| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to funding for dredging projects; creating |
| 3 | s. 311.115, F.S.; requiring the Florida Seaport |
| 4 | Transportation and Economic Development Council to |
| 5 | establish a matching funds program for certain dredging |
| 6 | projects; requiring the adoption of rules and criteria for |
| 7 | project evaluation; requiring approved projects to be |
| 8 | reviewed by the Department of Community Affairs, the |
| 9 | Department of Transportation, and the Office of Tourism, |
| 10 | Trade, and Economic Development; providing an effective |
| 11 | date. |
| 12 |
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| 13 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 14 |
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| 15 | Section 1. Section 311.115, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 16 | to read: |
| 17 | 311.115 Dredging projects matching funds program.-- |
| 18 | (1) The Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic |
| 19 | Development Council shall establish a program to fund dredging |
| 20 | projects in counties having a population of less than 300,000 |
| 21 | according to the last official census. Funds made available |
| 22 | under this program shall be used to fund approved projects for |
| 23 | dredging or deepening of channels, turning basins, or harbors. |
| 24 | Funding shall be on a 50-50 matching basis with any port |
| 25 | authority, as defined in s. 315.02(2), that complies with the |
| 26 | water quality provisions of s. 403.061 and the local financial |
| 27 | management and reporting provisions of part III of chapter 218. |
| 28 | (2) The council shall adopt rules for evaluating projects |
| 29 | submitted for funding pursuant to this section and establish |
| 30 | criteria for evaluating the economic benefit of such projects. |
| 31 | The rules shall also establish and require an administrative |
| 32 | review process similar to the process contained in s. 311.09(5)- |
| 33 | (9) for projects approved for funding pursuant to this section |
| 34 | to be reviewed by the Department of Community Affairs, the |
| 35 | Department of Transportation, and the Office of Tourism, Trade, |
| 36 | and Economic Development. |
| 37 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2005. |