Florida Senate - 2024                                    SB 1620
       
       
        
       By Senator Collins
       
       
       
       
       
       14-01567A-24                                          20241620__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to surplus lands; amending s.
    3         253.0341, F.S.; requiring the Acquisition and
    4         Restoration Council to make certain determinations for
    5         lands surplused by a local governmental entity;
    6         prohibiting future development rights from being
    7         attached to certain local governmental entity surplus
    8         lands; prohibiting the attachment of future
    9         development rights for certain surplus lands;
   10         authorizing the Department of Environmental Protection
   11         to surplus certain state-owned conservation lands;
   12         providing requirements for such action; requiring the
   13         department to submit an annual report to the Board of
   14         Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund
   15         beginning on a specified date; providing requirements
   16         for the report; amending s. 373.089, F.S.; requiring
   17         certain determinations by water management districts
   18         for surplus lands; prohibiting future development
   19         rights from being attached to certain water management
   20         district surplus lands; prohibiting the attachment of
   21         future development rights for certain surplus lands;
   22         providing an effective date.
   23          
   24  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   25  
   26         Section 1. Subsections (19) and (20) are added to section
   27  253.0341, Florida Statutes, to read:
   28         253.0341 Surplus of state-owned lands.—
   29         (19) The Acquisition and Restoration Council shall
   30  determine whether any lands surplused by a local governmental
   31  entity as defined in s. 218.72 are within a Florida Wildlife
   32  Corridor opportunity area. Future development rights may not be
   33  attached to any local governmental entity surplus lands
   34  determined to be within a Florida Wildlife Corridor opportunity
   35  area.
   36         (20) Notwithstanding any other law or rule, the Department
   37  of Environmental Protection may surplus state-owned conservation
   38  lands without development rights within the Florida Wildlife
   39  Corridor. The disposition must be by a rural-lands-protection
   40  easement pursuant to s. 570.71(3), and all proceeds must be
   41  deposited into the Incidental Trust Fund within the Department
   42  of Agriculture and Consumer Services for less than fee simple
   43  land acquisitions pursuant to ss. 570.71 and 570.715. By January
   44  1, 2025, and each January 1 thereafter, the Department of
   45  Environmental Protection shall provide a report of conservation
   46  lands surplused pursuant to this subsection to the board.
   47         Section 2. Paragraph (e) is added to subsection (6) of
   48  section 373.089, Florida Statutes, to read:
   49         373.089 Sale or exchange of lands, or interests or rights
   50  in lands.—The governing board of the district may sell lands, or
   51  interests or rights in lands, to which the district has acquired
   52  title or to which it may hereafter acquire title in the
   53  following manner:
   54         (6) Any lands the title to which is vested in the governing
   55  board of a water management district may be surplused pursuant
   56  to the procedures set forth in this section and s. 373.056 and
   57  the following:
   58         (e) For all lands, the governing board shall determine
   59  whether the lands are within a Florida Wildlife Corridor
   60  opportunity area. Future development rights may not be attached
   61  to any water management district surplus lands determined to be
   62  within a Florida Wildlife Corridor opportunity area.
   63  
   64  If the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund
   65  declines to accept title to the lands offered under this
   66  section, the land may be disposed of by the district under the
   67  provisions of this section.
   68         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.