House Bill hb1171

    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                HB 1171

        By Representative Harrell






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to license plates; amending ss.

  3         320.08056, 320.08058, F.S.; creating a Protect

  4         Florida Whales and Oceans license plate;

  5         providing for the distribution of annual use

  6         fees received from the sale of such plates;

  7         providing a contingent 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 (hh) is added to subsection (4)

12  of section 320.08056, Florida Statutes, as amended by section

13  1 of chapter 2001-355, Laws of Florida, to read:

14         320.08056  Specialty license plates.--

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

16  be collected for the appropriate specialty license plates:

17         (hh)  Protect Florida Whales and Oceans license plate,

18  $25.

19         Section 2.  Subsection (33) is added to section

20  320.08058, Florida Statutes, as amended by section 2 of

21  chapter 2001-355, Laws of Florida, to read:

22         320.08058  Specialty license plates.--

23         (33)  PROTECT FLORIDA WHALES AND OCEANS LICENSE

24  PLATES.--

25         (a)  The department shall develop a Protect Florida

26  Whales and Oceans license plate as provided in this section.

27  The word "Florida" must appear at the top of the plate, and

28  the words "Protect Florida Whales and Oceans" must appear at

29  the bottom of the plate.

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

31  Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Inc., to fund whale

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                HB 1171

    767-120-02






  1  research, rehabilitation, and education programs. Up to 15

  2  percent of the funds received by the institution may be used

  3  for administrative costs directly associated with the

  4  institution's Marine Mammal Research and Conservation program

  5  and this specialty plate funding. Up to 10 percent of the

  6  funds may be used for continuing promotion and marketing of

  7  the license plate. Ten percent of the funds must be

  8  distributed to the Wyland Foundation, Inc. and used

  9  specifically to conduct educational programs in this state

10  which promote conservation of Florida marine mammals through a

11  combination of science and art. The remainder of the funds

12  must be used to collect, analyze, and archive scientific data

13  regarding wild whale populations that inhabit, utilize, or

14  migrate in state waters; provide care and assistance to

15  stranded wild whales; construct and maintain a

16  Harbor-Branch-based teaching marine mammal hospital; train

17  veterinary students in the rescue, medical and rehabilitation

18  treatment, and release and post-release monitoring of stranded

19  whales; distribute information for the purpose of protecting

20  and preserving wild whales; identify wild whale populations;

21  conduct scientific research through genetic, telemetry,

22  bioacoustical, and photographic identification research

23  programs; advance the research technology associated with

24  tracking, monitoring, and categorizing whales; and conduct

25  scientific research to collect, analyze, and monitor water

26  samples from and monitor environmental conditions in waters

27  that cetaceans use.

28         (d)  The marine-life artist Wyland shall design a new

29  "collectors edition" of the plate every 5 years, pending the

30  required approval of artwork by the department.

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                HB 1171

    767-120-02






  1         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2002,

  2  but it shall not take effect unless it is enacted by at least

  3  a three-fifths vote of the membership of each house of the

  4  Legislature.

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  6            *****************************************

  7                          SENATE SUMMARY

  8    Creates a Protect Florida Whales and Oceans license plate
      and provides for the distribution of annual use fees to
  9    the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Inc.

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