Bill Text: FL S0566 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Land Acquisition Trust Fund
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2024-03-08 - Died in Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government [S0566 Detail]
Download: Florida-2024-S0566-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2024 SB 566
By Senator Rodriguez
40-00830-24 2024566__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund;
3 amending s. 375.041, F.S.; requiring an annual
4 appropriation from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund to
5 the Department of Environmental Protection to
6 implement the Florida Keys Stewardship Act or to
7 acquire land within the Florida Keys Area of Critical
8 State Concern for specified purposes; prohibiting the
9 department from using the appropriated funds to
10 implement wastewater management projects or programs;
11 requiring that the distribution be reduced by a
12 specified amount; providing an effective date.
13
14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16 Section 1. Subsection (3) of section 375.041, Florida
17 Statutes, is amended to read:
18 375.041 Land Acquisition Trust Fund.—
19 (3) Funds distributed into the Land Acquisition Trust Fund
20 pursuant to s. 201.15 shall be applied:
21 (a) First, to pay debt service or to fund debt service
22 reserve funds, rebate obligations, or other amounts payable with
23 respect to Florida Forever bonds issued under s. 215.618; and
24 pay debt service, provide reserves, and pay rebate obligations
25 and other amounts due with respect to Everglades restoration
26 bonds issued under s. 215.619; and
27 (b) Of the funds remaining after the payments required
28 under paragraph (a), but before funds may be appropriated,
29 pledged, or dedicated for other uses:
30 1. A minimum of the lesser of 25 percent or $200 million
31 shall be appropriated annually for Everglades projects that
32 implement the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set
33 forth in s. 373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning
34 Project subject to congressional authorization; the Long-Term
35 Plan as defined in s. 373.4592(2); and the Northern Everglades
36 and Estuaries Protection Program as set forth in s. 373.4595.
37 From these funds, $32 million shall be distributed each fiscal
38 year through the 2023-2024 fiscal year to the South Florida
39 Water Management District for the Long-Term Plan as defined in
40 s. 373.4592(2). After deducting the $32 million distributed
41 under this subparagraph, from the funds remaining, a minimum of
42 the lesser of 76.5 percent or $100 million shall be appropriated
43 each fiscal year through the 2025-2026 fiscal year for the
44 planning, design, engineering, and construction of the
45 Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set forth in s.
46 373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning Project, the
47 Everglades Agricultural Area Storage Reservoir Project, the Lake
48 Okeechobee Watershed Project, the C-43 West Basin Storage
49 Reservoir Project, the Indian River Lagoon-South Project, the
50 Western Everglades Restoration Project, and the Picayune Strand
51 Restoration Project. The Department of Environmental Protection
52 and the South Florida Water Management District shall give
53 preference to those Everglades restoration projects that reduce
54 harmful discharges of water from Lake Okeechobee to the St.
55 Lucie or Caloosahatchee estuaries in a timely manner. For the
56 purpose of performing the calculation provided in this
57 subparagraph, the amount of debt service paid pursuant to
58 paragraph (a) for bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the
59 purposes set forth under this paragraph shall be added to the
60 amount remaining after the payments required under paragraph
61 (a). The amount of the distribution calculated shall then be
62 reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to
63 paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the
64 purposes set forth under this subparagraph.
65 2. A minimum of the lesser of 7.6 percent or $50 million
66 shall be appropriated annually for spring restoration,
67 protection, and management projects. For the purpose of
68 performing the calculation provided in this subparagraph, the
69 amount of debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) for bonds
70 issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth under this
71 paragraph shall be added to the amount remaining after the
72 payments required under paragraph (a). The amount of the
73 distribution calculated shall then be reduced by an amount equal
74 to the debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) on bonds
75 issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth under this
76 subparagraph.
77 3. The sum of $5 million shall be appropriated annually
78 each fiscal year through the 2025-2026 fiscal year to the St.
79 Johns River Water Management District for projects dedicated to
80 the restoration of Lake Apopka. This distribution shall be
81 reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to
82 paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the
83 purposes set forth in this subparagraph.
84 4. The sum of $64 million is appropriated and shall be
85 transferred to the Everglades Trust Fund for the 2018-2019
86 fiscal year, and each fiscal year thereafter, for the EAA
87 reservoir project pursuant to s. 373.4598. Any funds remaining
88 in any fiscal year shall be made available only for Phase II of
89 the C-51 reservoir project or projects identified in
90 subparagraph 1. and must be used in accordance with laws
91 relating to such projects. Any funds made available for such
92 purposes in a fiscal year are in addition to the amount
93 appropriated under subparagraph 1. This distribution shall be
94 reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to
95 paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2017, for the
96 purposes set forth in this subparagraph.
97 5. The sum of $50 million shall be appropriated annually to
98 the South Florida Water Management District for the Lake
99 Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project in accordance with s.
100 373.4599. This distribution must be reduced by an amount equal
101 to the debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) on bonds
102 issued after July 1, 2021, for the purposes set forth in this
103 subparagraph.
104 6. The sum of $100 million shall be appropriated annually
105 to the Department of Environmental Protection for the
106 acquisition of land pursuant to s. 259.105.
107 7.a. The sum of $20 million shall be appropriated annually
108 to the Department of Environmental Protection for the purpose
109 of:
110 (I) Implementing the Florida Keys Stewardship Act, chapter
111 2016-225, Laws of Florida, by entering into financial assistance
112 agreements with local governments located in the Florida Keys
113 Area of Critical State Concern or the City of Key West Area of
114 Critical State Concern to promote the protection or restoration
115 of Florida Bay, the Florida Keys, and nearshore marine
116 ecosystems, including coral reefs; or
117 (II) Acquiring land within the Florida Keys Area of
118 Critical State Concern as authorized under s. 259.045, with
119 increased priority given to acquisitions that achieve a
120 combination of conservation goals, including protecting the
121 state’s water resources and natural groundwater recharge.
122 b. Notwithstanding any other law, the department may not
123 use the appropriated funds to implement wastewater management
124 projects or programs.
125 c. The distribution must be reduced by an amount equal to
126 the debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) on bonds issued
127 after July 1, 2024, for the purposes set forth in this
128 subparagraph.
129 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.
