1 | A bill to be entitled |
2 | An act relating to the Water Management Lands Trust Fund; |
3 | amending s. 373.59, F.S.; prohibiting the issuance of |
4 | certain refunding bonds; revising, as of a specified |
5 | fiscal year, distributions from the trust fund to certain |
6 | water management districts to include distribution |
7 | priorities and allocation of specified amounts of such |
8 | distributions to the General Revenue Fund each fiscal |
9 | year; providing an 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. Subsections (1) and (8) of section 373.59, |
14 | Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
15 | 373.59 Water Management Lands Trust Fund.-- |
16 | (1) There is established within the Department of |
17 | Environmental Protection the Water Management Lands Trust Fund |
18 | to be used as a nonlapsing fund for the purposes of this |
19 | section. The moneys in this fund are hereby continually |
20 | appropriated for the purposes of land acquisition, management, |
21 | maintenance, capital improvements of land titled to the |
22 | districts, payments in lieu of taxes, debt service on bonds |
23 | issued prior to July 1, 1999, debt service on bonds issued on or |
24 | after July 1, 1999, which are issued to refund bonds issued |
25 | before July 1, 1999, preacquisition costs associated with land |
26 | purchases, and the department's costs of administration of the |
27 | fund. No refunding bonds may be issued which mature after the |
28 | final maturity date of the bonds being refunded or which provide |
29 | for higher debt service in any year than is payable on such |
30 | bonds as of February 1, 2009. The department's costs of |
31 | administration shall be charged proportionally against each |
32 | district's allocation using the formula provided in subsection |
33 | (8). Capital improvements shall include, but need not be limited |
34 | to, perimeter fencing, signs, firelanes, control of invasive |
35 | exotic species, controlled burning, habitat inventory and |
36 | restoration, law enforcement, access roads and trails, and |
37 | minimal public accommodations, such as primitive campsites, |
38 | garbage receptacles, and toilets. The moneys in the fund may |
39 | also be appropriated to supplement operational expenditures at |
40 | the Northwest Florida Water Management District and the Suwannee |
41 | River Water Management District, with such appropriations |
42 | allocated prior to the allocations set out in subsection (8) to |
43 | the five water management districts. |
44 | (8) Moneys from the Water Management Lands Trust Fund |
45 | shall be allocated as follows to the five water management |
46 | districts in the following percentages: |
47 | (a) Through the 2008-2009 fiscal year, thirty percent to |
48 | the South Florida Water Management District. Beginning with the |
49 | 2009-2010 fiscal year, thirty percent shall be used first to pay |
50 | debt service on bonds issued before February 1, 2009, by the |
51 | South Florida Water Management District which are secured by |
52 | revenues provided by this section or to fund debt service |
53 | reserve funds, rebate obligations, or other amounts payable with |
54 | respect to such bonds, then to transfer $3,000,000 to the credit |
55 | of the General Revenue Fund in each fiscal year, and lastly to |
56 | distribute the remainder to the South Florida Water Management |
57 | District. |
58 | (b) Through the 2008-2009 fiscal year, twenty-five percent |
59 | to the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Beginning |
60 | with the 2009-2010 fiscal year, twenty-five percent shall be |
61 | used first to transfer $2,500,000 to the credit of the General |
62 | Revenue Fund in each fiscal year and then to distribute the |
63 | remainder to the Southwest Florida Water Management District. |
64 | (c) Through the 2008-2009 fiscal year, twenty-five percent |
65 | to the St. Johns River Water Management District. Beginning with |
66 | the 2009-2010 fiscal year, twenty-five percent shall be used |
67 | first to pay debt service on bonds issued before February 1, |
68 | 2009, by the St. Johns River Water Management District which are |
69 | secured by revenues provided by this section or to fund debt |
70 | service reserve funds, rebate obligations, or other amounts |
71 | payable with respect to such bonds, then to transfer $2,500,000 |
72 | to the credit of the General Revenue Fund in each fiscal year, |
73 | and to distribute the remainder to the St. Johns River Water |
74 | Management District. |
75 | (d) Ten percent to the Suwannee River Water Management |
76 | District. |
77 | (e) Ten percent to the Northwest Florida Water Management |
78 | District. |
79 | Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |