Florida Senate - 2011                              CS for SB 196
       
       
       
       By the Committee on Community Affairs; and Senators Fasano and
       Evers
       
       
       
       578-03777-11                                           2011196c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to Choose Life license plates;
    3         amending s. 320.08058, F.S.; providing for the annual
    4         use fees to be distributed to Choose Life, Inc.,
    5         rather than the counties; providing for Choose Life,
    6         Inc., to redistribute a portion of such funds to
    7         nongovernmental, not-for-profit agencies that assist
    8         certain pregnant women; authorizing Choose Life, Inc.,
    9         to use a portion of the funds to administer and
   10         promote the Choose Life license plate program;
   11         providing an effective date.
   12  
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Subsection (29) of section 320.08058, Florida
   16  Statutes, is amended to read:
   17         320.08058 Specialty license plates.—
   18         (29) CHOOSE LIFE LICENSE PLATES.—
   19         (a) The department shall develop a Choose Life license
   20  plate as provided in this section. The word “Florida” must
   21  appear at the bottom of the plate, and the words “Choose Life”
   22  must appear at the top of the plate.
   23         (b) The annual use fees shall be distributed annually to
   24  Choose Life, Inc., along with a report that specifies each
   25  county in the ratio that the annual use fees collected by each
   26  county bear bears to the total fees collected for the plates
   27  within the state. Choose Life, Inc., Each county shall
   28  distribute each county’s share of the funds to nongovernmental,
   29  not-for-profit agencies within each county which assist within
   30  the county, which agencies’ services are limited to counseling
   31  and meeting the physical needs of pregnant women who are making
   32  an adoption plan for their children committed to placing their
   33  children for adoption. Funds may not be distributed to any
   34  agency that is involved or associated with abortion activities,
   35  including counseling for or referrals to abortion clinics,
   36  providing medical abortion-related procedures, or proabortion
   37  advertising, and funds may not be distributed to any agency that
   38  charges women for services received.
   39         1. Agencies that receive the funds must use at least 70
   40  percent of the funds to provide for the material needs of
   41  pregnant women who are making an adoption plan for their
   42  children committed to placing their children for adoption,
   43  including, but not limited to, clothing, housing, medical care,
   44  food, utilities, and transportation. Such funds may also be
   45  expended on birth mothers for 60 days after delivery and on
   46  infants awaiting placement with adoptive parents.
   47         2. The remaining Funds may also be used for adoption
   48  related adoption, counseling, training, or advertising, but may
   49  not be used for administrative expenses, legal expenses, or
   50  capital expenditures. However, a maximum of 15 percent of the
   51  total funds received annually may be used by Choose Life, Inc.,
   52  for the administration and promotion of the Choose Life license
   53  plate program.
   54         3. If no qualified agency applies to receive funds in a
   55  county in any year, that county’s Choose Life funds shall be
   56  distributed pro rata to any qualified agencies that apply and
   57  maintain a place of business within a 100-mile radius of the
   58  county seat of such county. If no qualified agencies apply, the
   59  funds shall be held by Choose Life, Inc., until a qualified
   60  agency under this section applies for the funds.
   61         4.3. Each agency that receives such funds must submit an
   62  annual attestation to Choose Life, Inc. the county. Any unused
   63  funds that exceed 10 percent of the funds received by an agency
   64  each during its fiscal year must be returned to Choose Life,
   65  Inc. the county, which shall distribute the funds them to other
   66  qualified agencies.
   67         (c) By October 1, 2011, the department and each county
   68  shall transfer all of its Choose Life license plate funds to
   69  Choose Life, Inc.
   70         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.