Florida Senate - 2022 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 1078
Ì586774SÎ586774
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
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The Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (Hutson)
recommended the following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Subsection (4) is added to section 582.15,
6 Florida Statutes, to read:
7 582.15 Organization of district, etc.—
8 (4) After the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
9 Services has determined that operation of a proposed district is
10 administratively practicable and feasible, the district shall be
11 subdivided into five numbered subdivisions that match, as
12 practicable, the boundaries of either the five county commission
13 districts or five school board districts within the county. When
14 neither the county commission nor the school board is subdivided
15 into five districts, the department shall subdivide the district
16 into five numbered subdivisions as nearly equal in area as
17 practicable to ensure geographical representation within that
18 soil and water conservation district’s governing body.
19 Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 582.18, Florida
20 Statutes, is amended to read:
21 582.18 Election of supervisors of each district.—
22 (1) The election of supervisors for each soil and water
23 conservation district shall be held every 2 years, with one
24 supervisor elected from each of the five numbered subdivisions
25 created by the department pursuant to s. 582.15(4). The
26 elections shall be held at the time of the general election
27 provided for by s. 100.041. The office of the supervisor of a
28 soil and water conservation district is a nonpartisan office,
29 and candidates for such office are prohibited from campaigning
30 or qualifying for election based on party affiliation.
31 (a) Each candidate for supervisor for such district must
32 shall qualify as directed by chapter 99.
33 (b) Each nominee who collects or expends campaign
34 contributions shall conduct her or his campaign for supervisor
35 of a soil and water conservation district in accordance with the
36 provisions of chapter 106. Candidates who neither receive
37 contributions nor make expenditures, other than expenditures for
38 verification of signatures on petitions, are exempt from the
39 provisions of chapter 106 requiring establishment of bank
40 accounts and appointment of a campaign treasurer, but shall file
41 periodic reports as required by s. 106.07.
42 (c) The names of all nominees on behalf of whom such
43 nominating petitions have been filed shall appear upon ballots
44 in accordance with the general election laws. All qualified
45 electors residing within the district shall be eligible to vote
46 in such election. The candidates who receive the largest number
47 of the votes cast from each group of candidates in such election
48 shall be the elected supervisors from such group for such
49 district. In the case of a newly created district participating
50 in a regular election for the first time, three groups of
51 candidates shall be elected from district subdivisions 1, 3, and
52 5 for terms of 4 years, and candidates two groups shall be
53 elected from district subdivisions 2 and 4 for initial terms of
54 2 years. Each candidate elected shall assume office on the first
55 Tuesday after the first Monday in January following the
56 election.
57 Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 582.19, Florida
58 Statutes, is amended to read:
59 582.19 Qualifications and tenure of supervisors.—
60 (1) The governing body of the district shall consist of
61 five supervisors, elected as provided in s. 582.18 hereinabove.
62 To qualify to serve on the governing body of a district, a
63 supervisor must be an eligible voter who lives and owns land
64 within the numbered subdivision from which she or he is elected
65 and must be actively engaged in the business of farming or
66 animal husbandry.
67 Section 4. (1) The term of office of a supervisor serving
68 on a soil and water conservation district’s governing body at
69 the time of this act becoming a law expires on January 10, 2023.
70 (2) By January 1, 2023, a district in existence on July 1,
71 2022, which was not subdivided in its initial creation pursuant
72 to chapter 582, Florida Statutes, must be subdivided into five
73 numbered subdivisions that match, as practicable, the boundaries
74 of either the five county commission districts or five school
75 board districts in the county. When neither the county
76 commission nor the school board is subdivided into five
77 districts, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
78 shall subdivide the district into five numbered subdivisions as
79 nearly equal in area as practicable to ensure geographical
80 representation within that soil and water conservation
81 district’s governing body.
82 (3) The following procedures apply to the election of
83 supervisors of soil and water conservation districts subdivided
84 by the department pursuant to subsection (2):
85 (a) District governing body seats 1, 3, and 5, which have
86 terms that initially expired in January 2025 or 2027, as
87 applicable depending on the year in which the district was
88 formed, shall represent district subdivisions 1, 3, and 5,
89 respectively. Such seats shall be filled for a term of 4 years.
90 (b) District governing body seats 2 and 4, which have terms
91 that initially expired in January 2025 or 2027, as applicable
92 depending on the year in which the district was formed, shall
93 represent district subdivisions 2 and 4, respectively. Such
94 seats shall initially be filled for a term of 2 years in order
95 to achieve staggered terms; thereafter, any such seats shall be
96 filled for a term of 4 years as provided under s. 582.19,
97 Florida Statutes.
98 Section 5. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
99
100 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
101 And the title is amended as follows:
102 Delete everything before the enacting clause
103 and insert:
104 A bill to be entitled
105 An act relating to soil and water conservation
106 districts; amending s. 582.15, F.S.; providing for the
107 subdivision of certain proposed soil and water
108 conservation districts; requiring the Department of
109 Agriculture and Consumer Services to subdivide certain
110 proposed soil and water conservation districts;
111 amending s. 582.18, F.S.; requiring the supervisors of
112 each soil and water conservation district to be
113 elected from each of the district’s subdivisions;
114 providing for the initial terms of office of
115 candidates elected in each district subdivision;
116 amending s. 582.19, F.S.; providing qualification
117 requirements for supervisors to serve on the governing
118 body of a soil and water conservation district;
119 providing for the expiration of the terms of office of
120 certain supervisors serving on soil and water
121 conservation district governing bodies; providing for
122 the subdivision of certain soil and water conservation
123 districts by a specified date; requiring the
124 department to subdivide certain soil and water
125 conservation districts by a specified date; providing
126 transitional provisions regarding the implementation
127 of newly subdivided districts and the election of
128 supervisors; providing an effective date.