Florida Senate - 2022                              CS for SB 290
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources; and
       Senator Ausley
       
       
       
       
       592-02536-22                                           2022290c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to surplus state-owned nonconservation
    3         lands; amending s. 253.0341, F.S.; authorizing the
    4         Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust
    5         Fund to dispose of surplus nonconservation lands under
    6         certain circumstances; authorizing the board to convey
    7         such lands to fiscally constrained counties under
    8         certain circumstances; authorizing the board of
    9         trustees to sell or lease surplus nonconservation
   10         lands located in fiscally constrained counties to
   11         private entities under certain circumstances;
   12         providing an effective date.
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 253.0341, Florida
   17  Statutes, is amended to read:
   18         253.0341 Surplus of state-owned lands.—
   19         (1) The board of trustees shall determine which lands, the
   20  title to which is vested in the board, may be surplused.
   21         (a) For all conservation lands, the Acquisition and
   22  Restoration Council shall make a recommendation to the board of
   23  trustees, and the board of trustees shall determine whether the
   24  lands are no longer needed for conservation purposes. If the
   25  board of trustees determines the lands are no longer needed for
   26  conservation purposes, it may dispose of such lands by an
   27  affirmative vote of at least three members. In the case of a
   28  land exchange involving the disposition of conservation lands,
   29  the board of trustees must determine by an affirmative vote of
   30  at least three members that the exchange will result in a net
   31  positive conservation benefit.
   32         (b) For all nonconservation lands, the board of trustees
   33  shall determine whether the lands are no longer needed. If the
   34  board of trustees determines the lands are no longer needed, it
   35  may dispose of such lands by an affirmative vote of at least
   36  three members.
   37         (c) Surplus nonconservation lands in fiscally constrained
   38  counties do not need to be initially offered for sale by
   39  competitive bid pursuant to subsection (9) before acquisition by
   40  the county or the private entity. For nonconservation lands
   41  located within a fiscally constrained county as described in s.
   42  218.67(1), the board of trustees may elect to:
   43         1. Convey the nonconservation lands for less than appraised
   44  value to the county, if the county will use the nonconservation
   45  lands for a public purpose; or
   46         2. Sell or lease the nonconservation lands for less than
   47  appraised value to a private entity, if the private entity
   48  prepares and submits an economic development plan to the board
   49  of trustees identifying how its proposed use of the lands will
   50  create new full-time employment opportunities or will otherwise
   51  promote and enhance economic development in the county.
   52         (d) Local government requests for the state to surplus
   53  conservation or nonconservation lands, whether for donation,
   54  purchase, or exchange, shall be expedited throughout the
   55  surplusing process. Property jointly acquired by the state and
   56  other entities may not be surplused without the consent of all
   57  joint owners.
   58         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.