ENROLLED
       2015 Legislature                        SB 2520-A, 1st Engrossed
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                                            20152520Aer
    1  
    2         An act relating to trust funds; creating s. 20.142,
    3         F.S.; creating the Land Acquisition Trust Fund within
    4         the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services;
    5         providing for the purpose of the trust fund and
    6         sources of funds; requiring the department to maintain
    7         the integrity of such funds; providing for disposition
    8         of funds from reversions or reductions in budget
    9         authority from the trust fund; requiring that title to
   10         lands or related property interests acquired be vested
   11         in the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement
   12         Trust Fund; requiring the department or its designee
   13         to manage lands or related property interests acquired
   14         in accordance with the purposes set forth in s. 28,
   15         Article X of the State Constitution; providing a
   16         restriction on how funds may be invested; providing
   17         for future review and termination or re-creation of
   18         the trust fund; providing for contingent retroactive
   19         operation; providing effective dates.
   20          
   21  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   22  
   23         Section 1. Section 20.142, Florida Statutes, is created to
   24  read:
   25         20.142 Land Acquisition Trust Fund.—
   26         (1) The Land Acquisition Trust Fund is created within the
   27  Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The trust fund
   28  is established for use as a depository for funds received from
   29  the Land Acquisition Trust Fund within the Department of
   30  Environmental Protection and for expenditure of such funds for
   31  the purposes set forth in s. 28, Art. X of the State
   32  Constitution.
   33         (2) The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
   34  must maintain the integrity of such moneys transferred from the
   35  Department of Environmental Protection. Any transferred moneys
   36  available from reversions or reductions in budget authority
   37  shall be transferred back to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund
   38  within the Department of Environmental Protection within 15 days
   39  after such reversion or reduction and shall be available for
   40  future appropriation for the purposes set forth in s. 28, Art. X
   41  of the State Constitution.
   42         (3) If expenditures from the trust fund will result in
   43  state ownership of land or related property interests, title
   44  shall be vested in the Board of Trustees of the Internal
   45  Improvement Trust Fund as required under chapter 253. Such
   46  acquisition of land or related property interests shall be by
   47  voluntary, negotiated acquisition and, if title is to be vested
   48  in the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund,
   49  is subject to the acquisition procedures of s. 253.025.
   50  Acquisition costs shall include purchase prices and costs and
   51  fees associated with title work, surveys, and appraisals
   52  required to complete an acquisition. The Department of
   53  Agriculture and Consumer Services or its designee shall manage
   54  such lands or related property interests in accordance with the
   55  purposes set forth in s. 28, Art. X of the State Constitution.
   56  Other uses, not contrary to such purposes, may be authorized.
   57         (4) Moneys in the trust fund may not be invested as
   58  provided in s. 17.61, but shall be retained in the trust fund
   59  for investment with interest appropriated to the General Revenue
   60  Fund as provided in s. 17.57.
   61         (5) In accordance with s. 19(f)(2), Art. III of the State
   62  Constitution, the Land Acquisition Trust Fund within the
   63  Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services shall, unless
   64  terminated sooner, be terminated on July 1, 2019. Before its
   65  scheduled termination, the trust fund shall be reviewed as
   66  provided in s. 215.3206.
   67         Section 2. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
   68  act and except for this section, which shall take effect upon
   69  this act becoming a law, this act shall take effect July 1,
   70  2015, or, if this act fails to become a law until after that
   71  date, it shall take effect upon becoming a law and operate
   72  retroactively to July 1, 2015.