Senate Bill sb1630

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1630

    By Senator Silver





    38-1114-01

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to specialty license plates;

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

  4         creating a Florida Golf license plate;

  5         providing for the distribution of annual use

  6         fees received from the sale of the plates;

  7         providing an effective date.

  8

  9         WHEREAS, it is the mission of Tee Off For Opportunity,

10  a project of the Dade Amateur Golf Association, to provide

11  access to the sport of golf to Florida youth regardless of

12  gender, socioeconomic status, or race by providing grants to

13  sustain and enhance existing amateur and junior golf

14  associations across the state and to promote this state as a

15  golf destination, and

16         WHEREAS, the majority of the middle-income and

17  lower-income parents and guardians of youth in the state lack

18  the opportunity and financial resources to provide access to

19  equipment, golf courses, and training, and thus the majority

20  of the state's children are denied the opportunity to learn to

21  play the game, and

22         WHEREAS, amateur golf associations are currently

23  operating at public golf courses in communities across the

24  state and it is through involvement in these programs that

25  most young people become introduced to golf, and

26         WHEREAS, for youngsters whose families don't have the

27  resources to provide them with private lessons or memberships

28  in private clubs, these local programs are the only way to

29  learn the game and enjoy a few hours on the golf course, and,

30  due to a lack of funds, the exceptional people who donate

31

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1630
    38-1114-01




  1  their time and money to these programs are currently able to

  2  accommodate only a limited number of youth, and

  3         WHEREAS, funds from the sale of the Florida Golf

  4  specialty license plate will enable "Tee Off For Opportunity"

  5  to provide local amateur golf associations with funding,

  6  programming guidelines, professional support, and oversight

  7  for their projects by making available grants that are based

  8  upon strict guidelines and that are renewable based upon data

  9  regarding outcomes reported by the grantees, and

10         WHEREAS, golf is a nonaggressive, noncontact sport that

11  teaches kids self-discipline, initiative, honesty, and

12  etiquette, that fosters physical fitness and character

13  development, and that teaches kids how to surmount obstacles

14  through sustained effort and self-discipline, NOW, THEREFORE,

15

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

17

18         Section 1.  Paragraph (ff) is added to subsection (4)

19  of section 320.08056, Florida Statutes, to read;

20         320.08056  Specialty license plates.--

21         (4)  The following license plate annual use fees shall

22  be collected for the appropriate specialty license plates:

23         (ff)  Florida Golf license plate, $25.

24         Section 2.  Subsection (32) is added to section

25  320.08058, Florida Statutes, to read:

26         320.08058  Specialty license plates.--

27         (32)  FLORIDA GOLF LICENSE PLATES.--

28         (a)  The department shall develop a Florida Golf

29  license plate as provided in this section. The word "Florida"

30  must appear at the bottom of the plate and the words "Golf

31  Capital of the World" must appear at the top of the plate.

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1630
    38-1114-01




  1         (b)  The annual use fees shall be distributed to the

  2  Tee Off For Opportunity Trust Fund of the Dade Amateur Golf

  3  Association. The Tee Off For Opportunity Trust Fund will use

  4  the fees to fund qualified amateur and junior golf programs

  5  currently operated by amateur golf associations at public golf

  6  courses in communities across the state. Requests for

  7  proposals will be disseminated statewide, and the proposals

  8  and programs will be evaluated on their ability to effectively

  9  provide sustained access to golf for large numbers of youth.

10         1.  Ten percent of the use fees will be paid to the

11  Dade Amateur Golf Association to administer the Tee Off For

12  Opportunity project statewide, including the functions of

13  administering the funds, issuing grants, evaluating programs,

14  and providing financial audits. An additional 15 percent will

15  be paid to the Dade Amateur Golf Association to market the

16  promotion of the Florida Golf license plate.

17         2.  Sixty percent of the use fees will be used by the

18  Tee Off For Opportunity Trust Fund to fund amateur and junior

19  golf programs, tournaments, and events statewide. Included in

20  these program funds will be a separate fund to establish and

21  operate a statewide junior golf skills contest. As the founder

22  of the program the Dade Amateur Golf Association will receive

23  15 percent of the use fees as part of the program funds to

24  operate its own junior golf programs, clinics, summer camps,

25  and tournaments.

26         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.

27

28            *****************************************

29                          SENATE SUMMARY

30    Directs the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
      Vehicles to develop a Florida Golf license plate.
31    Provides for the distribution of annual use fees
      collected from the sale of the license plates.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.