Senate Bill sb0016A

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 16-A

    By Senator Argenziano





    41-500D-05

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to hurricane impacts on

  3         specified agricultural programs; providing

  4         legislative findings with respect to the impact

  5         of the hurricanes and tropical storm of 2004 on

  6         the department's citrus canker eradication and

  7         compensation programs, the spread of an

  8         infestation of soybean rust resulting in the

  9         need to conduct surveys to determine the extent

10         of such infestation, and a projected shortfall

11         in revenues of the Plant Industry Trust Fund;

12         requiring the department to provide a report on

13         citrus canker eradication to the Governor and

14         the Legislature; providing appropriations;

15         requiring the department to maximize available

16         federal funds for certain programs; requiring

17         that the Executive Office of the Governor

18         provide prior notice to the Legislative Budget

19         Commission of allocations from lump-sum

20         appropriations to appropriation categories;

21         providing an effective date.

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

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25         Section 1.  (1)  The Legislature finds that the Citrus

26  Canker Eradication and Tree Compensation programs, soybean

27  crops, and the Caribbean Fruit Fly Certification Program were

28  affected by Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Jeanne, and Ivan and

29  by Tropical Storm Bonnie, which struck the state during 2004.

30  In order to stop further spread of the citrus canker disease

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 16-A
    41-500D-05




 1  and soybean rust, additional work activities are necessary

 2  throughout the citrus and soybean growing region of the state.

 3         (2)  The Legislature finds that soybean rust was spread

 4  into Northwest Florida from South America by Hurricane Ivan,

 5  storms of this strength can spread these fungal spores over

 6  long distances, and soybean rust is one of the most serious

 7  diseases affecting soybeans, with control costs estimated at

 8  $21 per acre. The Legislature further finds that surveys and

 9  diagnostics are needed in order to determine the extent of

10  this infestation.

11         (3)  The Legislature finds that there is a projected

12  shortfall of revenues in the Plant Industry Trust Fund for the

13  purpose of funding the Caribbean Fruit Fly Certification

14  Program, which allows citrus groves in this state to be

15  certified as free of the Caribbean fruit fly so that fruit can

16  be shipped to domestic and foreign markets, such as Japan,

17  China, Europe, California, and Texas. The Legislature finds

18  that personnel must continue to conduct activities needed to

19  meet the requirements of the state's trading partners and that

20  the acres remaining in the certification program are not

21  concentrated in one area of the state.

22         Section 2.  The Department of Agriculture and Consumer

23  Services shall provide a report by February 11, 2005,

24  describing the progress made to date on the eradication of

25  citrus canker. The report must include the number of trees

26  cut, the number of trees for which compensation was paid, the

27  number of Shade Florida vouchers distributed, the amount of

28  state and federal funds spent, and the funding impacts on the

29  2005-2006 fiscal year budget. The report must be submitted to

30  the Executive Office of the Governor, the President of the

31  Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 16-A
    41-500D-05




 1         Section 3.  (1)  For the 2004-2005 fiscal year only,

 2  $7.1 million is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund and

 3  $6 million is appropriated from the Contracts and Grants Trust

 4  Fund to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in

 5  lump sum to implement activities associated with citrus canker

 6  eradication, citrus canker tree compensation, soybean rust

 7  control, and Caribbean fruit fly certification, which were

 8  adversely affected by the 2004 hurricanes and tropical storm.

 9         (2)  In planning the expenditure of funds appropriated,

10  the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services shall

11  maximize available federal funds for citrus canker eradication

12  and citrus canker tree compensation.

13         Section 4.  Notwithstanding the provisions of section

14  216.177, Florida Statutes, requiring a 14-day notice for

15  interim budget actions, and pursuant to section 216.351,

16  Florida Statutes, the Executive Office of the Governor shall

17  provide notice of the allocation of the lump-sum

18  appropriations authorized by this act into traditional

19  appropriation categories to the chair and vice chair of the

20  Legislative Budget Commission at least 3 working days prior to

21  the effective date of such allocation.

22         Section 5.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

23  law.

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 16-A
    41-500D-05




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 2                          SENATE SUMMARY

 3    Provides appropriations to the Department of Agriculture
      and Consumer Services to implement activities associated
 4    with citrus canker eradication and tree compensation, the
      soybean rust program, and the Caribbean fruit fly
 5    eradication program, which were affected by the
      hurricanes and tropical storm of 2004. Requires that the
 6    department report to the Governor and the Legislature on
      its progress in eradicating citrus canker. Requires that
 7    the Executive Office of the Governor provide prior notice
      to the Legislative Budget Commission of transfers of
 8    appropriations.

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