating county pursuant to s. 218.61 shall be transferred into the Local Government Half-cent Sales Tax Clearing Trust Fund. Beginning July 1, 2003, the amount to be transferred pursuant to this subparagraph to the Local Government Half-cent Sales Tax Clearing Trust Fund shall be reduced by 0.1 percent, and the department shall distribute this amount to the Public Employees Relations Commission Trust Fund less $5,000 each month, which shall be added to the amount calculated in subparagraph 4. and distributed accordingly.

4.  After the distribution under subparagraphs 1., 2., and 3., 0.095 percent shall be transferred to the Local Government Half-cent Sales Tax Clearing Trust Fund and distributed pursuant to s. 218.65

5.  After the distributions under subparagraphs 1., 2., 3., and 4., 2.0440 percent of the available proceeds pursuant to this paragraph shall be transferred monthly to the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund for Counties pursuant to s. 218.215

6.  After the distributions under subparagraphs 1., 2., 3., and 4., 1.3409 percent of the available proceeds pursuant to this paragraph shall be transferred monthly to the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund for Municipalities pursuant to s. 218.215 If the total revenue to be distributed pursuant to this subparagraph is at least as great as the amount due from the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund for Municipalities and the former Municipal Financial Assistance Trust Fund in state fiscal year 1999-2000, no municipality shall receive less than the amount due from the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund for Municipalities and the former Municipal Financial Assistance Trust Fund in state fiscal year 1999-2000. If the total proceeds to be distributed are less than the amount received in combination from the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund for Municipalities and the former Municipal Financial Assistance Trust Fund in state fiscal year 1999-2000, each municipality shall receive an amount proportionate to the amount it was due in state fiscal year 1999-2000.

7.  Of the remaining proceeds:

a.  In each fiscal year, the sum of $29,915,500 shall be divided into as many equal parts as there are counties in the state, and one part shall be distributed to each county. The distribution among the several counties shall begin each fiscal year on or before January 5th and shall continue monthly for a total of 4 months. If a local or special law required that any moneys accruing to a county in fiscal year 1999-2000 under the then-existing provisions of s. 550.135 be paid directly to the district school board, special district, or a municipal government, such payment shall continue until such time that the local or special law is amended or repealed. The state covenants with holders of bonds or other instruments of indebtedness issued by local governments, special districts, or district school boards prior to July 1, 2000, that it is not the intent of this subparagraph to adversely affect the rights of those holders or relieve local governments, special districts, or district school boards of the duty to meet their obligations as a result of previous pledges or assignments or trusts entered into which obligated funds received from the distribution to county governments under then-existing s. 550.135 This distribution specifically is in lieu of funds distributed under s. 550.135 prior to July 1, 2000.

b.  The department shall distribute $166,667 monthly pursuant to s. 288.1162 to each applicant that has been certified as a "facility for a new professional sports franchise" or a "facility for a retained professional sports franchise" pursuant to s. 288.1162 Up to $41,667 shall be distributed monthly by the department to each applicant that has been certified as a "facility for a retained spring training franchise" pursuant to s. 288.1162; however, not more than $416,670 may be distributed monthly in the aggregate to all certified facilities for a retained spring training franchise. Distributions shall begin 60 days following such certification and shall continue for not more than 30 years. Nothing contained in this paragraph shall be construed to allow an applicant certified pursuant to s. 288.1162 to receive more in distributions than actually expended by the applicant for the public purposes provided for in s. 288.1162(6).

c.  Beginning 30 days after notice by the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development to the Department of Revenue that an applicant has been certified as the professional golf hall of fame pursuant to s. 288.1168 and is open to the public, $166,667 shall be distributed monthly, for up to 300 months, to the applicant.

d.  Beginning 30 days after notice by the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development to the Department of Revenue that the applicant has been certified as the International Game Fish Association World Center facility pursuant to s. 288.1169, and the facility is open to the public, $83,333 shall be distributed monthly, for up to 168 months, to the applicant. This distribution is subject to reduction pursuant to s. 288.1169 A lump sum payment of $999,996 shall be made, after certification and before July 1, 2000.

8.  All other proceeds shall remain with the General Revenue Fund.

History.--s. 20, ch. 26319, 1949; s. 7, ch. 29615, 1955; ss. 13, 24, ch. 57-1; s. 4, ch. 57-398; s. 13, ch. 59-1; s. 1, ch. 59-336; s. 7, ch. 63-253; s. 5, ch. 65-371; s. 2, ch. 65-420; ss. 21, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 1, ch. 73-305; s. 5, ch. 87-402; s. 39, ch. 89-356; s. 2, ch. 90-203; s. 4, ch. 91-79; s. 33, ch. 91-112; s. 1, ch. 91-274; s. 18, ch. 92-319; s. 1, ch. 93-233; s. 1, ch. 94-245; s. 18, ch. 94-314; s. 36, ch. 94-338; s. 1, ch. 95-304; s. 13, ch. 95-372; s. 19, ch. 96-320; ss. 23, 33, ch. 96-397; s. 1, ch. 96-415; s. 28, ch. 97-99; s. 32, ch. 97-153; ss. 20, 38, ch. 98-46; s. 80, ch. 99-2; ss. 22, 53, ch. 99-228; ss. 56, 66, ch. 2000-171; s. 9, ch. 2000-173; s. 1, ch. 2000-186; s. 2, ch. 2000-206; s. 17, ch. 2000-210; ss. 35, 58, ch. 2000-260; s. 4, ch. 2000-310; s. 3, ch. 2000-354; s. 29, ch. 2000-355; ss. 29, 38, ch. 2001-140; s. 10, ch. 2002-48; s. 1, ch. 2002-291; s. 188, ch. 2003-261; s. 92, ch. 2003-402; s. 1, ch. 2003-404; s. 18, ch. 2004-234; s. 1, ch. 2006-262.