Senate Bill 2222

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



    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2222

    By Senator Burt





    16-1371-00

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to manatees; amending s.

  3         370.12, F.S.; providing for an additional

  4         source of funds for manatee rehabilitation;

  5         providing criteria for reimbursement for

  6         manatee rescue and care; 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.  Subsection (4) of section 370.12, Florida

12  Statutes, is amended to read:

13         370.12  Marine animals; regulation.--

14         (4)  ANNUAL FUNDING OF PROGRAMS FOR MARINE ANIMALS.--

15         (b)  Each fiscal year moneys in the Save the Manatee

16  Trust Fund shall also be used, pursuant to s. 328.76(1)(b), to

17  reimburse the cost of activities related to manatee

18  rehabilitation by facilities that rescue, rehabilitate, and

19  release manatees as authorized pursuant to the Fish and

20  Wildlife Service of the United States Department of the

21  Interior. Such facilities must be involved in the actual

22  rescue and full-time acute care veterinarian-based

23  rehabilitation of manatees. The cost of activities includes,

24  but is not limited to, costs associated with expansion,

25  capital outlay, repair, maintenance, and operations related to

26  the rescue, treatment, stabilization, maintenance, release,

27  and monitoring of manatees. Moneys distributed through

28  contractual agreement to each facility for manatee

29  rehabilitation shall be proportionate to the number of

30  manatees under acute care rehabilitation, the number of

31  maintenance days in the facility, and the number of manatees

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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2222
    16-1371-00




  1  those released during the previous fiscal year. The

  2  reimbursement amounts available to be distributed if needed

  3  are the total amount available under s. 328.72(11), s.

  4  328.76(1)(b), and 25 percent of the total amount of annual

  5  user fees from the manatee license plates provided for in s.

  6  320.08058(1). If these funds are not distributed in any 1

  7  year, they must be carried over for distribution in subsequent

  8  years. However, the reimbursement may not exceed the total

  9  amount available pursuant to ss. 328.72(11) and 328.76(1)(b)

10  for the purposes provided in this paragraph. Prior to

11  receiving reimbursement for the expenses of rescue,

12  rehabilitation, and release, a facility that qualifies under

13  state and federal regulations shall submit a plan to the Fish

14  and Wildlife Conservation Commission for assisting the

15  commission and the Department of Highway Safety and Motor

16  Vehicles in marketing the manatee specialty license plates. At

17  a minimum, the plan shall include provisions for graphics,

18  dissemination of brochures, recorded oral and visual

19  presentation, and maintenance of a marketing exhibit. The plan

20  shall be updated annually, and the Fish and Wildlife

21  Conservation Commission shall inspect each marketing exhibit

22  at least once each year to ensure the quality of the exhibit

23  and promotional material. Each facility that receives funds

24  for manatee rehabilitation shall annually provide the

25  commission a written report, within 30 days after the close of

26  the state fiscal year, documenting the efforts and

27  effectiveness of the facility's promotional activities.

28         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.

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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2222
    16-1371-00




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  2                          SENATE SUMMARY

  3    Provides criteria for reimbursement for and an additional
      source of funds for manatee rehabilitation.
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