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The Committee on Environmental Preservation and Conservation

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(Saunders) recommended the following amendment:

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     Senate Amendment (with title amendment)

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     Delete everything after the enacting clause

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and insert:

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     Section 1. Sections 373.0069, 373.0693, 373.0695, 373.073,

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and 373.083, Florida Statutes are reenacted.

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     Section 2.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (8) of section

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373.0693, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

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     373.0693  Basins; basin boards.--

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     (8)(a)  At 11:59 p.m. on June 30, 1988, the area transferred

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from the Southwest Florida Water Management District to the St.

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Johns River Water Management District by change of boundaries

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pursuant to chapter 76-243, Laws of Florida, shall cease to be a

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subdistrict or basin of the St. Johns River Water Management

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District known as the Oklawaha River Basin and said Oklawaha

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River Basin shall cease to exist. However, any recognition of an

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Oklawaha River Basin or an Oklawaha River Hydrologic Basin for

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regulatory purposes shall be unaffected. The area formerly known

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as the Oklawaha River Basin shall continue to be part of the St.

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Johns River Water Management District. There shall be established

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by the governing board of the St. Johns River Water Management

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District the Oklawaha River Basin Advisory Council to receive

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public input and advise the St. Johns River Water Management

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District's governing board on water management issues affecting

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the Oklawaha River Basin. The Oklawaha River Basin Advisory

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Council shall be appointed by action of the St. Johns River Water

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Management District's governing board and shall include one

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representative from each county which is wholly or partly

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included in the Oklawaha River Basin. The St. Johns River Water

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Management District's governing board member currently serving

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pursuant to s. 373.073(2)(c)3. shall serve as chair of the

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Oklawaha River Basin Advisory Council. Members of the Oklawaha

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River Basin Advisory Council shall receive no compensation for

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their services but are entitled to be reimbursed for per diem and

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travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061.

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     Section 3.  Subsection (3) of section 373.323, Florida

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Statutes, is amended to read:

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     373.323  Licensure of water well contractors; application,

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qualifications, and examinations; equipment identification.--

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     (3)  An applicant who meets the following requirements shall

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be entitled to take the water well contractor licensure

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examination to practice water well contracting:

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     (a)  Is at least 18 years of age.

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     (b)  Has at least 2 years of experience in constructing,

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repairing, or abandoning water wells. Satisfactory proof of such

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experience shall be demonstrated by providing:

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     1. Evidence of the length of time the applicant has been

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engaged in the business of the construction, abandonment and

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repair of water wells as a major activity, as attested to by

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three letters from any of the following persons:

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     a. Water well contractors.

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     b. Water well drillers.

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     c. Water well parts and equipment vendors.

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     d. Water well inspectors employed by a government agency.

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     2. A list of at least ten water wells that the applicant

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has constructed, repaired or abandoned, which includes the

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following information:

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     a. The name and address of the owner or owners of each

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well.

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     b. The location, primary use, and approximate depth and

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diameter of each well that the applicant has constructed,

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repaired, or abandoned.

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     c. The approximate date the construction, repair or

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abandonment of each well was completed.

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     3. All listed wells must have been constructed, repaired or

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abandoned within five years immediately preceding the filing of

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the license application. At least seven of the ten water wells

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must have been constructed by the applicant, as defined in s.

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373.303(2).

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     (c)  Has completed the application form and remitted a

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nonrefundable application fee.

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     Section 4.  Paragraph (e) of subsection (5) of section

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373.536, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

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     373.536  District budget and hearing thereon.--

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     (5)  TENTATIVE BUDGET CONTENTS AND SUBMISSION; REVIEW AND

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APPROVAL.--

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     (e)  By September 5 of the year in which the budget is

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submitted, the House and Senate appropriations and appropriate

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substantive committee chairs may transmit to each district

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comments and objections to the proposed budgets. Each district

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governing board shall include a response to such comments and

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objections in the record of the governing board meeting where

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final adoption of the budget takes place, and the record of this

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meeting shall be transmitted to the Executive Office of the

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Governor, the department, and the chairs of the House and Senate

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appropriations committees.

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     Section 5.  Subsection (7) of section 373.079, Florida

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Statutes, is amended to read:

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     373.079  Members of governing board; oath of office;

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staff.--

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     (7)  The governing board shall meet at least once a month

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and upon call of the chair. The governing board, a basin board,

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a committee, or an advisory board, may conduct meetings by means

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of communications media technology as provided in the uniform

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rules of procedure adopted pursuant to s. 120.54.

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     Section 6.  This act shall take effect upon becoming law.

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================ T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================

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And the title is amended as follows:

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     Delete everything before the enacting clause

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and insert:

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A bill to be entitled

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An act relating to Water Mangement Districts; reenacts

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specified provisions under the Florida Government

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Accountability Act relating to the creation of the water

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management districts; amending s. 373.0693, F.S.;

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eliminating the Oklawaha River Basin Advisory Council;

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amending s. 373.323, F.S.; entitling applicants who meet

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certain conditions to be certified as a licensed water

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well contractor; amending s. 373.536, F.S.; permitting

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certain chairs of committees of the Senate and the House

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of Representatives to submit comments and objections to

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proposed budgets; amending s. 373.079, F.S.; revising

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meeting requirements for members of governing boards as

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provided in s. 120.54; providing an effective date.

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     WHEREAS, ss. 11.901-11.920, Florida Statutes, the Florida

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Government Accountability Act, subjects the water management

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districts and each district's respective advisory committees to

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a sunset review process in order to determine whether the

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districts should be retained, modified, or abolished, and

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     WHEREAS, the water management districts produced reports

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providing specific information, as enumerated in s. 11.906,

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Florida Statutes, and

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     WHEREAS, upon receipt of the reports, the Joint

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Legislative Sunset Committee and committees of the Senate and

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the House of Representatives assigned to act as sunset review

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committees reviewed the reports and requested studies by the

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Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government

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Accountability, and

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     WHEREAS, based on the reports of the water management

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districts, studies of the Office of Program Policy Analysis and

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Government Accountability, and public input, the Joint

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Legislative Sunset Committee and legislative sunset review

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committees made recommendations on the abolition, continuation,

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or reorganization of the water management districts and each

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district's advisory committees; on the need for the functions

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performed by the districts and the advisory committees; and on

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the consolidation, transfer, or reorganization of programs

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within the water management districts, NOW, THEREFORE,

3/26/2008  12:55:00 PM     EP.EP.05881