Florida 2023 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H0547 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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10	10	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
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14	14	A bill to be entitled 1
15	15	An act relating to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund; 2
16	16	amending s. 375.041, F.S.; providing an appropriation 3
17	17	for certain projects related to the Indian River 4
18	18	Lagoon Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan; 5
19	19	authorizing the Department of Environmental Protection 6
20	20	to make grants for such projects; directing the 7
21	21	department to submit an annual report to the Governor 8
22	22	and Legislature; removing an obsolete provision; 9
23	23	providing an effective date. 10
24	24	11
25	25	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12
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27	27	Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section 14
28	28	375.041, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 15
29	29	375.041 Land Acquisition Trust Fund. — 16
30	30	(3) Funds distributed into the Land Acquisition Trust Fund 17
31	31	pursuant to s. 201.15 shall be applied: 18
32	32	(b) Of the funds remaining after the payments required 19
33	33	under paragraph (a), but before funds may be appropriated, 20
34	34	pledged, or dedicated for other uses: 21
35	35	1. A minimum of the lesser of 25 percent or $200 million 22
36	36	shall be appropriated annually for Everglades projects that 23
37	37	implement the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set 24
38	38	forth in s. 373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning 25
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47	47	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
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51	51	Project subject to congressiona l authorization; the Long -Term 26
52	52	Plan as defined in s. 373.4592(2); and the Northern Everglades 27
53	53	and Estuaries Protection Program as set forth in s. 373.4595. 28
54	54	From these funds, $32 million shall be distributed each fiscal 29
55	55	year through the 2023 -2024 fiscal year to the South Florida 30
56	56	Water Management District for the Long -Term Plan as defined in 31
57	57	s. 373.4592(2). After deducting the $32 million distributed 32
58	58	under this subparagraph, from the funds remaining, a minimum of 33
59	59	the lesser of 76.5 percent or $100 million sha ll be appropriated 34
60	60	each fiscal year through the 2025 -2026 fiscal year for the 35
61	61	planning, design, engineering, and construction of the 36
62	62	Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set forth in s. 37
63	63	373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning Project, th e 38
64	64	Everglades Agricultural Area Storage Reservoir Project, the Lake 39
65	65	Okeechobee Watershed Project, the C -43 West Basin Storage 40
66	66	Reservoir Project, the Indian River Lagoon -South Project, the 41
67	67	Western Everglades Restoration Project, and the Picayune Strand 42
68	68	Restoration Project. The Department of Environmental Protection 43
69	69	and the South Florida Water Management District shall give 44
70	70	preference to those Everglades restoration projects that reduce 45
71	71	harmful discharges of water from Lake Okeechobee to the St. 46
72	72	Lucie or Caloosahatchee estuaries in a timely manner. For the 47
73	73	purpose of performing the calculation provided in this 48
74	74	subparagraph, the amount of debt service paid pursuant to 49
75	75	paragraph (a) for bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the 50
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84	84	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
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88	88	purposes set forth under this paragr aph shall be added to the 51
89	89	amount remaining after the payments required under paragraph 52
90	90	(a). The amount of the distribution calculated shall then be 53
91	91	reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to 54
92	92	paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the 55
93	93	purposes set forth under this subparagraph. 56
94	94	2. A minimum of the lesser of 7.6 percent or $50 million 57
95	95	shall be appropriated annually for spring restoration, 58
96	96	protection, and management projects. For the purpose of 59
97	97	performing the calculation p rovided in this subparagraph, the 60
98	98	amount of debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) for bonds 61
99	99	issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth under this 62
100	100	paragraph shall be added to the amount remaining after the 63
101	101	payments required under paragraph (a). The amount of the 64
102	102	distribution calculated shall then be reduced by an amount equal 65
103	103	to the debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) on bonds 66
104	104	issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth under this 67
105	105	subparagraph. 68
106	106	3. The sum of $5 million sh all be appropriated annually 69
107	107	each fiscal year through the 2025 -2026 fiscal year to the St. 70
108	108	Johns River Water Management District for projects dedicated to 71
109	109	the restoration of Lake Apopka. This distribution shall be 72
110	110	reduced by an amount equal to the debt ser vice paid pursuant to 73
111	111	paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the 74
112	112	purposes set forth in this subparagraph. 75
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121	121	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
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125	125	4. The sum of $64 million is appropriated and shall be 76
126	126	transferred to the Everglades Trust Fund for the 2018 -2019 77
127	127	fiscal year, and each fiscal year thereafter, for the EAA 78
128	128	reservoir project pursuant to s. 373.4598. Any funds remaining 79
129	129	in any fiscal year shall be made available only for Phase II of 80
130	130	the C-51 reservoir project or projects identified in 81
131	131	subparagraph 1. and must be used in a ccordance with laws 82
132	132	relating to such projects. Any funds made available for such 83
133	133	purposes in a fiscal year are in addition to the amount 84
134	134	appropriated under subparagraph 1. This distribution shall be 85
135	135	reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursu ant to 86
136	136	paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2017, for the 87
137	137	purposes set forth in this subparagraph. 88
138	138	5. The sum of $50 million shall be appropriated annually 89
139	139	to the South Florida Water Management District for the Lake 90
140	140	Okeechobee Watershed Restoratio n Project in accordance with s. 91
141	141	373.4599. This distribution must be reduced by an amount equal 92
142	142	to the debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) on bonds 93
143	143	issued after July 1, 2021, for the purposes set forth in this 94
144	144	subparagraph. 95
145	145	6. A minimum of the les ser of 7.6 percent or $50 million 96
146	146	shall be appropriated annually each fiscal year for projects 97
147	147	dedicated to the conservation and management of the Indian River 98
148	148	Lagoon. This distribution shall be reduced by an amount equal to 99
149	149	the debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) on bonds issued 100
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158	158	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
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162	162	after July 1, 2023, for the purposes set forth in this 101
163	163	subparagraph. The Department of Environmental Protection shall 102
164	164	use the funds to make grants for projects that implement the 103
165	165	updated Indian River Lagoon Comprehensive Co nservation and 104
166	166	Management Plan, including multiyear grants for the planning and 105
167	167	construction of such projects. The department shall coordinate 106
168	168	all such grants with the South Florida Water Management District 107
169	169	and the St. Johns River Water Management Distric t. The 108
170	170	department, the South Florida Water Management District, and the 109
171	171	St. Johns River Water Management District shall coordinate such 110
172	172	grants with other water management districts as necessary. 111
173	173	Preference shall be given to projects for ecosystem monitorin g 112
174	174	and habitat restoration, projects to connect onsite sewage 113
175	175	treatment and disposal systems to central sewer systems, and 114
176	176	projects for the management of stormwater, freshwater, and 115
177	177	agricultural discharges. Grants for sewer system connection 116
178	178	projects and discharge management projects shall require a 117
179	179	minimum 50 percent local match. Beginning January 1, 2024, and 118
180	180	each January 1 thereafter, the department shall submit a report 119
181	181	regarding the projects funded pursuant to this subparagraph to 120
182	182	the Governor, the Pres ident of the Senate, and the Speaker of 121
183	183	the House of Representatives Notwithstanding subparagraph 3., 122
184	184	for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, funds shall be appropriated as 123
185	185	provided in the General Appropriations Act. This subparagraph 124
186	186	expires July 1, 2023 . 125
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195	195	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
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199	199	Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023. 126