Florida Senate - 2016         (Corrected Copy)    CS for SB 1168
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Environmental Preservation and Conservation;
       and Senators Negron, Benacquisto, Soto, Flores, Simpson, and
       Altman
       
       592-03274-16                                          20161168c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to implementation of the water and
    3         land conservation constitutional amendment; amending
    4         s. 375.041, F.S.; requiring a minimum specified
    5         percentage of funds within the Land Acquisition Trust
    6         Fund to be appropriated for Everglades restoration
    7         projects; providing a preference in the use of funds
    8         to certain projects that reduce harmful discharges to
    9         the St. Lucie Estuary and the Caloosahatchee Estuary;
   10         requiring a minimum specified percentage of funds
   11         within the Land Acquisition Trust Fund to be
   12         appropriated for spring restoration, protection, and
   13         management projects; deleting an obsolete provision;
   14         providing an effective date.
   15          
   16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   17  
   18         Section 1. Subsection (3) of section 375.041, Florida
   19  Statutes, is amended to read:
   20         375.041 Land Acquisition Trust Fund.—
   21         (3) Funds distributed into the Land Acquisition Trust Fund
   22  pursuant to s. 201.15 shall be applied:
   23         (a) First, to pay debt service or to fund debt service
   24  reserve funds, rebate obligations, or other amounts payable with
   25  respect to Florida Forever bonds issued under s. 215.618; and
   26  pay debt service, provide reserves, and pay rebate obligations
   27  and other amounts due with respect to Everglades restoration
   28  bonds issued under s. 215.619; and
   29         (b) Of the funds remaining after the payments required
   30  under paragraph (a) but before funds may be appropriated or
   31  dedicated for other uses:
   32         1.A minimum of the lesser of 25 percent or $200 million
   33  shall be appropriated annually for Everglades projects that
   34  implement the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set
   35  forth in s. 373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning
   36  Project subject to congressional authorization; the Long-Term
   37  Plan as defined in s. 373.4592(2); and the Northern Everglades
   38  and Estuaries Protection Program as set forth in s. 373.4595.
   39  From these funds, $32 million shall be distributed each fiscal
   40  year through the 2023-2024 fiscal year to the South Florida
   41  Water Management District for the Long-Term Plan as defined in
   42  s. 373.4592(2). After deducting the $32 million distributed
   43  under this subparagraph, from the funds remaining, a minimum of
   44  the lesser of 76.5 percent or $100 million shall be appropriated
   45  each fiscal year through the 2025-2026 fiscal year for the
   46  planning, design, engineering, and construction of the
   47  Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set forth in s.
   48  373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning Project
   49  subject to congressional authorization. The Department of
   50  Environmental Protection and the South Florida Water Management
   51  District shall give preference to those Everglades restoration
   52  projects that reduce harmful discharges of water from Lake
   53  Okeechobee to the St. Lucie or Caloosahatchee estuaries in a
   54  timely manner.
   55         2.A minimum of the lesser of 7.6 percent or $75 million
   56  shall be appropriated annually for spring restoration,
   57  protection, and management projects Then, to pay the debt
   58  service on bonds issued before February 1, 2009, by the South
   59  Florida Water Management District and the St. Johns River Water
   60  Management District, which are secured by revenues provided
   61  pursuant to former s. 373.59, Florida Statutes 2014, or which
   62  are necessary to fund debt service reserve funds, rebate
   63  obligations, or other amounts payable with respect to such
   64  bonds. This paragraph expires July 1, 2016; and
   65         (c)Then, to distribute $32 million each fiscal year to the
   66  South Florida Water Management District for the Long-Term Plan
   67  as defined in s. 373.4592(2). This paragraph expires July 1,
   68  2024.
   69         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.