Senate Bill sb2120c2
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Florida Senate - 2002 CS for CS for SB 2120
By the Committees on Governmental Oversight and Productivity;
Natural Resources; and Senators Sullivan, Smith, Jones and
Latvala
302-2113-02
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to Sea Turtle license plates;
3 amending s. 320.08058, F.S.; providing for a
4 portion of the annual use fees to be
5 distributed to the Caribbean Conservation
6 Corporation; providing guidelines for the
7 distribution of such funds by the corporation;
8 prohibiting funds from being used for
9 litigation; repealing s. 370.12(1)(h), F.S.,
10 which provides for the Fish and Wildlife
11 Conservation Commission to provide grants
12 relating to marine turtles; providing an
13 effective date.
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15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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17 Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (19) of section
18 320.08058, Florida Statutes, as amended by section 2 of
19 chapter 2001-355, Laws of Florida, is amended to read:
20 320.08058 Specialty license plates.--
21 (19) SEA TURTLE LICENSE PLATES.--
22 (b) The first $500,000 in annual use fees shall be
23 deposited in the Marine Resources Conservation Trust Fund in
24 the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and. The first
25 $500,000 in annual revenue shall be used by the Florida Marine
26 Turtle Protection Program to conduct sea turtle protection,
27 research, and recovery programs. The next $215,000 in annual
28 use fees shall be distributed to the Caribbean Conservation
29 Corporation, located in Gainesville, to fund sea turtle
30 research and education programs that benefit Florida sea
31 turtles. The Caribbean Conservation Corporation shall annually
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Florida Senate - 2002 CS for CS for SB 2120
302-2113-02
1 distribute assigned funds through a Sea Turtle Grants Program
2 that supports sea turtle research and education activities of
3 Florida-based nonprofit groups, educational institutions, and
4 Florida coastal counties. The Caribbean Conservation
5 Corporation shall write and publish procedures for submitting
6 grant applications and criteria for allocating available
7 funds, and shall appoint a technical advisory committee,
8 composed of at least five members, including two
9 representatives from the Fish and Wildlife Conservation
10 Commission, to select grant recipients from proposals
11 submitted by eligible entities. Any additional annual revenue
12 shall be distributed as follows: 70 percent shall be deposited
13 in the Marine Resources Conservation Trust Fund and used by
14 the Florida Marine Turtle Protection Program for sea turtle
15 conservation activities; and 30 percent shall be assigned to
16 the Caribbean Conservation Corporation for distribution
17 through the Sea Turtle Grants Program. Up to 15 percent of the
18 funds distributed to the Caribbean Conservation Corporation
19 may be expended for administrative costs directly associated
20 with the grants program. Up to 10 percent of the funds
21 distributed to the Caribbean Conservation Corporation may be
22 used to promote and market the Sea Turtle license plate. None
23 of the funds received by the Caribbean Conservation
24 Corporation from the Sea Turtle license plate or the Sea
25 Turtle Grants Program, nor funds received by any grant
26 recipients of the Sea Turtle Grants Program, may be used for
27 purposes of litigation. Additional license plate revenue, up
28 to an amount not exceeding 30 percent of the total annual
29 revenue, shall be dispersed annually through the marine turtle
30 grants program as provided in s. 370.12(1)(h). The remaining
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2002 CS for CS for SB 2120
302-2113-02
1 annual use proceeds shall be used by the Florida Marine Turtle
2 Protection Program for sea turtle conservation activities.
3 Section 2. Paragraph (h) of subsection (1) of section
4 370.12, Florida Statutes, is repealed effective June 30, 2003.
5 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.
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7 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
8 CS for Senate Bill 2120
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10 Removes the bill's $5.00 annual use fee increase. Limits the
grants to programs that benefit Florida sea turtles. Limits
11 grant distribution to educational institutions, Florida-based
nonprofit groups, and Florida coastal counties. Provides that
12 no funds may be used for litigation.
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