Senate Bill sb0392

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SB 392

    By Senator Saunders





    37-311A-07

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to Everglades restoration;

  3         amending s. 215.619, F.S.; providing for

  4         issuance of Everglades restoration bonds to

  5         implement the Lake Okeechobee Protection Plan;

  6         extending the period for issuance and maturity

  7         of Everglades restoration bonds; authorizing an

  8         increase in the amount of such bonds; providing

  9         for the disposition of lands purchased with

10         bond proceeds which are later deemed not needed

11         to implement the Lake Okeechobee Protection

12         Plan; amending s. 373.470, F.S.; providing a

13         definition; providing for deposit of certain

14         funds into the Save Our Everglades Trust Fund

15         to finance implementation of the Lake

16         Okeechobee Protection Plan; extending the

17         period for depositing state funds into the Save

18         Our Everglades Trust Fund; increasing the

19         amount deposited into such trust fund; revising

20         the fiscal year in which local sponsors are

21         required to equally match funds distributed

22         from the trust fund; amending s. 373.472, F.S.;

23         authorizing use of the Save Our Everglades

24         Trust Fund to implement the Lake Okeechobee

25         Protection Plan; providing an effective date.

26  

27  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

28  

29         Section 1.  Subsections (1) and (6) of section 215.619,

30  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

31         215.619  Bonds for Everglades restoration.--

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SB 392
    37-311A-07




 1         (1)  The issuance of Everglades restoration bonds to

 2  finance or refinance the cost of acquisition and improvement

 3  of land, water areas, and related property interests and

 4  resources for the purpose of implementing the Comprehensive

 5  Everglades Restoration Plan under s. 373.470 and the Lake

 6  Okeechobee Protection Plan under s. 373.4595 is authorized in

 7  accordance with s. 11(e), Art. VII of the State Constitution.

 8  Everglades restoration bonds, except refunding bonds, may be

 9  issued only in fiscal years 2002-2003 through 2009-2020

10  2009-2010 and may not be issued in an amount exceeding $150

11  $100 million per fiscal year unless the Department of

12  Environmental Protection has requested additional amounts in

13  order to achieve cost savings or accelerate the purchase of

14  land. The duration of Everglades restoration bonds may not

15  exceed 20 annual maturities, and those bonds must mature by

16  December 31, 2040 2030. Except for refunding bonds, a series

17  of bonds may not be issued unless an amount equal to the debt

18  service coming due in the year of issuance has been

19  appropriated by the Legislature.

20         (6)  Lands purchased using bond proceeds under this

21  section paragraph which are later determined by the South

22  Florida Water Management District and the Department of

23  Environmental Protection as not needed to implement the

24  comprehensive plan or the protection plan, respectively, shall

25  either be surplused at no less than appraised value, and the

26  proceeds from the sale of such lands shall be deposited into

27  the Save Our Everglades Trust Fund to be used to implement the

28  respective plans comprehensive plan, or the South Florida

29  Water Management District shall use a different source of

30  funds to pay for or reimburse the Save Our Everglades Trust

31  

                                  2

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SB 392
    37-311A-07




 1  Fund for that portion of land not needed to implement the

 2  comprehensive plan or the protection plan, respectively.

 3         Section 2.  Subsections (2) and (4), paragraph (a) of

 4  subsection (5), and paragraph (a) of subsection (6) of section

 5  373.470, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

 6         373.470  Everglades restoration.--

 7         (2)  DEFINITIONS.--As used in this section, the term:

 8         (a)  "Comprehensive plan" means the recommended

 9  comprehensive plan contained within the "Final Integrated

10  Feasibility Report and Programmatic Environmental Impact

11  Statement, April 1999" and submitted to Congress on July 1,

12  1999.

13         (b)  "Corps" means the United States Army Corps of

14  Engineers.

15         (c)  "District" means the South Florida Water

16  Management District.

17         (d)  "Lake Okeechobee Protection Plan" means the plan

18  developed pursuant to s. 373.4595 and ss. 373.451-373.459.

19         (e)(d)  "Project" means the Central and Southern

20  Florida Project authorized under the heading "CENTRAL AND

21  SOUTHERN FLORIDA" in s. 203 of the Flood Control Act of 1948

22  (62 Stat. 1176), and any modification to the project

23  authorized by law.

24         (f)(e)  "Project component" means any structural or

25  operational change, resulting from the comprehensive plan, to

26  the project as it existed and was operated as of January 1,

27  1999.

28         (g)(f)  "Project implementation report" means the

29  project implementation report as described in the "Final

30  Integrated Feasibility Report and Programmatic Environmental

31  

                                  3

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SB 392
    37-311A-07




 1  Impact Statement, April 1999" and submitted to Congress on

 2  July 1, 1999.

 3         (4)  SAVE OUR EVERGLADES TRUST FUND; FUNDS AUTHORIZED

 4  FOR DEPOSIT.--The following funds may be deposited into the

 5  Save Our Everglades Trust Fund created by s. 373.472 to

 6  finance implementation of the comprehensive plan and the Lake

 7  Okeechobee Protection Plan:

 8         (a)  In fiscal year 2000-2001, funds described in s.

 9  259.101(3).

10         (a)(b)  Funds described in subsection (5).

11         (b)(c)  Federal funds appropriated by Congress for

12  implementation of the comprehensive plan or the Lake

13  Okeechobee Protection Plan.

14         (c)(d)  Any additional funds appropriated by the

15  Legislature for the purpose of implementing the comprehensive

16  plan or the protection plan.

17         (d)(e)  Gifts designated for implementation of the

18  comprehensive plan or the protection plan from individuals,

19  corporations, or other entities.

20         (e)(f)  Funds made available pursuant to s. 201.15 for

21  debt service for Everglades restoration bonds.

22         (5)  SAVE OUR EVERGLADES TRUST FUND SUPPLEMENTED.--

23         (a)1.  For fiscal year 2000-2001, $50 million of state

24  funds shall be deposited into the Save Our Everglades Trust

25  Fund created by s. 373.472.

26         2.  For each year of the 13 9 consecutive years

27  beginning with fiscal year 2007-2008 2001-2002, $150 $75

28  million of state funds shall be deposited into the Save Our

29  Everglades Trust Fund created by s. 373.472.

30         3.  As an alternative to subparagraph 2., proceeds of

31  bonds issued under s. 215.619 may be deposited into the Save

                                  4

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SB 392
    37-311A-07




 1  Our Everglades Trust Fund created under s. 373.472.  To

 2  enhance flexibility, funds to be deposited into the Save Our

 3  Everglades Trust Fund may consist of any combination of state

 4  funds and Everglades restoration bonds.

 5         (6)  DISTRIBUTIONS FROM SAVE OUR EVERGLADES TRUST

 6  FUND.--

 7         (a)  Except for funds appropriated for debt service,

 8  the department shall distribute funds in the Save Our

 9  Everglades Trust Fund to the district in accordance with a

10  legislative appropriation and s. 373.026(8)(b) and (c).

11  Distribution of funds from the Save Our Everglades Trust Fund

12  shall be equally matched by the cumulative contributions from

13  all local sponsors by fiscal year 2019-2020 2009-2010 by

14  providing funding or credits toward project components. The

15  dollar value of in-kind work by local sponsors in furtherance

16  of the comprehensive plan and existing interest in public

17  lands needed for a project component are credits towards the

18  local sponsors' contributions.

19         Section 3.  Subsection (1) of section 373.472, Florida

20  Statutes, is amended to read:

21         373.472  Save Our Everglades Trust Fund.--

22         (1)  There is created within the Department of

23  Environmental Protection the Save Our Everglades Trust Fund.

24  Funds in the trust fund shall be expended to implement the

25  comprehensive plan defined in s. 373.470(2)(a), implement the

26  Lake Okeechobee Protection Plan defined in s. 373.4595(2), and

27  pay debt service for Everglades restoration bonds issued

28  pursuant to s. 215.619. The trust fund shall serve as the

29  repository for state, local, and federal project contributions

30  in accordance with s. 373.470(4).

31         Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

                                  5

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SB 392
    37-311A-07




 1            *****************************************

 2                          SENATE SUMMARY

 3    Authorizes issuance of Everglades restoration bonds to
      implement the Lake Okeechobee Protection Plan. Extends
 4    the period for issuance of and maturity of Everglades
      restoration bonds. Authorizes an increase in the amount
 5    of such bonds. Provides for disposition of certain lands
      concerning the Lake Okeechobee Protection Plan which are
 6    purchased with the proceeds of such bonds. Revises the
      requirements for the deposit of state funds into the Save
 7    Our Everglades Trust Fund and for local sponsors to
      provide matching funds for funds distributed from the
 8    trust fund.

 9  

10  

11  

12  

13  

14  

15  

16  

17  

18  

19  

20  

21  

22  

23  

24  

25  

26  

27  

28  

29  

30  

31  

                                  6

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.