| 1 | The Committee on Transportation recommends the following: |
| 2 |
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| 3 | Committee Substitute |
| 4 | Remove the entire bill and insert: |
| 5 | A bill to be entitled |
| 6 | An act relating to animal welfare protection programs; |
| 7 | creating s. 570.93, F.S.; creating the Florida Animal |
| 8 | Friend Council as a direct-support organization of the |
| 9 | Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for the |
| 10 | purpose of distributing funds received for sale of the |
| 11 | Animal Friend license plate; providing for membership and |
| 12 | meetings of the council; providing for a grant |
| 13 | solicitation and award process; providing purposes for |
| 14 | funding; amending ss. 320.08056 and 320.08058, F.S.; |
| 15 | creating the Animal Friend license plate; providing for |
| 16 | the distribution of annual use fees received from the sale |
| 17 | of such plates; providing an effective date. |
| 18 |
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| 19 | WHEREAS, 2,000 dogs and 3,000 cats are born every hour in |
| 20 | the United States, and |
| 21 | WHEREAS, one unspayed female dog, her mate, and their |
| 22 | offspring can produce 67,000 dogs in only 6 years, and |
| 23 | WHEREAS, one unspayed female cat, her mate, and their |
| 24 | offspring can produce 370,092 cats in just 7 years, and |
| 25 | WHEREAS, an estimated 800,000 homeless cats and dogs were |
| 26 | euthanized in Florida in the year 2002, NOW, THEREFORE, |
| 27 |
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| 28 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 29 |
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| 30 | Section 1. Section 570.93, Florida Statutes, is created to |
| 31 | read: |
| 32 | 570.93 Florida Animal Friend Council.--The Florida Animal |
| 33 | Friend Council is created as a direct-support organization of |
| 34 | the department to provide for distribution of funds received |
| 35 | from the sale of the Animal Friend license plate under s. |
| 36 | 320.08058. |
| 37 | (1) The council shall be administered by a board of |
| 38 | directors composed of five members as follows: |
| 39 | (a) A representative of the Humane Society of the United |
| 40 | States. |
| 41 | (b) A representative of the Florida Veterinary Medical |
| 42 | Association. |
| 43 | (c) A representative of the Florida Animal Control |
| 44 | Association. |
| 45 | (d) One member at large who shall be appointed by the |
| 46 | members of the council and shall serve for 2 years. This member |
| 47 | shall represent a not-for-profit organization not directly |
| 48 | affiliated with any other member of the council. This member |
| 49 | shall not apply for a grant during the years in which he or she |
| 50 | serves. |
| 51 | (e) One member at large who shall be appointed by the |
| 52 | Commissioner of Agriculture. |
| 53 | (2) Members of the board, unless otherwise specified in |
| 54 | subsection (1), shall serve a term of 4 years or until their |
| 55 | successors are duly qualified and appointed. Members may serve |
| 56 | consecutive terms. |
| 57 | (3) The board shall meet at least biannually. |
| 58 | (4) All moneys received by the council shall be deposited |
| 59 | into an account of the council. |
| 60 | (5) The board shall develop and administer a grant |
| 61 | solicitation and award process for distribution of funds |
| 62 | received for the sale of the Animal Friend license plate |
| 63 | pursuant to the provisions of s. 320.08058. Funding may only be |
| 64 | granted and used for those proposals which are in compliance |
| 65 | with federal, state, and local laws and ordinances. The council |
| 66 | shall provide for the distribution of funds which shall be used |
| 67 | only for the following purposes: |
| 68 | (a) Spay and neuter programs provided by not-for-profit |
| 69 | organizations or governmental agencies in Florida that deal with |
| 70 | spay or neuter programs. |
| 71 | (b) Other emergency animal welfare protection programs or |
| 72 | projects, provided that funding for the program or project is |
| 73 | approved by a unanimous vote of the council. |
| 74 | Section 2. Paragraph (ss) is added to subsection (4) of |
| 75 | section 320.08056, Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 76 | 320.08056 Specialty license plates.-- |
| 77 | (4) The following license plate annual use fees shall be |
| 78 | collected for the appropriate specialty license plates: |
| 79 | (ss) Animal Friend license plate, $25. |
| 80 | Section 3. Subsection (45) is added to section 320.08058, |
| 81 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 82 | 320.08058 Specialty license plates.-- |
| 83 | (45) ANIMAL FRIEND LICENSE PLATES.-- |
| 84 | (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 320.08053, the |
| 85 | department shall develop an Animal Friend license plate as |
| 86 | provided in this section. Animal Friend license plates must bear |
| 87 | the colors and design approved by the department. The word |
| 88 | "Florida" must appear at the top of the plate, and the words |
| 89 | "Animal Friend" must appear at the bottom of the plate. |
| 90 | (b)1. The department shall retain initial annual use fee |
| 91 | proceeds sufficient to cover its costs related to the |
| 92 | development and issuance of the Animal Friend license plate, not |
| 93 | to exceed $60,000. Thereafter, the proceeds of the annual use |
| 94 | fee shall be distributed to the Florida Animal Friend Council as |
| 95 | created in s. 570.93 and used as provided for in that section. |
| 96 | 2. In the first year the plate is issued, no more than 25 |
| 97 | percent of the fees collected may be used for administrative |
| 98 | costs directly associated with the operation of the Florida |
| 99 | Animal Friend Council and marketing and promotion of the Animal |
| 100 | Friend concept and license plate. |
| 101 | 3. In the second and subsequent years the plate is issued, |
| 102 | no more than 20 percent of the fees collected may be used for |
| 103 | administrative costs directly associated with the operation of |
| 104 | the Florida Animal Friend Council and marketing and promotion of |
| 105 | the Animal Friend concept and license plate. |
| 106 | Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2004. |