Florida Senate - 2009                              CS for SB 650
       
       
       
       By the Committee on General Government Appropriations; and
       Senator Garcia
       
       
       
       601-05622-09                                           2009650c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to license plates; amending ss.
    3         320.08056 and 320.08058, F.S.; creating the Catch Me,
    4         Release Me license plate; establishing an annual use
    5         fee for the plate; providing for the distribution of
    6         use fees received from the sale of the plate;
    7         providing an effective date.
    8  
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Paragraph (qqq) is added to subsection (4) of
   12  section 320.08056, Florida Statutes, to read:
   13         320.08056 Specialty license plates.—
   14         (4) The following license plate annual use fees shall be
   15  collected for the appropriate specialty license plates:
   16         (qqq) Catch Me, Release Me license plate, $25.
   17         Section 2. Subsection (69) is added to section 320.08058,
   18  Florida Statutes, to read:
   19         320.08058 Specialty license plates.—
   20         (69) CATCH ME, RELEASE ME LICENSE PLATES.—
   21         (a) The department shall develop a Catch Me, Release Me
   22  license plate as provided in this section. The plates must bear
   23  the colors and design approved by the department. The word
   24  “Florida” must appear at the top of the plate, and the words
   25  “Catch Me, Release Me” must appear at the bottom of the plate.
   26         (b) The annual use fees shall be distributed to the Guy
   27  Harvey Ocean Foundation, Inc., which shall administer the fees
   28  as follows:
   29         1. The foundation shall retain the first $60,000 of the
   30  annual use fees as direct reimbursement for administrative
   31  costs, startup costs, and costs incurred in the development and
   32  approval of the plates. Thereafter, up to 15 percent of the
   33  annual use fees may be used for administrative costs directly
   34  associated with the operation of the foundation and up to 10
   35  percent may be used for promotion and marketing of the plate.
   36         2. Any remaining funds shall be used by the foundation to
   37  fund scientific research related to marine issues, including
   38  research of free-ranging pelagic marine species that inhabit,
   39  use, or migrate through the waters of this state, and to fund
   40  conservation initiatives and education and public outreach
   41  programs for school-aged children.
   42         Section 3. This act shall take effect October 1, 2009.