House Bill 0613

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







    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 613

        By Representatives Henriquez, Hart, Bradley, L. Miller and
    Bilirakis





  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to specialty license plates;

  3         amending ss. 320.08056 and 320.08058, F.S.;

  4         creating a Tampa Bay Estuary license plate;

  5         providing a fee; providing for the distribution

  6         of annual use fees; providing an effective

  7         date.

  8

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

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11         Section 1.  Paragraph (z) is added to subsection (4) of

12  section 320.08056, Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, 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         (z)  Tampa Bay Estuary license plate, $15.

17         Section 2.  Subsection (26) is added to section

18  320.08058, Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, to read:

19         320.08058  Specialty license plates.--

20         (26)  TAMPA BAY ESTUARY LICENSE PLATES.--

21         (a)  Because Tampa Bay has been targeted by the state

22  as a priority water body for restoration and preservation

23  since the 1987 Surface Water Improvement and Management Act,

24  because the Tampa Bay Estuary Program has developed a

25  comprehensive estuarine management plan as a result of the

26  United States Environmental Protection Agency designating

27  Tampa Bay as an estuary of national significance, because the

28  Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council Agency on Bay Management

29  is an integral part of community involvement in estuarine

30  issues, because the estuarine ecosystem supports a

31  multibillion-dollar ecotourism and commercial fishing

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 613

    716-100-99






  1  industry, and because the Legislature encourages restoration

  2  efforts for the Tampa Bay estuary, the Legislature hereby

  3  authorizes a Tampa Bay Estuary license plate to provide a

  4  continuous funding source for implementation of the management

  5  plan for this ecologically and economically significant

  6  resource.

  7         (b)  The department shall develop a Tampa Bay Estuary

  8  license plate as provided in this section.  Tampa Bay Estuary

  9  license plates shall bear the colors and design approved by

10  the department.  The word "Florida" must appear at the top of

11  the plate, and the words "Tampa Bay Estuary" must appear at

12  the bottom of the plate.  The image of a tarpon must appear on

13  the plate.

14         (c)  The proceeds of the Tampa Bay Estuary license

15  plate annual use fee shall be distributed to the Tampa Bay

16  Estuary Program.

17         1.  Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 320.08062, 20

18  percent of the proceeds from the annual use fee, not to exceed

19  $50,000, shall be provided to the Tampa Bay Regional Planning

20  Council for the support of activities of the Agency on Bay

21  Management.  Up to 5 percent of the proceeds from the annual

22  use fee may be used for marketing the Tampa Bay Estuary

23  license plate.

24         2.  The remaining proceeds from the annual use fee

25  shall be used for implementation of the Comprehensive

26  Conservation and Management Plan for Tampa Bay in accordance

27  with priorities approved by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program

28  Policy Board.

29         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 613

    716-100-99






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  2                          HOUSE SUMMARY

  3
      Directs the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
  4    Vehicles to develop a Tampa Bay Estuary specialty license
      plate.  Provides an annual use fee of $15.  See bill for
  5    details.

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