Bill Text: FL S0204 | 2018 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Land Acquisition Trust Fund

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 11-3-1)

Status: (Failed) 2018-03-10 - Died in Messages [S0204 Detail]

Download: Florida-2018-S0204-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2018                                     SB 204
       
       
        
       By Senator Bradley
       
       
       
       
       
       5-00229A-18                                            2018204__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund;
    3         amending s. 375.041, F.S.; requiring a specified
    4         appropriation for certain projects related to the St.
    5         Johns River and its tributaries or the Keystone
    6         Heights Lake Region; requiring the distribution to be
    7         reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid on
    8         certain bonds; deleting an obsolete provision;
    9         providing an effective date.
   10          
   11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12  
   13         Section 1. Subsection (3) of section 375.041, Florida
   14  Statutes, is amended to read:
   15         375.041 Land Acquisition Trust Fund.—
   16         (3) Funds distributed into the Land Acquisition Trust Fund
   17  pursuant to s. 201.15 shall be applied:
   18         (a) First, to pay debt service or to fund debt service
   19  reserve funds, rebate obligations, or other amounts payable with
   20  respect to Florida Forever bonds issued under s. 215.618; and
   21  pay debt service, provide reserves, and pay rebate obligations
   22  and other amounts due with respect to Everglades restoration
   23  bonds issued under s. 215.619; and
   24         (b) Of the funds remaining after the payments required
   25  under paragraph (a), but before funds may be appropriated,
   26  pledged, or dedicated for other uses:
   27         1. A minimum of the lesser of 25 percent or $200 million
   28  shall be appropriated annually for Everglades projects that
   29  implement the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set
   30  forth in s. 373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning
   31  Project subject to Congressional authorization; the Long-Term
   32  Plan as defined in s. 373.4592(2); and the Northern Everglades
   33  and Estuaries Protection Program as set forth in s. 373.4595.
   34  From these funds, $32 million shall be distributed each fiscal
   35  year through the 2023-2024 fiscal year to the South Florida
   36  Water Management District for the Long-Term Plan as defined in
   37  s. 373.4592(2). After deducting the $32 million distributed
   38  under this subparagraph, from the funds remaining, a minimum of
   39  the lesser of 76.5 percent or $100 million shall be appropriated
   40  each fiscal year through the 2025-2026 fiscal year for the
   41  planning, design, engineering, and construction of the
   42  Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set forth in s.
   43  373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning Project, the
   44  Everglades Agricultural Area Storage Reservoir Project, the Lake
   45  Okeechobee Watershed Project, the C-43 West Basin Storage
   46  Reservoir Project, the Indian River Lagoon-South Project, the
   47  Western Everglades Restoration Project, and the Picayune Strand
   48  Restoration Project. The Department of Environmental Protection
   49  and the South Florida Water Management District shall give
   50  preference to those Everglades restoration projects that reduce
   51  harmful discharges of water from Lake Okeechobee to the St.
   52  Lucie or Caloosahatchee estuaries in a timely manner. For the
   53  purpose of performing the calculation provided in this
   54  subparagraph, the amount of debt service paid pursuant to
   55  paragraph (a) for bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the
   56  purposes set forth under this paragraph (b) shall be added to
   57  the amount remaining after the payments required under paragraph
   58  (a). The amount of the distribution calculated shall then be
   59  reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to
   60  paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the
   61  purposes set forth under this subparagraph.
   62         2. A minimum of the lesser of 7.6 percent or $75 $50
   63  million shall be appropriated annually for spring restoration,
   64  protection, and management projects. For the purpose of
   65  performing the calculation provided in this subparagraph, the
   66  amount of debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) for bonds
   67  issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth under this
   68  paragraph (b) shall be added to the amount remaining after the
   69  payments required under paragraph (a). The amount of the
   70  distribution calculated shall then be reduced by an amount equal
   71  to the debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) on bonds
   72  issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth under this
   73  subparagraph.
   74         3. The sum of $5 million shall be appropriated annually
   75  each fiscal year through the 2025-2026 fiscal year to the St.
   76  Johns River Water Management District for projects dedicated to
   77  the restoration of Lake Apopka. This distribution shall be
   78  reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to
   79  paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the
   80  purposes set forth in this subparagraph.
   81         4. The sum of $64 million is appropriated and shall be
   82  transferred to the Everglades Trust Fund for the 2018-2019
   83  fiscal year, and each fiscal year thereafter, for the EAA
   84  reservoir project pursuant to s. 373.4598. Any funds remaining
   85  in any fiscal year shall be made available only for Phase II of
   86  the C-51 reservoir project or projects identified in
   87  subparagraph 1. and must be used in accordance with laws
   88  relating to such projects. Any funds made available for such
   89  purposes in a fiscal year are in addition to the amount
   90  appropriated under subparagraph 1. This distribution shall be
   91  reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to
   92  paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2017, for the
   93  purposes set forth in this subparagraph.
   94         5. The sum of $50 million shall be appropriated annually to
   95  the St. Johns River Water Management District for projects
   96  dedicated to the restoration of the St. Johns River and its
   97  tributaries or the Keystone Heights Lake Region. This
   98  distribution shall be reduced by an amount equal to the debt
   99  service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) on bonds issued after
  100  July 1, 2018, for the purposes set forth in this subparagraph
  101  Notwithstanding subparagraph 3., for the 2017-2018 fiscal year,
  102  funds shall be appropriated as provided in the General
  103  Appropriations Act. This subparagraph expires July 1, 2018.
  104         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.