Florida Senate - 2012 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 100
Barcode 331156
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
02/06/2012 .
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The Committee on Environmental Preservation and Conservation
(Dean) recommended the following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Section 717.108, Florida Statutes, is amended to
6 read:
7 717.108 Deposits held by utilities.—
8 (1) Any deposit, including any interest thereon, made by a
9 subscriber with a utility to secure payment or any sum paid in
10 advance for utility services to be furnished, less any lawful
11 charges, that remains unclaimed by the owner for more than 1
12 year after termination of the services for which the deposit or
13 advance payment was made is presumed unclaimed.
14 (2) The unclaimed utility deposits and funds presumed
15 unclaimed shall be transferred to the Department of Economic
16 Opportunity.
17 Section 2. (1) The sum of $500,000 from the unclaimed
18 utility deposits and funds presumed unclaimed pursuant to s.
19 717.108, Florida Statutes, shall be transferred from the
20 Department of Economic Opportunity to the Ecosystem Management
21 and Restoration Trust Fund of the Department of Environmental
22 Protection and shall be used for the purpose of improving water
23 quality in Silver Springs. These funds shall be directed to the
24 implementation of remediation actions that have the effect of
25 reducing nitrate loads to the spring. The department shall
26 coordinate with Marion County in identifying and selecting which
27 project has the greatest benefit based on estimated nitrate
28 reductions and consistency with the long-term plans of Marion
29 County.
30 (2) The remaining balance of the unclaimed deposits and
31 funds presumed unclaimed in the Department of Economic
32 Opportunity shall be transferred to the Grants and Donations
33 Trust Fund within the department and used to supplement the Low
34 Income Home Energy Assistance Program for the purpose of
35 assisting low-income households in meeting the costs of home
36 heating and cooling bills. These funds shall be administered
37 through the same local provider agencies that presently
38 administer the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
39 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.
40
41 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
42 And the title is amended as follows:
43
44 Delete everything before the enacting clause
45 and insert:
46 A bill to be entitled
47 An act relating to unclaimed deposits held by
48 utilities; amending s. 717.108, F.S.; requiring that
49 any unclaimed deposits held by a utility be
50 transferred to the Department of Economic Opportunity;
51 requiring that a specified portion of unclaimed
52 deposits be transferred to the Ecosystem Management
53 and Restoration Trust Fund in the Department of
54 Environmental Protection and used to improve the water
55 quality in Silver Springs; requiring that the
56 remaining balance of unclaimed deposits be transferred
57 to the Grants and Donations Trust Fund within the
58 Department of Economic Opportunity and used to assist
59 low-income households in meeting the costs of home
60 heating and cooling bills; providing an effective
61 date.