Florida Senate - 2019 SB 628
By Senator Albritton
26-00920A-19 2019628__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to water resources; amending s.
3 403.928, F.S.; declaring legislative intent; revising
4 requirements for the Office of Economic and
5 Demographic Research’s annual assessment of this
6 state’s water resources and conservation lands;
7 requiring the office to consult with the Department of
8 Environmental Protection; defining the term “agency”;
9 requiring the assessment to be submitted to the
10 Legislature by a specified date; making technical
11 changes; providing an effective date.
12
13 WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that water constitutes a
14 public resource that benefits the entire state, and
15 WHEREAS, water is an essential element to Florida’s current
16 and future growth, sustainability, and environmental health, and
17 WHEREAS, a water and lands assessment that is based on
18 needs, and not simply expenditures, is vital to successfully
19 plan for Florida’s current and future population growth and
20 infrastructure needs, NOW, THEREFORE,
21
22 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
23
24 Section 1. Section 403.928, Florida Statutes, is amended to
25 read:
26 403.928 Assessment of water resources and conservation
27 lands.—The Office of Economic and Demographic Research, in
28 consultation with the department, shall conduct an annual
29 assessment of Florida’s water resources and conservation lands.
30 (1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.—The Legislature intends that the
31 Office of Economic and Demographic Research interpret this
32 section, to the maximum extent practicable, in a manner that
33 provides the Legislature with the most comprehensive annual
34 assessment of this state’s water infrastructure funding needs,
35 including, but not limited to, residential, commercial,
36 environmental, agricultural, and industrial. It is further the
37 intent of the Legislature that the office coordinate, to the
38 greatest extent possible, with the Department of Environmental
39 Protection to produce the annual assessment.
40 (2)(1) WATER RESOURCES.—The assessment must include:
41 (a) A quantitative, needs-based evaluation of all of the
42 following:
43 1. Water supply infrastructure, including, but not limited
44 to, water supply development projects, water resource
45 development projects, and water conservation.
46 2. Water quality protection and restoration, including, but
47 not limited to, septic system conversion, basin management
48 action plans under s. 403.067(7)(a), and surface water
49 improvement and management plans under s. 373.453.
50 3. Wastewater infrastructure, including septic systems.
51 4. Stormwater infrastructure.
52 5. Flood control infrastructure.
53 6. Environmental restoration.
54 (b)(a) An evaluation of Historical and current expenditures
55 and projections of future expenditures by federal, state,
56 regional, and local governments and public and private utilities
57 which are based upon historical trends and ongoing projects or
58 initiatives associated with the categories listed in paragraph
59 (a).:
60 1. Water supply and demand; and
61 2. Water quality protection and restoration.
62 (c)(b) An analysis and estimates of future expenditures by
63 federal, state, regional, and local governments and public and
64 private utilities necessary to comply with federal and state
65 laws and regulations governing paragraphs (a) and (b)
66 subparagraphs (a)1. and 2. The analysis and estimates must
67 address future needs expenditures by federal, state, regional,
68 and local governments and all public and private utilities
69 necessary to achieve the requirements in s. 7, Art. II of the
70 State Constitution, and the Legislature’s intent that sufficient
71 water be available for all existing and future reasonable
72 beneficial uses and the natural systems, and that adverse
73 effects of competition for water supplies be avoided. The
74 assessment must include a compilation of projected water supply
75 and demand data developed by each water management district
76 pursuant to ss. 373.036 and 373.709, with notations regarding
77 any significant differences between the methods used by the
78 districts to calculate the data.
79 (d)(c) Forecasts of federal, state, regional, and local
80 government revenues dedicated in current law for the purposes
81 specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) subparagraphs (a)1. and 2.
82 or that have been historically allocated for these purposes, as
83 well as public and private utility revenues.
84 (e)(d) An identification of gaps between projected revenues
85 and projected and estimated needs expenditures.
86 (f) A comprehensive list of funding options to fulfill any
87 funding gaps identified in paragraph (e). In creating the list,
88 the Office of Economic and Demographic Research shall evaluate,
89 at a minimum, existing revenue sources, potential additional
90 revenue sources, and funding mechanisms used by other states for
91 water infrastructure and environmental restoration.
92 (3)(2) CONSERVATION LANDS.—The assessment must include all
93 of the following:
94 (a) Historical and current expenditures and projections of
95 future expenditures by federal, state, regional, and local
96 governments based upon historical trends and ongoing projects or
97 initiatives associated with real property interests eligible for
98 funding under s. 259.105.
99 (b) An analysis and estimates of future expenditures by
100 federal, state, regional, and local governments necessary to
101 purchase lands identified in plans set forth by state agencies
102 or water management districts.
103 (c) An analysis of the ad valorem tax impacts, by county,
104 resulting from public ownership of conservation lands.
105 (d) Forecasts of federal, state, regional, and local
106 government revenues dedicated in current law to maintain
107 conservation lands and the gap between projected expenditures
108 and revenues.
109 (e) The total percentage of Florida real property that is
110 publicly owned for conservation purposes.
111 (f) A comparison of the cost of acquiring and maintaining
112 conservation lands under fee simple or less than fee simple
113 ownership.
114 (4)(3) SCOPE.—The assessment must shall include:
115 (a) Analyses on a statewide, regional, or geographic basis,
116 as appropriate, and must shall identify analytical challenges in
117 assessing information across the different regions of this the
118 state.
119 (b)(4) An identification of The assessment must identify
120 any overlap in the expenditures or needs for water resources and
121 conservation lands.
122 (5) AGENCY ASSISTANCE.—
123 (a) Agencies The water management districts, the Department
124 of Environmental Protection, the Department of Agriculture and
125 Consumer Services, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation
126 Commission, counties, municipalities, and special districts
127 shall provide assistance to the Office of Economic and
128 Demographic Research related to their respective areas of
129 expertise.
130 (b)(6) An agency must provide the Office of Economic and
131 Demographic Research with must be given access to any data held
132 by the an agency which as defined in s. 112.312 if the office of
133 Economic and Demographic Research considers the data necessary
134 to complete the assessment, including any confidential data.
135 (c) As used in this subsection, the term “agency” has the
136 same meaning as in s. 112.312.
137 (6)(7) SUBMISSION.—The assessment must shall be submitted
138 to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
139 Representatives by January 1, 2020 2017, and by January 1 of
140 each year thereafter.
141 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.