Bill Text: FL S1168 | 2016 | Regular Session | Comm Sub
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Implementation of the Water and Land Conservation Constitutional Amendment
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 6-2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-03-10 - Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see HB 989 (Ch. 2016-201) [S1168 Detail]
Download: Florida-2016-S1168-Comm_Sub.html
Bill Title: Implementation of the Water and Land Conservation Constitutional Amendment
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 6-2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-03-10 - Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see HB 989 (Ch. 2016-201) [S1168 Detail]
Download: Florida-2016-S1168-Comm_Sub.html
Florida Senate - 2016 CS for SB 1168 By the Committee on Environmental Preservation and Conservation; and Senators Negron, Benacquisto, Soto, Flores, Simpson, and Altman 592-03274-16 20161168c1 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to implementation of the water and 3 land conservation constitutional amendment; amending 4 s. 375.041, F.S.; requiring a minimum specified 5 percentage of funds within the Land Acquisition Trust 6 Fund to be appropriated for Everglades restoration 7 projects; providing a preference in the use of funds 8 to certain projects that reduce harmful discharges to 9 the St. Lucie Estuary and the Caloosahatchee Estuary; 10 requiring a minimum specified percentage of funds 11 within the Land Acquisition Trust Fund to be 12 appropriated for spring restoration, protection, and 13 management projects; repealing an obsolete provision; 14 deleting an effective date. 15 16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 17 18 Section 1. Subsection (3) of section 375.041, Florida 19 Statutes, is amended to read: 20 375.041 Land Acquisition Trust Fund.— 21 (3) Funds distributed into the Land Acquisition Trust Fund 22 pursuant to s. 201.15 shall be applied: 23 (a) First, to pay debt service or to fund debt service 24 reserve funds, rebate obligations, or other amounts payable with 25 respect to Florida Forever bonds issued under s. 215.618; and 26 pay debt service, provide reserves, and pay rebate obligations 27 and other amounts due with respect to Everglades restoration 28 bonds issued under s. 215.619; and 29 (b) Of the funds remaining after the payments required 30 under paragraph (a) but before funds may be appropriated or 31 dedicated for other uses: 32 1. A minimum of the lesser of 25 percent or $200 million 33 shall be appropriated annually for Everglades projects that 34 implement the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set 35 forth in s. 373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning 36 Project subject to congressional authorization; the Long-Term 37 Plan as defined in s. 373.4592(2); and the Northern Everglades 38 and Estuaries Protection Program as set forth in s. 373.4595. 39 From these funds, $32 million shall be distributed each fiscal 40 year through the 2023-2024 fiscal year to the South Florida 41 Water Management District for the Long-Term Plan as defined in 42 s. 373.4592(2). After deducting the $32 million distributed 43 under this subparagraph, from the funds remaining, a minimum of 44 the lesser of 76.5 percent or $100 million shall be appropriated 45 each fiscal year through the 2025-2026 fiscal year for the 46 planning, design, engineering, and construction of the 47 Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set forth in s. 48 373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning Project 49 subject to congressional authorization. The Department of 50 Environmental Protection and the South Florida Water Management 51 District shall give preference to those Everglades restoration 52 projects that reduce harmful discharges of water from Lake 53 Okeechobee to the St. Lucie or Caloosahatchee estuaries in a 54 timely manner. 55 2. A minimum of the lesser of 7.6 percent or $75 million 56 shall be appropriated annually for spring restoration, 57 protection, and management projectsThen, to pay the debt58service on bonds issued before February 1, 2009, by the South59Florida Water Management District and the St. Johns River Water60Management District, which are secured by revenues provided61pursuant to former s. 373.59, Florida Statutes 2014, or which62are necessary to fund debt service reserve funds, rebate63obligations, or other amounts payable with respect to such64bonds. This paragraph expires July 1, 2016; and65(c)Then, to distribute $32 million each fiscal year to the66South Florida Water Management District for the Long-Term Plan67as defined in s. 373.4592(2). This paragraph expires July 1,682024. 69 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.