Florida Senate - 2018 SB 370
By Senator Bradley
5-00364-18 2018370__
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 annual appropriation to the Florida Forever Trust
5 Fund; deleting an obsolete provision; providing an
6 effective date.
7
8 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
9
10 Section 1. Subsection (3) of section 375.041, Florida
11 Statutes, is amended to read:
12 375.041 Land Acquisition Trust Fund.—
13 (3) Funds distributed into the Land Acquisition Trust Fund
14 pursuant to s. 201.15 shall be applied:
15 (a) First, to pay debt service or to fund debt service
16 reserve funds, rebate obligations, or other amounts payable with
17 respect to Florida Forever bonds issued under s. 215.618; and
18 pay debt service, provide reserves, and pay rebate obligations
19 and other amounts due with respect to Everglades restoration
20 bonds issued under s. 215.619; and
21 (b) Of the funds remaining after the payments required
22 under paragraph (a), but before funds may be appropriated,
23 pledged, or dedicated for other uses:
24 1. A minimum of the lesser of 25 percent or $200 million
25 shall be appropriated annually for Everglades projects that
26 implement the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set
27 forth in s. 373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning
28 Project subject to Congressional authorization; the Long-Term
29 Plan as defined in s. 373.4592(2); and the Northern Everglades
30 and Estuaries Protection Program as set forth in s. 373.4595.
31 From these funds, $32 million shall be distributed each fiscal
32 year through the 2023-2024 fiscal year to the South Florida
33 Water Management District for the Long-Term Plan as defined in
34 s. 373.4592(2). After deducting the $32 million distributed
35 under this subparagraph, from the funds remaining, a minimum of
36 the lesser of 76.5 percent or $100 million shall be appropriated
37 each fiscal year through the 2025-2026 fiscal year for the
38 planning, design, engineering, and construction of the
39 Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set forth in s.
40 373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning Project, the
41 Everglades Agricultural Area Storage Reservoir Project, the Lake
42 Okeechobee Watershed Project, the C-43 West Basin Storage
43 Reservoir Project, the Indian River Lagoon-South Project, the
44 Western Everglades Restoration Project, and the Picayune Strand
45 Restoration Project. The Department of Environmental Protection
46 and the South Florida Water Management District shall give
47 preference to those Everglades restoration projects that reduce
48 harmful discharges of water from Lake Okeechobee to the St.
49 Lucie or Caloosahatchee estuaries in a timely manner. For the
50 purpose of performing the calculation provided in this
51 subparagraph, the amount of debt service paid pursuant to
52 paragraph (a) for bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the
53 purposes set forth under paragraph (b) shall be added to the
54 amount remaining after the payments required under paragraph
55 (a). The amount of the distribution calculated shall then be
56 reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to
57 paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the
58 purposes set forth under this subparagraph.
59 2. A minimum of the lesser of 7.6 percent or $50 million
60 shall be appropriated annually for spring restoration,
61 protection, and management projects. For the purpose of
62 performing the calculation provided in this subparagraph, the
63 amount of debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) for bonds
64 issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth under
65 paragraph (b) shall be added to the amount remaining after the
66 payments required under paragraph (a). The amount of the
67 distribution calculated shall then be reduced by an amount equal
68 to the debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) on bonds
69 issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth under this
70 subparagraph.
71 3. The sum of $5 million shall be appropriated annually
72 each fiscal year through the 2025-2026 fiscal year to the St.
73 Johns River Water Management District for projects dedicated to
74 the restoration of Lake Apopka. This distribution shall be
75 reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to
76 paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the
77 purposes set forth in this subparagraph.
78 4. The sum of $64 million is appropriated and shall be
79 transferred to the Everglades Trust Fund for the 2018-2019
80 fiscal year, and each fiscal year thereafter, for the EAA
81 reservoir project pursuant to s. 373.4598. Any funds remaining
82 in any fiscal year shall be made available only for Phase II of
83 the C-51 reservoir project or projects identified in
84 subparagraph 1. and must be used in accordance with laws
85 relating to such projects. Any funds made available for such
86 purposes in a fiscal year are in addition to the amount
87 appropriated under subparagraph 1. This distribution shall be
88 reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to
89 paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2017, for the
90 purposes set forth in this subparagraph.
91 5. The sum of $100 million shall be appropriated annually
92 to the Florida Forever Trust Fund Notwithstanding subparagraph
93 3., for the 2017-2018 fiscal year, funds shall be appropriated
94 as provided in the General Appropriations Act. This subparagraph
95 expires July 1, 2018.
96 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.