Florida Senate - 2016                (Corrected Copy)    SB 1168
       
       
        
       By Senators Negron and Benacquisto
       
       32-01093B-16                                          20161168__
    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         providing an effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Subsection (3) of section 375.041, Florida
   15  Statutes, is amended to read:
   16         375.041 Land Acquisition Trust Fund.—
   17         (3) Funds distributed into the Land Acquisition Trust Fund
   18  pursuant to s. 201.15 shall be applied:
   19         (a) First, to pay debt service or to fund debt service
   20  reserve funds, rebate obligations, or other amounts payable with
   21  respect to Florida Forever bonds issued under s. 215.618; and
   22  pay debt service, provide reserves, and pay rebate obligations
   23  and other amounts due with respect to Everglades restoration
   24  bonds issued under s. 215.619; and
   25         (b) Of the funds remaining after the payments required
   26  under paragraph (a) but before funds may be appropriated or
   27  dedicated for other uses, a minimum of the lesser of 25 percent
   28  or $200 million shall be appropriated annually for Everglades
   29  projects that implement the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration
   30  Plan as set forth in s. 373.470, including the Central
   31  Everglades Planning Project subject to congressional
   32  authorization; the Long-Term Plan as defined in s. 373.4592(2);
   33  and the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program as
   34  set forth in s. 373.4595. From these funds, $32 million shall be
   35  distributed each fiscal year through the 2023-2024 fiscal year
   36  to the South Florida Water Management District for the Long-Term
   37  Plan as defined in s. 373.4592(2). After deducting the $32
   38  million distributed under this paragraph, from the funds
   39  remaining, a minimum of the lesser of 76.5 percent or $100
   40  million shall be appropriated each fiscal year through the 2025
   41  2026 fiscal year for the planning, design, engineering, and
   42  construction of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as
   43  set forth in s. 373.470, including the Central Everglades
   44  Planning Project subject to congressional authorization. The
   45  Department of Environmental Protection and the South Florida
   46  Water Management District shall give preference to those
   47  Everglades restoration projects that reduce harmful discharges
   48  of water from Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie or Caloosahatchee
   49  estuaries in a timely manner Then, to pay the debt service on
   50  bonds issued before February 1, 2009, by the South Florida Water
   51  Management District and the St. Johns River Water Management
   52  District, which are secured by revenues provided pursuant to
   53  former s. 373.59, Florida Statutes 2014, or which are necessary
   54  to fund debt service reserve funds, rebate obligations, or other
   55  amounts payable with respect to such bonds. This paragraph
   56  expires July 1, 2016; and
   57         (c) Then, to distribute $32 million each fiscal year to the
   58  South Florida Water Management District for the Long-Term Plan
   59  as defined in s. 373.4592(2). This paragraph expires July 1,
   60  2024.
   61         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.