House Bill 3525
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 3525
By Representative Crow
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to license plates; amending ss.
3 320.08056 and 320.08058, F.S.; creating a
4 Florida Everglades River of Grass license
5 plate; providing for the distribution of annual
6 use fees received from the sale of such license
7 plates; providing an effective date.
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9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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11 Section 1. Paragraph (t) is added to subsection (4) of
12 section 320.08056, Florida Statutes, to read:
13 320.08056 Specialty license plates.--
14 (4) The following license plate annual use fees shall
15 be collected for the appropriate specialty license plates:
16 (t) Everglades River of Grass license plate, $20.
17 Section 2. Subsection (20) is added to section
18 320.08058, Florida Statutes, to read:
19 320.08058 Specialty license plates.--
20 (20) EVERGLADES RIVER OF GRASS LICENSE PLATES.--
21 (a) Because the Everglades ecological system is of
22 special interest and importance to this state, in that it
23 contributes to the state's water supply, provides recreation,
24 serves as habitat for diverse species of animal and plant
25 life, and contributes to a robust regional economy in the form
26 of tourism and both nature-related and resource-related jobs;
27 because it is the policy of the state to conserve and protect
28 its natural resources and scenic beauty; because the
29 Legislature has recognized the Everglades as an area of
30 special concern for restoration and preservation since the
31 1994 Everglades Forever Act; because the Legislature, the
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 3525
568-140-98
1 Department of Environmental Protection, and the South Florida
2 Water Management District have developed plans for the
3 improvement and restoration of the Everglades; because the
4 state has designated the Everglades an Outstanding Florida
5 Water; because the Everglades is an international treasure,
6 celebrated as an International Biosphere Reserve and World
7 Heritage site; and because the Everglades is unique to the
8 State of Florida, in that there are no other everglades in the
9 world, the Legislature hereby establishes a Florida Everglades
10 River of Grass license plate for the purpose of providing a
11 continuous funding source to support the worthwhile effort of
12 Everglades restoration and to heighten public awareness of
13 this economically significant resource. The department shall
14 develop a Florida Everglades River of Grass license plate
15 which shall bear the colors and design approved by the
16 department. The word "Florida" must appear at the top of the
17 plate, and the words "Everglades River of Grass" must appear
18 at the bottom of the plate. The plate must contain an image of
19 the bird "roseate spoonbill" standing beside mangroves.
20 (b) The use fees collected for the Florida Everglades
21 River of Grass license plate shall be collected and annually
22 transferred to the Everglades Trust Fund as established by s.
23 17, Art. X of the State Constitution, which fund is
24 administered by the South Florida Water Management District
25 for the purpose of conservation and protection of natural
26 resources and abatement of water pollution in the Everglades.
27 The following restrictions shall apply to the use of the fees
28 collected for the Florida Everglades River of Grass license
29 plates:
30 1. All fees shall be used for Everglades conservation
31 and restoration projects, with 50 percent of said fees
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 3525
568-140-98
1 dedicated to Everglades research. Unencumbered funds from one
2 year may be carried over to the following year.
3 2. Fees may not be used for administrative salaries or
4 overhead within the water management district, nor for any
5 general coordination fees or overhead outside of the district.
6 3. It is the intent of the Legislature that revenues
7 generated by the Florida Everglades River of Grass license
8 plates shall not be used as replacement funds for Surface
9 Water Improvement and Management Act funds or Everglades
10 Forever Act funds, but shall be used solely for the
11 enhancement of the Everglades.
12 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
13 law.
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16 HOUSE SUMMARY
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Directs the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
18 Vehicles to develop a Florida Everglades River of Grass
license plate. Provides an annual use fee of $20. See
19 bill for details.
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