| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to license plates; amending ss. |
| 3 | 320.08056 and 320.08058, F.S.; creating the St. Johns |
| 4 | River license plate; establishing an annual use fee |
| 5 | for the plate; providing for the distribution of use |
| 6 | fees received from the sale of such plates; providing |
| 7 | an effective date. |
| 8 |
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| 9 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 10 |
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| 11 | Section 1. Paragraph (qqq) is added to subsection (4) of |
| 12 | section 320.08056, Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 13 | 320.08056 Specialty license plates.-- |
| 14 | (4) The following license plate annual use fees shall be |
| 15 | collected for the appropriate specialty license plates: |
| 16 | (qqq) St. Johns River license plate, $25. |
| 17 | Section 2. Subsection (69) is added to section 320.08058, |
| 18 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 19 | 320.08058 Specialty license plates.-- |
| 20 | (69) ST. JOHNS RIVER LICENSE PLATES.-- |
| 21 | (a) Notwithstanding s. 320.08053, the department shall |
| 22 | develop a St. Johns River license plate as provided in this |
| 23 | section. The St. Johns River license plates must bear the colors |
| 24 | and design approved by the department. The word "Florida" must |
| 25 | appear at the top of the plate, and the words "St. Johns River" |
| 26 | must appear at the bottom of the plate. |
| 27 | (b) The requirements of s. 320.08053 must be met prior to |
| 28 | the issuance of the plate. Thereafter, the license plate annual |
| 29 | use fees shall be distributed to the St. Johns River Alliance, |
| 30 | Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which shall administer |
| 31 | the fees as follows: |
| 32 | 1. The St. Johns River Alliance, Inc., shall retain the |
| 33 | first $60,000 of the annual use fees as direct reimbursement for |
| 34 | administrative costs, startup costs, and costs incurred in the |
| 35 | development and approval process. Thereafter, up to 10 percent |
| 36 | of the annual use fee revenue may be used for administrative |
| 37 | costs directly associated with education programs, conservation, |
| 38 | research, and grant administration of the organization and up to |
| 39 | 10 percent may be used for promotion and marketing of the |
| 40 | specialty license plate. |
| 41 | 2. At least 30 percent of the fees shall be available for |
| 42 | competitive grants for targeted community-based or county-based |
| 43 | research or projects for which state funding is limited or not |
| 44 | currently available. The remaining 50 percent shall be directed |
| 45 | toward community outreach and access programs. The competitive |
| 46 | grants shall be administered and approved by the board of |
| 47 | directors of the St. Johns River Alliance, Inc. A grant advisory |
| 48 | committee shall be composed of six members chosen by the St. |
| 49 | Johns River Alliance board members. |
| 50 | 3. Any remaining funds shall be distributed with the |
| 51 | approval of and accountability to the board of directors of the |
| 52 | St. Johns River Alliance, Inc., and shall be used to support |
| 53 | activities contributing to education, outreach, and springs |
| 54 | conservation. |
| 55 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009. |