| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to trust funds; creating the Statewide |
| 3 | Mortgage Fraud Task Force Trust Fund within the Department |
| 4 | of Legal Affairs; providing for the administration of the |
| 5 | trust fund and use of moneys therein; requiring that |
| 6 | balances of funds in the trust fund at the end of a fiscal |
| 7 | year remain in the trust fund; providing for future review |
| 8 | and termination or re-creation of the trust fund; |
| 9 | providing a contingent effective date. |
| 10 |
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| 11 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 12 |
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| 13 | Section 1. Statewide Mortgage Fraud Task Force Trust |
| 14 | Fund.-- |
| 15 | (1) The Statewide Mortgage Fraud Task Force Trust Fund is |
| 16 | created within the Department of Legal Affairs. Funds credited |
| 17 | to the trust fund shall consist of revenues from appropriations |
| 18 | allocated by the Legislature and federal grants. The trust fund |
| 19 | shall be administered by the department and used to allocate |
| 20 | funds to the Statewide Mortgage Fraud Task Force and the seven |
| 21 | regional task forces. Activities subject to funding include |
| 22 | developing and coordinating the implementation of the Statewide |
| 23 | Mortgage Fraud Task Force, providing grants to law enforcement |
| 24 | agencies in this state to conduct mortgage fraud investigations |
| 25 | throughout the state, and providing grants to state attorneys |
| 26 | offices for mortgage fraud prosecutions. |
| 27 | (2) Notwithstanding s. 216.301, Florida Statutes, and |
| 28 | pursuant to s. 216.351, Florida Statutes, any balance in the |
| 29 | trust fund at the end of any fiscal year shall remain in the |
| 30 | trust fund and be available for carrying out the purposes of the |
| 31 | trust fund. |
| 32 | (3) In accordance with s. 19(f)(2), Art. III of the State |
| 33 | Constitution, the trust fund shall, unless terminated sooner, be |
| 34 | terminated on July 1, 2013. Before its scheduled termination, |
| 35 | the trust fund shall be reviewed as provided in s. 215.3206(1) |
| 36 | and (2), Florida Statutes. |
| 37 | Section 2. This act shall take effect on the same date as |
| 38 | HB 733 or similar legislation takes effect, if such legislation |
| 39 | is adopted in the same legislative session or an extension |
| 40 | thereof and becomes law. |