Senate Bill sb2120

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 2120

    By Senator Sullivan





    22-1412-02

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to Sea Turtle license plates;

  3         amending s. 320.08056, F.S.; increasing the

  4         annual use fee; amending s. 320.08058, F.S.;

  5         providing for a portion of the annual use fees

  6         to be distributed to the Caribbean Conservation

  7         Corporation; providing guidelines for the

  8         distribution of such funds by the corporation;

  9         repealing s. 370.12(1)(h), F.S., which provides

10         for the Fish and Wildlife Conservation

11         Commission to provide grants relating to marine

12         turtles; providing an effective date.

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

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16         Section 1.  Paragraph (s) of subsection (4) of section

17  320.08056, Florida Statutes, as amended by section 1 of

18  chapter 2001-255, Laws of Florida, is amended to read:

19         320.08056  Specialty license plates.--

20         (s)  Sea Turtle license plate, $22.50 $17.50.

21         Section 2.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (19) of section

22  320.08058, Florida Statutes, as amended by section 2 of

23  chapter 2001-355, Laws of Florida, is amended to read:

24         320.08058  Specialty license plates.--

25         (19)  SEA TURTLE LICENSE PLATES.--

26         (b)  The annual use fees shall be deposited in the

27  Marine Resources Conservation Trust Fund in the Fish and

28  Wildlife Conservation Commission. The first $500,000 in annual

29  revenue shall be used by the Florida Marine Turtle Protection

30  Program to conduct sea turtle protection, research, and

31  recovery programs. The next $250,000 in annual use fees shall

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 2120
    22-1412-02




  1  be distributed to the Caribbean Conservation Corporation to

  2  fund sea turtle research and education programs. The Caribbean

  3  Conservation Corporation shall annually distribute assigned

  4  funds through a Sea Turtle Grants Program that supports sea

  5  turtle research and education activities of Florida-based

  6  nonprofit groups, educational institutions, and coastal

  7  counties. The Caribbean Conservation Corporation shall write

  8  and publish procedures for submitting grant applications and

  9  criteria for allocating available funds, and shall appoint a

10  technical advisory committee, composed of at least five

11  members, including two representatives from the Fish and

12  Wildlife Conservation Commission, to select grant recipients

13  from proposals submitted by eligible entities. Any additional

14  annual revenue shall be distributed as follows: 70 percent

15  shall be deposited in the Marine Resources Conservation Trust

16  Fund and used by the Florida Marine Turtle Protection Program

17  for sea turtle conservation activities; 30 percent shall be

18  assigned to the Caribbean Conservation Corporation for

19  distribution through the Sea Turtle Grants Program. Up to 15

20  percent of the funds distributed to the Caribbean Conservation

21  Corporation may be expended for administrative costs directly

22  associated with the grants program. Up to 10 percent of the

23  funds distributed to the Caribbean Conservation Corporation

24  may be used to promote and market the license plate.

25  Additional license plate revenue, up to an amount not

26  exceeding 30 percent of the total annual revenue, shall be

27  dispersed annually through the marine turtle grants program as

28  provided in s. 370.12(1)(h). The remaining annual use proceeds

29  shall be used by the Florida Marine Turtle Protection Program

30  for sea turtle conservation activities.

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 2120
    22-1412-02




  1         Section 3.  Paragraph (h) of subsection (1) of section

  2  370.12, Florida Statutes, is repealed.

  3         Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.

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  6                          SENATE SUMMARY

  7    Repeals provisions that authorize the Fish and Wildlife
      Conservation Commission to distribute grant money out of
  8    certain proceeds from the sale of Sea Turtle license
      plates and provides for the distribution of such funds to
  9    the Caribbean Conservation Corporation. Provides
      guidelines for the corporation to distribute such funds.
10    Increases the annual use fees for the plates. (See bill
      for details.)
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