Florida Senate - 2009                                     SB 342
       
       
       
       By Senators King, Hill, and Wise
       
       
       
       
       8-00205-09                                             2009342__
    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         
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10         
   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.