Bill Text: FL S0628 | 2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Water Resources
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Failed) 2019-05-03 - Died in Infrastructure and Security [S0628 Detail]
Download: Florida-2019-S0628-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Water Resources
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Failed) 2019-05-03 - Died in Infrastructure and Security [S0628 Detail]
Download: Florida-2019-S0628-Introduced.html
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 ofHistorical andcurrent expenditures 55and projections of future expendituresby federal, state, 56 regional, and local governments and public and private utilities 57 which arebased upon historical trends and ongoing projects or58initiativesassociated with the categories listed in paragraph 59 (a).:601. Water supply and demand; and612. 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) 66subparagraphs (a)1. and 2. The analysis and estimates must 67 address future needsexpendituresbyfederal,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 needsexpenditures. 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 mustshallinclude: 115 (a) Analyses on a statewide, regional, or geographic basis, 116 as appropriate, and mustshallidentify analytical challenges in 117 assessing information across the different regions of thisthe118 state. 119 (b)(4)An identification ofThe assessment must identify120 any overlap in the expenditures or needs for water resources and 121 conservation lands. 122 (5) AGENCY ASSISTANCE.— 123 (a) AgenciesThe water management districts, the Department124of Environmental Protection, the Department of Agriculture and125Consumer Services, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation126Commission, counties, municipalities, and special districts127 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 withmust be given access toany data held 132 by theanagency whichas defined in s. 112.312ifthe officeof133Economic and Demographic Researchconsidersthe datanecessary 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 mustshallbe submitted 138 to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of 139 Representatives by January 1, 20202017, and by January 1 of 140 each year thereafter. 141 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.