HB 547 2023
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund; 2
amending s. 375.041, F.S.; providing an appropriation 3
for certain projects related to the Indian River 4
Lagoon Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan; 5
authorizing the Department of Environmental Protection 6
to make grants for such projects; directing the 7
department to submit an annual report to the Governor 8
and Legislature; removing an obsolete provision; 9
providing an effective date. 10
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12
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Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section 14
375.041, Florida 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
(b) Of the funds remaining after the payments required 19
under paragraph (a), but before funds may be appropriated, 20
pledged, or dedicated for other uses: 21
1. A minimum of the lesser of 25 percent or $200 million 22
shall be appropriated annually for Everglades projects that 23
implement the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set 24
forth in s. 373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning 25
HB 547 2023
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Project subject to congressiona l authorization; the Long -Term 26
Plan as defined in s. 373.4592(2); and the Northern Everglades 27
and Estuaries Protection Program as set forth in s. 373.4595. 28
From these funds, $32 million shall be distributed each fiscal 29
year through the 2023 -2024 fiscal year to the South Florida 30
Water Management District for the Long -Term Plan as defined in 31
s. 373.4592(2). After deducting the $32 million distributed 32
under this subparagraph, from the funds remaining, a minimum of 33
the lesser of 76.5 percent or $100 million sha ll be appropriated 34
each fiscal year through the 2025 -2026 fiscal year for the 35
planning, design, engineering, and construction of the 36
Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set forth in s. 37
373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning Project, th e 38
Everglades Agricultural Area Storage Reservoir Project, the Lake 39
Okeechobee Watershed Project, the C -43 West Basin Storage 40
Reservoir Project, the Indian River Lagoon -South Project, the 41
Western Everglades Restoration Project, and the Picayune Strand 42
Restoration Project. The Department of Environmental Protection 43
and the South Florida Water Management District shall give 44
preference to those Everglades restoration projects that reduce 45
harmful discharges of water from Lake Okeechobee to the St. 46
Lucie or Caloosahatchee estuaries in a timely manner. For the 47
purpose of performing the calculation provided in this 48
subparagraph, the amount of debt service paid pursuant to 49
paragraph (a) for bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the 50
HB 547 2023
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
purposes set forth under this paragr aph shall be added to the 51
amount remaining after the payments required under paragraph 52
(a). The amount of the distribution calculated shall then be 53
reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to 54
paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the 55
purposes set forth under this subparagraph. 56
2. A minimum of the lesser of 7.6 percent or $50 million 57
shall be appropriated annually for spring restoration, 58
protection, and management projects. For the purpose of 59
performing the calculation p rovided in this subparagraph, the 60
amount of debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) for bonds 61
issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth under this 62
paragraph shall be added to the amount remaining after the 63
payments required under paragraph (a). The amount of the 64
distribution calculated shall then be reduced by an amount equal 65
to the debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) on bonds 66
issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth under this 67
subparagraph. 68
3. The sum of $5 million sh all be appropriated annually 69
each fiscal year through the 2025 -2026 fiscal year to the St. 70
Johns River Water Management District for projects dedicated to 71
the restoration of Lake Apopka. This distribution shall be 72
reduced by an amount equal to the debt ser vice paid pursuant to 73
paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the 74
purposes set forth in this subparagraph. 75
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
4. The sum of $64 million is appropriated and shall be 76
transferred to the Everglades Trust Fund for the 2018 -2019 77
fiscal year, and each fiscal year thereafter, for the EAA 78
reservoir project pursuant to s. 373.4598. Any funds remaining 79
in any fiscal year shall be made available only for Phase II of 80
the C-51 reservoir project or projects identified in 81
subparagraph 1. and must be used in a ccordance with laws 82
relating to such projects. Any funds made available for such 83
purposes in a fiscal year are in addition to the amount 84
appropriated under subparagraph 1. This distribution shall be 85
reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursu ant to 86
paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2017, for the 87
purposes set forth in this subparagraph. 88
5. The sum of $50 million shall be appropriated annually 89
to the South Florida Water Management District for the Lake 90
Okeechobee Watershed Restoratio n Project in accordance with s. 91
373.4599. This distribution must be reduced by an amount equal 92
to the debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) on bonds 93
issued after July 1, 2021, for the purposes set forth in this 94
subparagraph. 95
6. A minimum of the les ser of 7.6 percent or $50 million 96
shall be appropriated annually each fiscal year for projects 97
dedicated to the conservation and management of the Indian River 98
Lagoon. This distribution shall be reduced by an amount equal to 99
the debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) on bonds issued 100
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
after July 1, 2023, for the purposes set forth in this 101
subparagraph. The Department of Environmental Protection shall 102
use the funds to make grants for projects that implement the 103
updated Indian River Lagoon Comprehensive Co nservation and 104
Management Plan, including multiyear grants for the planning and 105
construction of such projects. The department shall coordinate 106
all such grants with the South Florida Water Management District 107
and the St. Johns River Water Management Distric t. The 108
department, the South Florida Water Management District, and the 109
St. Johns River Water Management District shall coordinate such 110
grants with other water management districts as necessary. 111
Preference shall be given to projects for ecosystem monitorin g 112
and habitat restoration, projects to connect onsite sewage 113
treatment and disposal systems to central sewer systems, and 114
projects for the management of stormwater, freshwater, and 115
agricultural discharges. Grants for sewer system connection 116
projects and discharge management projects shall require a 117
minimum 50 percent local match. Beginning January 1, 2024, and 118
each January 1 thereafter, the department shall submit a report 119
regarding the projects funded pursuant to this subparagraph to 120
the Governor, the Pres ident of the Senate, and the Speaker of 121
the House of Representatives Notwithstanding subparagraph 3., 122
for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, funds shall be appropriated as 123
provided in the General Appropriations Act. This subparagraph 124
expires July 1, 2023 . 125
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023. 126