Senate Bill sb1110e1

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  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the distribution of proceeds

  3         from the excise tax on documents; amending s.

  4         201.15, F.S.; revising monetary criteria for

  5         distributing portions of the tax to certain

  6         trust funds; requiring that proceeds of the tax

  7         in excess of specified amounts be deposited

  8         into the General Revenue Fund; providing for

  9         increased distributions to certain trust funds

10         under certain circumstances to provide for

11         payments on bonds; revising monetary criteria

12         for distributing portions of the tax to the

13         State Housing Trust Fund and the Local

14         Government Housing Trust Fund for purposes of

15         preserving the rights of holders of affordable

16         housing guarantees; requiring distributions to

17         the State Housing Trust Fund to be sufficient

18         for certain purposes; making appropriations;

19         authorizing the Florida Housing Finance

20         Corporation to adopt emergency rules; providing

21         legislative findings; exempting such emergency

22         rules from the requirements of the

23         Administrative Procedure Act in s. 120.54,

24         F.S., relating to the effective time period for

25         emergency rules; providing an effective date.

26  

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

28  

29         Section 1.  Section 201.15, Florida Statutes, is

30  amended to read:

31  


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    CS for CS for SB 1110                          First Engrossed



 1         201.15  Distribution of taxes collected.--All taxes

 2  collected under this chapter shall be distributed as follows

 3  and shall be subject to the service charge imposed in s.

 4  215.20(1), except that such service charge shall not be levied

 5  against any portion of taxes pledged to debt service on bonds

 6  to the extent that the amount of the service charge is

 7  required to pay any amounts relating to the bonds:

 8         (1)  Sixty-two and sixty-three hundredths percent of

 9  the remaining taxes collected under this chapter shall be used

10  for the following purposes:

11         (a)  Amounts as shall be necessary to pay the debt

12  service on, or fund debt service reserve funds, rebate

13  obligations, or other amounts payable with respect to

14  Preservation 2000 bonds issued pursuant to s. 375.051 and

15  Florida Forever bonds issued pursuant to s. 215.618, shall be

16  paid into the State Treasury to the credit of the Land

17  Acquisition Trust Fund to be used for such purposes. The

18  amount transferred to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund for such

19  purposes shall not exceed $300 million in fiscal year

20  1999-2000 and thereafter for Preservation 2000 bonds and bonds

21  issued to refund Preservation 2000 bonds, and $300 million in

22  fiscal year 2000-2001 and thereafter for Florida Forever

23  bonds. The annual amount transferred to the Land Acquisition

24  Trust Fund for Florida Forever bonds shall not exceed $30

25  million in the first fiscal year in which bonds are issued.

26  The limitation on the amount transferred shall be increased by

27  an additional $30 million in each subsequent fiscal year, but

28  shall not exceed a total of $300 million in any fiscal year

29  for all bonds issued. It is the intent of the Legislature that

30  all bonds issued to fund the Florida Forever Act be retired by

31  December 31, 2030. Except for bonds issued to refund


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 1  previously issued bonds, no series of bonds may be issued

 2  pursuant to this paragraph unless such bonds are approved and

 3  the debt service for the remainder of the fiscal year in which

 4  the bonds are issued is specifically appropriated in the

 5  General Appropriations Act. For purposes of refunding

 6  Preservation 2000 bonds, amounts designated within this

 7  section for Preservation 2000 and Florida Forever bonds may be

 8  transferred between the two programs to the extent provided

 9  for in the documents authorizing the issuance of the bonds.

10  The Preservation 2000 bonds and Florida Forever bonds shall be

11  equally and ratably secured by moneys distributable to the

12  Land Acquisition Trust Fund pursuant to this section, except

13  to the extent specifically provided otherwise by the documents

14  authorizing the issuance of the bonds. No moneys transferred

15  to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund pursuant to this paragraph,

16  or earnings thereon, shall be used or made available to pay

17  debt service on the Save Our Coast revenue bonds.

18         (b)  The remainder of the moneys distributed under this

19  subsection, after the required payment under paragraph (a),

20  shall be paid into the State Treasury to the credit of the

21  Save Our Everglades Trust Fund in amounts necessary to pay

22  debt service, provide reserves, and pay rebate obligations and

23  other amounts due with respect to bonds issued under s.

24  215.619.

25         (c)  The remainder of the moneys distributed under this

26  subsection, after the required payments under paragraphs (a)

27  and (b), shall be paid into the State Treasury to the credit

28  of the Land Acquisition Trust Fund and may be used for any

29  purpose for which funds deposited in the Land Acquisition

30  Trust Fund may lawfully be used. Payments made under this

31  paragraph shall continue until the cumulative amount credited


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 1  to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund for the fiscal year under

 2  this paragraph and paragraph (2)(b) equals 70 percent of the

 3  current official forecast for distributions of taxes collected

 4  under this chapter pursuant to subsection (2). As used in this

 5  paragraph, the term "current official forecast" means the most

 6  recent forecast as determined by the Revenue Estimating

 7  Conference. If the current official forecast for a fiscal year

 8  changes after payments under this paragraph have ended during

 9  that fiscal year, no further payments are required under this

10  paragraph during the fiscal year.

11         (d)  The remainder of the moneys distributed under this

12  subsection, after the required payments under paragraphs (a),

13  (b), and (c), shall be paid into the State Treasury to the

14  credit of the General Revenue Fund of the state to be used and

15  expended for the purposes for which the General Revenue Fund

16  was created and exists by law or to the Ecosystem Management

17  and Restoration Trust Fund or to the Marine Resources

18  Conservation Trust Fund as provided in subsection (11).

19         (2)  The lesser of seven and fifty-six hundredths

20  percent of the remaining taxes collected under this chapter or

21  $84.9 million in each fiscal year shall be used for the

22  following purposes:

23         (a)  Beginning in the month following the final payment

24  for a fiscal year under paragraph (1)(c), available moneys

25  shall be paid into the State Treasury to the credit of the

26  General Revenue Fund of the state to be used and expended for

27  the purposes for which the General Revenue Fund was created

28  and exists by law or to the Ecosystem Management and

29  Restoration Trust Fund or to the Marine Resources Conservation

30  Trust Fund as provided in subsection (11). Payments made under

31  this paragraph shall continue until the cumulative amount


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 1  credited to the General Revenue Fund for the fiscal year under

 2  this paragraph equals the cumulative payments made under

 3  paragraph (1)(c) for the same fiscal year.

 4         (b)  The remainder of the moneys distributed under this

 5  subsection shall be paid into the State Treasury to the credit

 6  of the Land Acquisition Trust Fund. Sums deposited in the fund

 7  pursuant to this subsection may be used for any purpose for

 8  which funds deposited in the Land Acquisition Trust Fund may

 9  lawfully be used.

10         (3)  The lesser of one and ninety-four hundredths

11  percent of the remaining taxes collected under this chapter or

12  $26 million in each fiscal year shall be paid into the State

13  Treasury to the credit of the Land Acquisition Trust Fund.

14  Moneys deposited in the trust fund pursuant to this section

15  shall be used for the following purposes:

16         (a)  Sixty percent of the moneys shall be used to

17  acquire coastal lands or to pay debt service on bonds issued

18  to acquire coastal lands; and

19         (b)  Forty percent of the moneys shall be used to

20  develop and manage lands acquired with moneys from the Land

21  Acquisition Trust Fund.

22         (4)  The lesser of four and two-tenths percent of the

23  remaining taxes collected under this chapter or $60.5 million

24  in each fiscal year shall be paid into the State Treasury to

25  the credit of the Water Management Lands Trust Fund. Sums

26  deposited in that fund may be used for any purpose authorized

27  in s. 373.59.

28         (5)  Four and two-tenths percent of the remaining taxes

29  collected under this chapter shall be paid into the State

30  Treasury to the credit of the Conservation and Recreation

31  Lands Trust Fund to carry out the purposes set forth in s.


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 1  259.032. Nine and one-half percent of the amount credited to

 2  the Conservation and Recreation Lands Trust Fund pursuant to

 3  this subsection shall be transferred to the State Game Trust

 4  Fund and used for land management activities.

 5         (6)  The lesser of two and twenty-eight hundredths

 6  percent of the remaining taxes collected under this chapter or

 7  $36.1 million in each fiscal year shall be paid into the State

 8  Treasury to the credit of the Invasive Plant Control Trust

 9  Fund to carry out the purposes set forth in ss. 369.22 and

10  369.252.

11         (7)  The lesser of one-half of one percent of the

12  remaining taxes collected under this chapter or $9.3 million

13  in each fiscal year shall be paid into the State Treasury to

14  the credit of the State Game Trust Fund to be used exclusively

15  for the purpose of implementing the Lake Restoration 2020

16  Program.

17         (8)  One-half of one percent of the remaining taxes

18  collected under this chapter shall be paid into the State

19  Treasury and divided equally to the credit of the Department

20  of Environmental Protection Water Quality Assurance Trust Fund

21  to address water quality impacts associated with

22  nonagricultural nonpoint sources and to the credit of the

23  Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services General

24  Inspection Trust Fund to address water quality impacts

25  associated with agricultural nonpoint sources, respectively.

26  These funds shall be used for research, development,

27  demonstration, and implementation of suitable best management

28  practices or other measures used to achieve water quality

29  standards in surface waters and water segments identified

30  pursuant to ss. 303(d) of the Clean Water Act, Pub. L. No.

31  92-500, 33 U.S.C. ss. 1251 et seq. Implementation of best


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 1  management practices and other measures may include cost-share

 2  grants, technical assistance, implementation tracking, and

 3  conservation leases or other agreements for water quality

 4  improvement. The Department of Environmental Protection and

 5  the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services may adopt

 6  rules governing the distribution of funds for implementation

 7  of best management practices. The unobligated balance of funds

 8  received from the distribution of taxes collected under this

 9  chapter to address water quality impacts associated with

10  nonagricultural nonpoint sources will be excluded when

11  calculating the unobligated balance of the Water Quality

12  Assurance Trust Fund as it relates to the determination of the

13  applicable excise tax rate.

14         (9)  The lesser of seven and fifty-three hundredths

15  percent of the remaining taxes collected under this chapter or

16  $107 million in each fiscal year shall be paid into the State

17  Treasury to the credit of the State Housing Trust Fund and

18  shall be used as follows:

19         (a)  Half of that amount shall be used for the purposes

20  for which the State Housing Trust Fund was created and exists

21  by law.

22         (b)  Half of that amount shall be paid into the State

23  Treasury to the credit of the Local Government Housing Trust

24  Fund and shall be used for the purposes for which the Local

25  Government Housing Trust Fund was created and exists by law.

26         (10)  The lessor of eight and sixty-six hundredths

27  percent of the remaining taxes collected under this chapter or

28  $136 million in each fiscal year shall be paid into the State

29  Treasury to the credit of the State Housing Trust Fund and

30  shall be used as follows:

31  


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 1         (a)  Twelve and one-half percent of that amount shall

 2  be deposited into the State Housing Trust Fund and be expended

 3  by the Department of Community Affairs and by the Florida

 4  Housing Finance Corporation for the purposes for which the

 5  State Housing Trust Fund was created and exists by law.

 6         (b)  Eighty-seven and one-half percent of that amount

 7  shall be distributed to the Local Government Housing Trust

 8  Fund and shall be used for the purposes for which the Local

 9  Government Housing Trust Fund was created and exists by law.

10  Funds from this category may also be used to provide for state

11  and local services to assist the homeless.

12         (11)  From the moneys specified in paragraphs (1)(d)

13  and (2)(a) and prior to deposit of any moneys into the General

14  Revenue Fund, $30 million shall be paid into the State

15  Treasury to the credit of the Ecosystem Management and

16  Restoration Trust Fund in fiscal year 2000-2001 and each

17  fiscal year thereafter, to be used for the preservation and

18  repair of the state's beaches as provided in ss.

19  161.091-161.212, and $2 million shall be paid into the State

20  Treasury to the credit of the Marine Resources Conservation

21  Trust Fund to be used for marine mammal care as provided in s.

22  370.0603(3).

23         (12)  The Department of Revenue may use the payments

24  credited to trust funds pursuant to paragraphs (1)(c) and

25  (2)(b) and subsections (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), and

26  (10) to pay the costs of the collection and enforcement of the

27  tax levied by this chapter. The percentage of such costs which

28  may be assessed against a trust fund is a ratio, the numerator

29  of which is payments credited to that trust fund under this

30  section and the denominator of which is the sum of payments

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 1  made under paragraphs (1)(c) and (2)(b) and subsections (3),

 2  (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), and (10).

 3         (13)  The distribution of proceeds deposited into the

 4  Water Management Lands Trust Fund and the Conservation and

 5  Recreation Lands Trust Fund, pursuant to subsections (4) and

 6  (5), shall not be used for land acquisition, but may be used

 7  for preacquisition costs associated with land purchases.  The

 8  Legislature intends that the Florida Forever program supplant

 9  the acquisition programs formerly authorized under ss. 259.032

10  and 373.59. Prior to the 2005 Regular Session of the

11  Legislature, the Acquisition and Restoration Council shall

12  review and make recommendations to the Legislature concerning

13  the need to repeal this provision.  Based on these

14  recommendations, the Legislature shall review the need to

15  repeal this provision during the 2005 Regular Session.

16         (14)  Amounts distributed pursuant to subsections (5),

17  (6), (7) and (8) are subject to the payment of debt service on

18  outstanding Conservation and Recreation Lands revenue bonds.

19         (15)  Beginning July 1, 2008, in each fiscal year that

20  the remaining taxes collected under this chapter exceed such

21  collections in the prior fiscal year, the stated maximum

22  dollar amounts provided in subsections (2), (4), (6), (7),

23  (9), and (10) shall each be increased by an amount equal to 10

24  percent of the increase in the remaining taxes collected under

25  this chapter multiplied by the applicable percentage provided

26  in those subsections.

27         (16) If the payment requirements in any year for bonds

28  outstanding on July 1, 2007, or bonds issued to refund such

29  bonds, exceed the limitations of this section, distributions

30  to the trust fund from which the bond payments are made shall

31  be increased to the lesser of the amount needed to pay bond


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 1  obligations or the limit of the applicable percentage

 2  distribution provided in subsections (1)-(12).

 3         (17)  Distributions to the State Housing Trust Fund

 4  pursuant to subsections (9) and (10) shall be sufficient to

 5  cover amounts required to be transferred to the Florida

 6  Affordable Housing Guarantee Program's annual debt service

 7  reserve and guarantee fund pursuant to s. 420.5092(6)(a) and

 8  (b) up to but not exceeding the amount required to be

 9  transferred to such reserve and fund based on the percentage

10  distribution of documentary stamp tax revenues to the State

11  Housing Trust Fund which is in effect in the 2004-2005 fiscal

12  year.

13         (18)  The remaining taxes collected under this chapter,

14  after the distributions provided in the preceding subsections,

15  shall be paid into the State Treasury to the credit of the

16  General Revenue Fund.

17         Section 2.  Effective July 1, 2005, there is

18  appropriated for the 2005-2006 fiscal year to the Florida

19  Housing Finance Corporation $175,500,000 from the Local

20  Government Housing Trust Fund and $74,500,000 from the State

21  Housing Trust Fund for the purpose of providing funds to

22  eligible entities for affordable housing recovery efforts as

23  recommended by the Hurricane Housing Work Group.

24         Section 3.  To administer section 2 of this act, the

25  Florida Housing Finance Corporation may adopt emergency rules

26  pursuant to section 120.54, Florida Statutes. The Legislature

27  finds that emergency rules adopted pursuant to this section

28  meet the health, safety, and welfare requirement of section

29  120.54(4), Florida Statutes. The Legislature finds that such

30  emergency rulemaking power is necessary for the preservation

31  of the rights and welfare of the people in order to provide


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 1  additional funds to assist those areas of the state which

 2  sustained housing damage due to hurricanes during 2004.

 3  Therefore, in adopting such emergency rules, the corporation

 4  need not make the findings required by section 120.54(4)(a),

 5  Florida Statutes. Emergency rules adopted under this section

 6  are exempt from section 120.54(4)(c), Florida Statutes, and

 7  shall remain in effect for 180 days.

 8         Section 4.  Except as otherwise expressly provided in

 9  this act, this act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

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