Amendment
Bill No. 1993
Amendment No. 099973
CHAMBER ACTION
Senate House
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1Representative Johnson offered the following:
2
3     Amendment (with title amendment)
4     Between lines 335 and 336, insert:
5     Section 10.  Paragraph (c) of subsection (4) of section
61011.62, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
7     1011.62  Funds for operation of schools.--If the annual
8allocation from the Florida Education Finance Program to each
9district for operation of schools is not determined in the
10annual appropriations act or the substantive bill implementing
11the annual appropriations act, it shall be determined as
12follows:
13     (4)  COMPUTATION OF DISTRICT REQUIRED LOCAL EFFORT.--The
14Legislature shall prescribe the aggregate required local effort
15for all school districts collectively as an item in the General
16Appropriations Act for each fiscal year. The amount that each
17district shall provide annually toward the cost of the Florida
18Education Finance Program for kindergarten through grade 12
19programs shall be calculated as follows:
20     (c)  Equalization of required local effort.--
21     1.  The Department of Revenue shall include with its
22certifications provided pursuant to paragraph (a) its most
23recent determination of the assessment level of the prior year's
24assessment roll for each county and for the state as a whole.
25     2.  The Commissioner of Education shall adjust the required
26local effort millage of each district for the current year,
27computed pursuant to paragraph(a), as follows:
28     a.  The equalization factor for the prior year's assessment
29roll of each district shall be multiplied by 95 percent of the
30taxable value for school purposes shown on that roll and by the
31prior year's required local-effort millage, exclusive of any
32equalization adjustment made pursuant to this paragraph. The
33dollar amount so computed shall be the additional required local
34effort for equalization for the current year.
35     b.  Such equalization factor shall be computed as the
36quotient of the prior year's assessment level of the state as a
37whole divided by the prior year's assessment level of the
38county, from which quotient shall be subtracted 1.
39     c.  The dollar amount of additional required local effort
40for equalization for each district shall be converted to a
41millage rate, based on 95 percent of the current year's taxable
42value for that district, and added to the required local effort
43millage determined pursuant to paragraph (a).
44     3.  Notwithstanding the limitations imposed pursuant to s.
451011.71(1), the total required local-effort millage, including
46additional required local effort for equalization, shall be an
47amount not to exceed 10 minus the maximum millage allowed as
48nonvoted discretionary millage, exclusive of millage authorized
49pursuant to s. 1011.71(2). Nothing herein shall be construed to
50allow a millage in excess of that authorized in s. 9, Art. VII
51of the State Constitution.
52     4.  For the purposes of this chapter, the term "assessment
53level" means the value-weighted mean assessment ratio for the
54county or state as a whole, as determined pursuant to s.
55195.096, or as subsequently adjusted. However, for those parcels
56studied pursuant to s. 195.096(3)(a)1. which are receiving the
57assessment limitation set forth in s. 193.155, and for which the
58assessed value is less than the just value, the department shall
59use the assessed value in the numerator and the denominator of
60such assessment ratio. In the event a court has adjudicated that
61the department failed to establish an accurate estimate of an
62assessment level of a county and recomputation resulting in an
63accurate estimate based upon the evidence before the court was
64not possible, that county shall be presumed to have an
65assessment level equal to that of the state as a whole.
66     5.  If, in the prior year, taxes were levied against an
67interim assessment roll pursuant to s. 193.1145, the assessment
68level and prior year's nonexempt assessed valuation used for the
69purposes of this paragraph shall be those of the interim
70assessment roll.
71     Section 11.  The amendment made by this act to s.
721011.62(4)(c)4., Florida Statutes, applies to the certifications
73of the 2004 and later levels of assessment. It is the intent of
74the Legislature that the use of just value instead of assessed
75value for property assessed pursuant to s. 193.155, Florida
76Statutes, for the calculation of such levels for any
77certification made pursuant to s. 1011.62(4)(c)4. or former s.
78236.081(4)(c)4., Florida Statutes, prior to the 2004 tax roll is
79validated and ratified.
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81
82================ T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T =============
83     Remove line 38 and insert:
84the form of the notice; amending s. 1011.62, F.S.; prescribing
85the method by which the Department of Revenue is required to
86calculate the assessment level for purposes of equalizing the
87required local effort to fund the operation of schools;
88specifying that the provisions of the act apply to the
89assessment level for 2004 and after; ratifying any certification
90made under prior provisions of law; repealing s. 373.516, F.S.,
91relating


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