Florida Senate - 2016 (Corrected Copy) CS for SB 1168
By the Committee on Environmental Preservation and Conservation;
and Senators Negron, Benacquisto, Soto, Flores, Simpson, and
Altman
592-03274-16 20161168c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to implementation of the water and
3 land conservation constitutional amendment; amending
4 s. 375.041, F.S.; requiring a minimum specified
5 percentage of funds within the Land Acquisition Trust
6 Fund to be appropriated for Everglades restoration
7 projects; providing a preference in the use of funds
8 to certain projects that reduce harmful discharges to
9 the St. Lucie Estuary and the Caloosahatchee Estuary;
10 requiring a minimum specified percentage of funds
11 within the Land Acquisition Trust Fund to be
12 appropriated for spring restoration, protection, and
13 management projects; deleting an obsolete provision;
14 providing an effective date.
15
16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18 Section 1. Subsection (3) of section 375.041, Florida
19 Statutes, is amended to read:
20 375.041 Land Acquisition Trust Fund.—
21 (3) Funds distributed into the Land Acquisition Trust Fund
22 pursuant to s. 201.15 shall be applied:
23 (a) First, to pay debt service or to fund debt service
24 reserve funds, rebate obligations, or other amounts payable with
25 respect to Florida Forever bonds issued under s. 215.618; and
26 pay debt service, provide reserves, and pay rebate obligations
27 and other amounts due with respect to Everglades restoration
28 bonds issued under s. 215.619; and
29 (b) Of the funds remaining after the payments required
30 under paragraph (a) but before funds may be appropriated or
31 dedicated for other uses:
32 1. A minimum of the lesser of 25 percent or $200 million
33 shall be appropriated annually for Everglades projects that
34 implement the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set
35 forth in s. 373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning
36 Project subject to congressional authorization; the Long-Term
37 Plan as defined in s. 373.4592(2); and the Northern Everglades
38 and Estuaries Protection Program as set forth in s. 373.4595.
39 From these funds, $32 million shall be distributed each fiscal
40 year through the 2023-2024 fiscal year to the South Florida
41 Water Management District for the Long-Term Plan as defined in
42 s. 373.4592(2). After deducting the $32 million distributed
43 under this subparagraph, from the funds remaining, a minimum of
44 the lesser of 76.5 percent or $100 million shall be appropriated
45 each fiscal year through the 2025-2026 fiscal year for the
46 planning, design, engineering, and construction of the
47 Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set forth in s.
48 373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning Project
49 subject to congressional authorization. The Department of
50 Environmental Protection and the South Florida Water Management
51 District shall give preference to those Everglades restoration
52 projects that reduce harmful discharges of water from Lake
53 Okeechobee to the St. Lucie or Caloosahatchee estuaries in a
54 timely manner.
55 2. A minimum of the lesser of 7.6 percent or $75 million
56 shall be appropriated annually for spring restoration,
57 protection, and management projects Then, to pay the debt
58 service on bonds issued before February 1, 2009, by the South
59 Florida Water Management District and the St. Johns River Water
60 Management District, which are secured by revenues provided
61 pursuant to former s. 373.59, Florida Statutes 2014, or which
62 are necessary to fund debt service reserve funds, rebate
63 obligations, or other amounts payable with respect to such
64 bonds. This paragraph expires July 1, 2016; and
65 (c) Then, to distribute $32 million each fiscal year to the
66 South Florida Water Management District for the Long-Term Plan
67 as defined in s. 373.4592(2). This paragraph expires July 1,
68 2024.
69 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.