Florida Senate - 2009 SB 642
By Senator Altman
24-00535-09 2009642__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to programs for autism and related
3 disabilities; amending ss. 320.08056 and 320.08058,
4 F.S.; creating an Autism license plate; establishing
5 an annual use fee for the plate; providing for the
6 distribution of use fees received from the sale of
7 such plates; amending s. 320.02, F.S.; requiring the
8 application form for motor vehicle registration and
9 renewal of registration to include language permitting
10 a voluntary contribution to the Autism License Plate
11 Fund; amending s. 322.08, F.S.; requiring the
12 application form for a driver's license or duplicate
13 thereof to include language permitting a voluntary
14 contribution to the Autism License Plate Fund;
15 providing an effective date.
16
17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19 Section 1. Paragraph (qqq) is added to subsection (4) of
20 section 320.08056, Florida Statutes, to read:
21 320.08056 Specialty license plates.—
22 (4) The following license plate annual use fees shall be
23 collected for the appropriate specialty license plates:
24 (qqq) Autism license plate, $25.
25 Section 2. Subsection (69) is added to section 320.08058,
26 Florida Statutes, to read:
27 320.08058 Specialty license plates.—
28 (69) AUTISM LICENSE PLATES.—
29 (a) The department shall develop an Autism license plate as
30 provided in this section. Autism license plates must bear the
31 colors and design approved by the department. The word “Florida”
32 must appear at the top of the plate, and the words “Support
33 Autism Programs” must appear at the bottom of the plate.
34 (b) The proceeds from the license plate annual use fee
35 shall be distributed to Achievement and Rehabilitation Centers,
36 Inc., to fund service programs for autism and related
37 disabilities throughout the state and to operate and establish
38 programs to support individuals with autism and related
39 disabilities through direct services, evaluation, training, and
40 awareness. Achievement and Rehabilitation Centers, Inc., shall
41 establish an Autism Services Grant Council that shall provide
42 grants from available Autism license plate proceeds to nonprofit
43 organizations for direct services and programs for individuals
44 with autism and related disabilities and their families.
45 Consideration for participation in such services and programs
46 shall be given to applicants who are children or adults with
47 autism and related disabilities and their families and shall
48 include those who are on the Agency for Persons with
49 Disabilities waiting lists for services. Achievement and
50 Rehabilitation Centers, Inc., shall also establish an Autism
51 License Plate Fund. Moneys in the fund shall be used by the
52 grant council as provided in this paragraph. All funds received
53 under this subsection must be used in this state.
54 (c) Achievement and Rehabilitation Centers, Inc., may
55 retain all proceeds from the annual use fee up to $85,000 until
56 all documented startup costs for developing and establishing the
57 plate have been recovered. Thereafter, the proceeds from the
58 annual use fee shall be used as follows:
59 1. Up to 15 percent of the proceeds from the annual use fee
60 may be used for the administration of the Autism License Plate
61 Fund, the Autism Services Grant Council, and related matters.
62 2. Funds may be used as necessary for annual audit or
63 compliance affidavit costs.
64 3. Thirty-five percent of the proceeds from the annual use
65 fee shall be used to establish and operate programs to support
66 individuals with autism and related disabilities and their
67 families through direct services, evaluation, training, and
68 awareness in the state.
69 4. The Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at the
70 University of Miami shall receive 15 percent of the proceeds
71 from the annual use fee for distribution, as determined
72 appropriate by the director of that center, to the seven
73 regional autism centers created under s. 1004.55. The regional
74 centers shall use the proceeds to support the services they
75 provide.
76 5. The remaining proceeds from the annual use fee shall be
77 available to the Autism Services Grant Council for grants to
78 nonprofit organizations to operate direct services programs for
79 individuals with autism and related disabilities and their
80 families and for marketing the Autism license plate. All grant
81 recipients, including Achievement and Rehabilitation Centers,
82 Inc., and the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, shall
83 be required to provide to the Autism Services Grant Council an
84 annual program and financial report regarding the use of grant
85 funds. Such reports shall be made available to the public.
86 Section 3. Paragraph (h) is added to subsection (15) of
87 section 320.02, Florida Statutes, to read:
88 320.02 Registration required; application for registration;
89 forms.—
90 (15)
91 (h) The application form for motor vehicle registration and
92 renewal of registration must include language permitting a
93 voluntary contribution of $25 to the Autism License Plate Fund
94 administered by Achievement and Rehabilitation Centers, Inc.
95 Such contributions must be transferred by the department each
96 month to Achievement and Rehabilitation Centers, Inc., for
97 benefit of the Autism License Plate Fund to be used as provided
98 in s. 320.08058(69).
99 For the purpose of applying the service charge provided in s.
100 215.20, contributions received under this subsection are not
101 income of a revenue nature.
102 Section 4. Subsection (6) of section 322.08, Florida
103 Statutes, is amended to read:
104 322.08 Application for license.—
105 (6) The application form for a driver's license or
106 duplicate thereof shall include language permitting the
107 following:
108 (a) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
109 contribution shall be deposited into the Health Care Trust Fund
110 for organ and tissue donor education and for maintaining the
111 organ and tissue donor registry.
112 (b) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
113 contribution shall be distributed to the Florida Council of the
114 Blind.
115 (c) A voluntary contribution of $2 per applicant, which
116 shall be distributed to the Hearing Research Institute,
117 Incorporated.
118 (d) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
119 shall be distributed to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
120 International.
121 (e) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
122 shall be distributed to the Children's Hearing Help Fund.
123 (f) A voluntary contribution of $1 per applicant, which
124 shall be distributed to Family First, a nonprofit organization.
125 (g) A voluntary contribution of $5 per applicant, which
126 contribution shall be distributed to the Autism License Plate
127 Fund administered by Achievement and Rehabilitation Centers,
128 Inc., to be used as provided in s. 320.08058(69).
129 A statement providing an explanation of the purpose of the trust
130 funds shall also be included. For the purpose of applying the
131 service charge provided in s. 215.20, contributions received
132 under paragraphs (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f), and (g) and under
133 s. 322.18(9)(a) are not income of a revenue nature.
134 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.