House Bill hb1171e1

                                       CS/HB 1171, First Engrossed



  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to license plates; amending s.

  3         320.08056, F.S.; providing an annual use fee;

  4         amending s. 320.08058, F.S.; creating a Protect

  5         Florida Whales specialty license plate;

  6         providing for the distribution of the use fees

  7         received; providing an effective date.

  8

  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 chapter

13  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 license plate, $25.

18         Section 2.  Subsection (34) is added to section

19  320.08058, Florida Statutes, as amended by chapter 2001-355,

20  Laws of Florida, to read:

21         320.08058  Specialty license plates.--

22         (34)  PROTECT FLORIDA WHALES LICENSE PLATES.--

23         (a)  The department shall develop a Protect Florida

24  Whales license plate as provided in this section. The word

25  "Florida" shall appear at the top of the plate, and the words

26  "Protect Florida Whales" shall appear at the bottom of the

27  plate.

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

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

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

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


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                                       CS/HB 1171, First Engrossed



  1  for administrative costs directly associated with the Harbor

  2  Branch Oceanographic Institution's Marine Mammal Research and

  3  Conservation program and this specialty license plate funding.

  4  Up to 10 percent of the funds may be used for continuing

  5  promotion and marketing of the license plate. Ten percent of

  6  the funds shall be distributed to the Wyland Foundation, Inc.,

  7  and used specifically to conduct educational programs in this

  8  state which promote conservation of Florida marine mammals.

  9  The remainder of the funds shall be used to collect, analyze,

10  and archive scientific data regarding whale populations that

11  inhabit, utilize, or migrate in state waters; provide care and

12  assistance to stranded whales; construct and maintain a

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

14  veterinary students in the rescue, medical and rehabilitation

15  treatment, and release and postrelease monitoring of stranded

16  whales; distribute information for the purpose of protecting

17  and preserving whales; identify whale populations; conduct

18  scientific research through genetic, telemetry, bioacoustical,

19  and photographic identification research programs; advance the

20  research technology associated with tracking, monitoring, and

21  categorizing whales; develop methods of monitoring whale

22  movements; and provide for methods of early-warning detection

23  systems and advance notification that will help prevent

24  accidental boat strikes in state waters.

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

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