Florida Senate - 2018 SB 204
By Senator Bradley
5-00229A-18 2018204__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund;
3 amending s. 375.041, F.S.; requiring a specified
4 appropriation for certain projects related to the St.
5 Johns River and its tributaries or the Keystone
6 Heights Lake Region; requiring the distribution to be
7 reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid on
8 certain bonds; deleting an obsolete provision;
9 providing an effective date.
10
11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13 Section 1. Subsection (3) of section 375.041, Florida
14 Statutes, is amended to read:
15 375.041 Land Acquisition Trust Fund.—
16 (3) Funds distributed into the Land Acquisition Trust Fund
17 pursuant to s. 201.15 shall be applied:
18 (a) First, to pay debt service or to fund debt service
19 reserve funds, rebate obligations, or other amounts payable with
20 respect to Florida Forever bonds issued under s. 215.618; and
21 pay debt service, provide reserves, and pay rebate obligations
22 and other amounts due with respect to Everglades restoration
23 bonds issued under s. 215.619; and
24 (b) Of the funds remaining after the payments required
25 under paragraph (a), but before funds may be appropriated,
26 pledged, or dedicated for other uses:
27 1. A minimum of the lesser of 25 percent or $200 million
28 shall be appropriated annually for Everglades projects that
29 implement the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set
30 forth in s. 373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning
31 Project subject to Congressional authorization; the Long-Term
32 Plan as defined in s. 373.4592(2); and the Northern Everglades
33 and Estuaries Protection Program as set forth in s. 373.4595.
34 From these funds, $32 million shall be distributed each fiscal
35 year through the 2023-2024 fiscal year to the South Florida
36 Water Management District for the Long-Term Plan as defined in
37 s. 373.4592(2). After deducting the $32 million distributed
38 under this subparagraph, from the funds remaining, a minimum of
39 the lesser of 76.5 percent or $100 million shall be appropriated
40 each fiscal year through the 2025-2026 fiscal year for the
41 planning, design, engineering, and construction of the
42 Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set forth in s.
43 373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning Project, the
44 Everglades Agricultural Area Storage Reservoir Project, the Lake
45 Okeechobee Watershed Project, the C-43 West Basin Storage
46 Reservoir Project, the Indian River Lagoon-South Project, the
47 Western Everglades Restoration Project, and the Picayune Strand
48 Restoration Project. The Department of Environmental Protection
49 and the South Florida Water Management District shall give
50 preference to those Everglades restoration projects that reduce
51 harmful discharges of water from Lake Okeechobee to the St.
52 Lucie or Caloosahatchee estuaries in a timely manner. For the
53 purpose of performing the calculation provided in this
54 subparagraph, the amount of debt service paid pursuant to
55 paragraph (a) for bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the
56 purposes set forth under this paragraph (b) shall be added to
57 the amount remaining after the payments required under paragraph
58 (a). The amount of the distribution calculated shall then be
59 reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to
60 paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the
61 purposes set forth under this subparagraph.
62 2. A minimum of the lesser of 7.6 percent or $75 $50
63 million shall be appropriated annually for spring restoration,
64 protection, and management projects. For the purpose of
65 performing the calculation provided in this subparagraph, the
66 amount of debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) for bonds
67 issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth under this
68 paragraph (b) shall be added to the amount remaining after the
69 payments required under paragraph (a). The amount of the
70 distribution calculated shall then be reduced by an amount equal
71 to the debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) on bonds
72 issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth under this
73 subparagraph.
74 3. The sum of $5 million shall be appropriated annually
75 each fiscal year through the 2025-2026 fiscal year to the St.
76 Johns River Water Management District for projects dedicated to
77 the restoration of Lake Apopka. This distribution shall be
78 reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to
79 paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the
80 purposes set forth in this subparagraph.
81 4. The sum of $64 million is appropriated and shall be
82 transferred to the Everglades Trust Fund for the 2018-2019
83 fiscal year, and each fiscal year thereafter, for the EAA
84 reservoir project pursuant to s. 373.4598. Any funds remaining
85 in any fiscal year shall be made available only for Phase II of
86 the C-51 reservoir project or projects identified in
87 subparagraph 1. and must be used in accordance with laws
88 relating to such projects. Any funds made available for such
89 purposes in a fiscal year are in addition to the amount
90 appropriated under subparagraph 1. This distribution shall be
91 reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to
92 paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2017, for the
93 purposes set forth in this subparagraph.
94 5. The sum of $50 million shall be appropriated annually to
95 the St. Johns River Water Management District for projects
96 dedicated to the restoration of the St. Johns River and its
97 tributaries or the Keystone Heights Lake Region. This
98 distribution shall be reduced by an amount equal to the debt
99 service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) on bonds issued after
100 July 1, 2018, for the purposes set forth in this subparagraph
101 Notwithstanding subparagraph 3., for the 2017-2018 fiscal year,
102 funds shall be appropriated as provided in the General
103 Appropriations Act. This subparagraph expires July 1, 2018.
104 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.