Florida Senate - 2024                                    SB 2508
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Appropriations
       
       
       
       
       
       576-02717-24                                          20242508__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to seized property; amending s.
    3         849.19, F.S.; providing that any seized machine,
    4         apparatus, or device and the money or other things of
    5         value therein be deposited into the Pari-mutuel
    6         Wagering Trust Fund if the Florida Gaming Control
    7         Commission is the seizing agency; making technical
    8         changes; amending s. 849.44, F.S.; requiring that the
    9         proceeds from a sale or other disposition of property
   10         seized by the commission be deposited into the trust
   11         fund; making technical changes; amending s. 932.7055,
   12         F.S.; requiring that certain proceeds from liens or
   13         property seized by the commission be deposited into
   14         the trust fund; providing an effective date.
   15          
   16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   17  
   18         Section 1. Section 849.19, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   19  read:
   20         849.19 Property rights in confiscated machine.—The right of
   21  property in and to any machine, apparatus, or device as defined
   22  in s. 849.16 and to all money and other things of value therein,
   23  is declared not to exist in any person, and the same shall be
   24  forfeited and deposited into the Pari-mutuel Wagering Trust Fund
   25  established by s. 550.0951(5), if the Florida Gaming Control
   26  Commission is the seizing agency. Otherwise, such money or other
   27  things of value shall be forfeited to the county in which the
   28  seizure was made and shall be delivered forthwith to the clerk
   29  of the circuit court and shall by her or him be placed in the
   30  fine and forfeiture fund of that said county.
   31         Section 2. Section 849.44, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   32  read:
   33         849.44 Disposition of proceeds of forfeiture.—All sums
   34  received from a sale or other disposition of the seized property
   35  seized by the Florida Gaming Control Commission shall be
   36  deposited into the Pari-mutuel Wagering Trust Fund established
   37  by s. 550.0951(5). Otherwise, all sums received from a sale or
   38  other disposition of the seized property shall be paid into the
   39  county fine and forfeiture fund and shall become a part thereof;
   40  provided, however, that in instances where the seizure is by a
   41  municipal police officer within the limits of any municipality
   42  having an ordinance requiring such vehicles, vessels, or
   43  conveyances to be forfeited, the city attorney shall act on in
   44  behalf of the city in lieu of the state attorney and shall
   45  proceed to forfeit the property as herein provided, and all sums
   46  received therefrom shall go into the general operating fund of
   47  the city.
   48         Section 3. Paragraph (n) is added to subsection (6) of
   49  section 932.7055, Florida Statutes, to read:
   50         932.7055 Disposition of liens and forfeited property.—
   51         (6) If the seizing agency is a state agency, all remaining
   52  proceeds shall be deposited into the General Revenue Fund.
   53  However, if the seizing agency is:
   54         (n) The Florida Gaming Control Commission, the proceeds
   55  accrued pursuant to the Florida Contraband Forfeiture Act shall
   56  be deposited into the Pari-mutuel Wagering Trust Fund
   57  established by s. 550.0951(5).
   58         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.