Senate Bill sb2418

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 2418

    By Senator Lawson





    3-1534-02

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act creating the Conservation Land

  3         Acquisition and Management Grants Trust Fund;

  4         amending s. 125.0167, F.S.; revising

  5         limitations on the use of revenues from the

  6         discretionary surtax on documents; defining

  7         terms; providing for the deposit and use of

  8         revenues; providing limitations; providing an

  9         effective date.

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

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13         Section 1.  Section 125.0167, Florida Statutes, is

14  amended to read:

15         125.0167  Discretionary surtax on documents; adoption;

16  application of revenue.--

17         (1)  Pursuant to the provisions of s. 201.031, the

18  governing authority in each county, as defined by s.

19  125.011(1), is authorized to levy a discretionary surtax on

20  documents at a rate not to exceed the rate of 45 cents for

21  each $100 or fractional part thereof of the consideration

22  therefor. Such a surtax shall apply only to those documents

23  taxable under s. 201.02, except that there shall be no surtax

24  on any document pursuant to which the interest granted,

25  assigned, transferred, or conveyed involves only a

26  single-family residence the taxable value of which equals

27  $200,000 or less as assessed by the county property appraiser.

28  Such a single-family residence may be a condominium unit, a

29  unit held through stock ownership or membership representing a

30  proprietary interest in a corporation owning a fee or a

31  leasehold initially in excess of 98 years, or a detached

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 2418
    3-1534-02




  1  dwelling Such a surtax may be levied for the following

  2  purposes: for the purpose of

  3         (a)  Establishing and financing a Housing Assistance

  4  Loan Trust Fund to assist in the financing of construction,

  5  rehabilitation, or purchase of housing for low-income and

  6  moderate-income families. No less than 50 percent of the funds

  7  used in each county to provide such housing assistance shall

  8  be for the benefit of low-income families. For the purpose of

  9  this section, "low-income family" means a family whose income

10  does not exceed 80 percent of the median income for the area,

11  and "moderate-income family" means a family whose income is in

12  excess of 80 percent but less than 140 percent of the median

13  income for the area. For purposes of this section, the term

14  "housing" is not limited to single-family, detached dwellings.

15  The rate of the surtax shall not exceed the rate of 45 cents

16  for each $100 or fractional part thereof of the consideration

17  therefor. Such surtax shall apply only to those documents

18  taxable under s. 201.02, except that there shall be no surtax

19  on any document pursuant to which the interest granted,

20  assigned, transferred, or conveyed involves only a

21  single-family residence.  Such single-family residence may be

22  a condominium unit, a unit held through stock ownership or

23  membership representing a proprietary interest in a

24  corporation owning a fee or a leasehold initially in excess of

25  98 years, or a detached dwelling.

26         (b)  Establishing and financing a Conservation Land

27  Acquisition and Management Grants Trust Fund to assist in

28  financing the acquisition and management of environmentally

29  sensitive and outdoor-recreation lands. As used in this

30  paragraph, the term "environmentally sensitive and

31  outdoor-recreation lands" means natural areas suited to the

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 2418
    3-1534-02




  1  purposes of maintaining the state's and the county's unique

  2  natural resources, protecting air, land, and water quality,

  3  promoting water-resource development to meet the needs of

  4  natural systems and residents of this state, promoting

  5  restoration activities on public lands, and providing lands

  6  for open space and outdoor recreation.

  7         (2)  The levy of the discretionary surtax and the

  8  creation of a Housing Assistance Loan Trust Fund or a

  9  Conservation Land Acquisition and Management Grants Trust Fund

10  shall be by ordinance which shall set forth the policies and

11  procedures of the assistance and grants program. The ordinance

12  must specify the amount of the surtax to be levied for each

13  separate trust fund. The ordinance shall be proposed at a

14  regular meeting of the governing authority at least 2 weeks

15  prior to formal adoption.  Formal adoption shall not be

16  effective unless approved on final vote by a majority of the

17  total membership of the governing authority.  The ordinance

18  shall not take effect until 90 days after formal adoption.

19         (3)  The county shall deposit revenues from the

20  discretionary surtax in either the Housing Assistance Loan

21  Trust Fund or the Conservation Land Acquisition and Management

22  Grants Trust Fund of the county. Those funds must be used as

23  follows:

24         (a)  the Housing Assistance Loan Trust Fund of the

25  county, except that A portion of the such revenues levied for

26  the Housing Assistance Loan Trust Fund may be deposited into

27  the Home Investment Trust Fund of the county as defined by and

28  created pursuant to the requirements of federal law.  The

29  county shall use the revenues only to help finance the

30  construction, rehabilitation, or purchase of housing for

31  low-income families and moderate-income families, to pay

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 2418
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  1  necessary costs of collection and enforcement of the surtax,

  2  and to fund any local matching contributions required pursuant

  3  to federal law. For purposes of this section, authorized uses

  4  of the revenues include, but are not limited to, providing

  5  funds for first and second mortgages and acquiring property

  6  for the purpose of forming housing cooperatives. Special

  7  consideration shall be given toward using the revenues in the

  8  neighborhood economic development programs of community

  9  development corporations. No more than 50 percent of the

10  revenues collected each year pursuant to this subsection

11  section may be used to help finance new construction as

12  provided herein. The proceeds of the surtax shall not be used

13  for rent subsidies or grants, except as provided in paragraph

14  (b).

15         (b)  Revenues deposited into the Conservation Land

16  Acquisition and Management Grants Trust Fund must be used to

17  award grants to local governments, nonprofit organizations, or

18  private land trusts to finance the acquisition and management

19  of environmentally sensitive and outdoor recreation lands, the

20  title to which shall vest in a public agency, to pay necessary

21  costs of collection, and to fund any local matching

22  contributions required under state or federal law. Special

23  consideration shall be given toward using the revenues for

24  projects that are a joint acquisition, either among public

25  agencies or among nonprofit organizations, or by a

26  public-private partnership, for the purposes of land

27  conservation. Land acquired through the proceeds of this

28  surtax must be managed for conservation purposes. No more than

29  25 percent of the revenues collected each year under this

30  subsection may be used to finance the management of

31  conservation and recreation lands as provided in this

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 2418
    3-1534-02




  1  paragraph. As used in this subsection, the term "nonprofit

  2  organization" means an organization the purposes of which

  3  include the preservation of natural resources, and which is

  4  exempt from federal income tax under s. 501(c)(3) of the

  5  Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

  6         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

  7  law, but it shall not take effect unless it is enacted by at

  8  least a three-fifths vote of the membership of each house of

  9  the Legislature.

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11            *****************************************

12                          SENATE SUMMARY

13    Creates the Conservation Land Acquisition and Management
      Grants Trust Fund. Provides for the deposit into the
14    trust fund of revenues from the discretionary surtax on
      documents. Provides for the uses of such revenues.
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