Senate Bill 2024

    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 2024

    By Senator Latvala





    19-1457-98

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the Florida Forever Program;

  3         providing legislative intent for the Florida

  4         Forever Program; amending s. 201.15, F.S.;

  5         providing for the allocation of certain taxes

  6         collected for debt service payments pursuant to

  7         the Florida Forever Program; providing an

  8         effective date.

  9

10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

11

12         Section 1.  Florida Forever Program; legislative

13  intent.--

14         (1)  Florida's continued population growth contributes

15  to the degradation of water resources, the destruction of

16  wildlife habitats, the loss of recreation space, and the

17  diminishment of wetlands and forests.

18         (2)  The Preservation 2000 Program has provided

19  tremendous financial resources for the purchase of

20  environmentally significant lands to protect them from

21  imminent development and to assure that future generations

22  will have access to important open spaces and recreational and

23  conservation lands.

24         (3)  It is the intent of the Legislature to change the

25  focus and direction of the state's major land acquisition

26  programs and extend funding and bonding capabilities to meet

27  the needs of future generations to enjoy the outdoors and

28  natural resources of Florida forever.

29         (4)  Although the Florida Forever Program will continue

30  to purchase lands and interests in lands of the type acquired

31  through the Preservation 2000 Program, the Legislature intends

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 2024
    19-1457-98




  1  that this new program emphasize priority needs for acquiring

  2  parcels to facilitate ecosystem restoration and management; to

  3  assist water management, water resource development, and water

  4  supply development; to provide for coastal protection; to

  5  create fixed capital outlay projects implementing approved

  6  Surface Water Improvement and Management Plans and other

  7  ecosystem restoration plans; and to provide green spaces and

  8  fixed capital outlay projects to facilitate the enjoyment of

  9  recreational opportunities.

10         Section 2.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section

11  201.15, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

12         201.15  Distribution of taxes collected.--All taxes

13  collected under this chapter shall be subject to the service

14  charge imposed in s. 215.20(1) and shall be distributed as

15  follows:

16         (1)  Sixty-two and sixty-three hundredths percent of

17  the remaining taxes collected under this chapter shall be used

18  for the following purposes:

19         (a)  Subject to the maximum amount limitations set

20  forth in this paragraph, an amount as shall be necessary to

21  pay the debt service on, or fund debt service reserve funds,

22  rebate obligations, or other amounts with respect to bonds

23  issued pursuant to s. 375.051 and payable from moneys

24  transferred to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund pursuant to

25  this paragraph shall be paid into the State Treasury to the

26  credit of the Land Acquisition Trust Fund to be used for such

27  purposes. The amount transferred to the Land Acquisition Trust

28  Fund shall not exceed $90 million in fiscal year 1992-1993,

29  $120 million in fiscal year 1993-1994, $150 million in fiscal

30  year 1994-1995, $180 million in fiscal year 1995-1996, $210

31  million in fiscal year 1996-1997, and $240 million in fiscal

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 2024
    19-1457-98




  1  year 1997-1998, $270 million in fiscal year 1998-1999, and

  2  $300 million in fiscal year 1999-2000 and thereafter. After

  3  July 1, 1998, the amount transferred for prior debt service

  4  for the Preservation 2000 Program and for new debt service for

  5  the Florida Forever Program may not exceed $270 million in

  6  fiscal year 1998-1999, $300 million in fiscal year 1999-2000,

  7  $330 million in fiscal year 2000-2001, $360 million in fiscal

  8  year 2001-2002, $390 million in fiscal year 2002-2003, $420

  9  million in fiscal year 2003-2004, $450 million in fiscal year

10  2004-2005, $480 million in fiscal year 2005-2006, $510 million

11  in fiscal year 2006-2007, and $540 million in fiscal year

12  2007-2008 and thereafter.  No individual series of bonds may

13  be issued pursuant to this paragraph unless the first year's

14  debt service for such bonds is specifically appropriated in

15  the General Appropriations Act. No moneys transferred to the

16  Land Acquisition Trust Fund pursuant to this paragraph, or

17  earnings thereon, shall be used or made available to pay debt

18  service on the Save Our Coast revenue bonds.

19         Section 3.  This act shall take effect on the effective

20  date of a constitutional amendment extending the Land

21  Acquisition Trust Fund beyond its scheduled repeal in the year

22  2013.

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24            *****************************************

25                          SENATE SUMMARY

26    Provides legislative intent for the Florida Forever
      Program. Provides for the distribution of taxes for prior
27    debt service for the Preservation 2000 Program and for
      new debt service for the Florida Forever Program.
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