Senate Bill 0430

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



    Florida Senate - 1999                                   SB 430

    By the Committee on Fiscal Policy





    301-211A-99

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the re-creation of the

  3         National Forest Trust Fund; re-creating and

  4         renaming the National Forest Trust Fund;

  5         carrying forward current balances and

  6         continuing current sources and uses thereof;

  7         amending s. 215.551, F.S., to conform;

  8         providing an effective date.

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10         WHEREAS, the Legislature wishes to extend the life of

11  the National Forest Trust Fund, which is otherwise scheduled

12  to be terminated pursuant to constitutional mandate, and

13         WHEREAS, the Legislature has reviewed the National

14  Forest Trust Fund before its scheduled termination date and

15  has found that it continues to meet an important public

16  purpose, and

17         WHEREAS, the Legislature has found that existing public

18  policy concerning the National Forest Trust Fund sets adequate

19  parameters for its use, NOW, THEREFORE,

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

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23         Section 1.  (1)  The National Forest Trust Fund, FLAIR

24  number 44-2-307, which was created within the Department of

25  Banking and Finance and which is to be terminated pursuant to

26  Section 19(f), Article III of the State Constitution on

27  November 4, 2000, is re-created and renamed the Federal Use of

28  State Lands Trust Fund.

29         (2)  All current balances of the trust fund are carried

30  forward, and all current sources and uses of the trust fund

31  are continued.

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                   SB 430
    301-211A-99




  1         Section 2.  Section 215.551, Florida Statutes, is

  2  amended to read:

  3         215.551  Federal Use of State Lands National Forest

  4  Trust Fund; county distribution.--

  5         (1)  The Comptroller may make distribution of the

  6  Federal Use of State Lands National Forest Trust Fund, when so

  7  requested by the counties in interest, of such amounts as may

  8  be accumulated in that fund.

  9         (2)  The Comptroller shall ascertain, from the records

10  of the General Land Office or other departments in Washington,

11  D.C., the number of acres of land situated in the several

12  counties in which the Apalachicola, Choctawhatchee, Ocala, and

13  Osceola Forest Reserves are located, the number of acres of

14  land of such forest reserve embraced in each of the counties

15  in each of the reserves, and, also, the amount of money

16  received by the United States Government from each of the

17  reserves, respectively.  The Comptroller shall apportion the

18  money on hand to each county in each reserve, respectively and

19  separately; such distribution shall be based upon the number

20  of acres of land embraced in the Apalachicola Forest,

21  Choctawhatchee Forest, Ocala Forest, and Osceola Forest,

22  respectively, in each county and shall be further based upon

23  the amount collected by the United States from each of such

24  forests, so that such distribution, when made, will include

25  for each county the amount due each county, based upon the

26  receipts for the particular forest and the acreage in the

27  particular county in which such forest is located.  The

28  Comptroller shall issue two warrants on the Treasurer in each

29  case, the sum of which shall be the amount due each of such

30  counties from the fund.  One warrant shall be payable to the

31  county for the county general road fund, and one warrant, of

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                   SB 430
    301-211A-99




  1  equal amount, shall be payable to such county's district

  2  school board for the district school fund.

  3         (3)  In the event that actual figures of receipts from

  4  different reserves cannot be obtained by counties, so as to

  5  fully comply with subsections (1) and (2), the Comptroller may

  6  adjust the matter according to the United States statutes, or

  7  as may appear to him or her to be just and fair, and with the

  8  approval of all counties in interest.

  9         (4)  The moneys that may be received and credited to

10  the Federal Use of State Lands National Forest Trust Fund are

11  appropriated for the payment of the warrants of the

12  Comptroller drawn on the Treasurer in pursuance of this

13  section.

14         Section 3.  This act shall take effect November 4,

15  2000.

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18                          SENATE SUMMARY

19    Re-creates the National Forest Trust Fund within the
      Department of Banking and Finance and renames it the
20    Federal Use of State Lands Trust Fund.

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