Florida Senate - 2011                              CS for SB 770
       
       
       
       By the Committee on Environmental Preservation and Conservation;
       and Senator Siplin
       
       
       
       592-04601-11                                           2011770c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to unclaimed deposits held by
    3         utilities; amending s. 717.108, F.S.; requiring that
    4         any unclaimed deposits held by a utility be deposited
    5         annually into the Ecosystem Management and Restoration
    6         Trust Fund in the Department of Environmental
    7         Protection to improve the water quality in Silver
    8         Springs and into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund
    9         in the Department of Community Affairs, or its
   10         successor agency, to supplement the Low-Income Home
   11         Energy Assistance Program; providing appropriations;
   12         providing an effective date.
   13  
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Section 717.108, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   17  read:
   18         717.108 Deposits held by utilities.—
   19         (1) Any deposit, including any interest thereon, made by a
   20  subscriber with a utility to secure payment or any sum paid in
   21  advance for utility services to be furnished, less any lawful
   22  charges, that remains unclaimed by the owner for more than 1
   23  year after termination of the services for which the deposit or
   24  advance payment was made is presumed unclaimed.
   25         (2) The unclaimed deposits shall be distributed annually as
   26  follows:
   27         (a) The sum of $500,000 shall be transferred from the
   28  Department of Community Affairs, or the Department of Community
   29  Affairs’ successor agency, to the Ecosystem Management and
   30  Restoration Trust Fund of the Department of Environmental
   31  Protection for the purpose of improving water quality in Silver
   32  Springs.
   33         (b) The remaining balance shall be transferred to the
   34  Grants and Donations Trust Fund within the Department of
   35  Community Affairs, or the Department of Community Affairs’
   36  successor agency, to be used to supplement the Low-Income Home
   37  Energy Assistance Program for the purpose of assisting low
   38  income households in meeting the costs of home heating and
   39  cooling bills. These funds shall be administered through the
   40  same local provider agencies that presently administer the Low
   41  Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
   42         Section 2. Appropriations.—For the 2011-2012 fiscal year:
   43         (1) The Department of Environmental Protection is
   44  appropriated $500,000 from the Ecosystem Management and
   45  Restoration Trust Fund for the purpose of improving water
   46  quality in Silver Springs. These funds shall be directed to the
   47  implementation of remediation actions that have the effect of
   48  reducing nitrate loads to the spring. The department shall
   49  coordinate with Marion County in identifying and selecting which
   50  project has the greatest benefit based on estimated nitrate
   51  reductions and consistency with the long-term plans of Marion
   52  County.
   53         (2) The Department of Community Affairs, or its successor
   54  agency, is appropriated $3.5 million from the Grants and
   55  Donations Trust Fund, which shall be used by local Low-Income
   56  Home Energy Assistance Program provider agencies to meet the
   57  energy needs of eligible applicants.
   58         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.