SB 174 — Coastal Management

Florida Senate - 2018 CS for SB 174 By Senatorsthe Hukill,Committee Book,on Hutson,Appropriations; and Mayfield 16-00169A-18 2018174__ A bill to be entitled An act relating to coastal management;

and Senators Hukill, Book, Hutson, Mayfield, and Taddeo 576-02688-18 2018174c1 A bill to be entitled An act relating to coastal management;

amending s.

375.041, F.S.;

requiring certain funds from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund to be used for projects that preserve and repair state beaches;

5956 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

6158 Section 1. Effective July 1, 2019, subsection (14) of section 161.101, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

198195 If In the event that more than one project qualifies equally under the provisions of this subsection, the department shall assign funding priority to those projects shown to be most that are ready to proceed.

The work plan must be accompanied by a 3-year financial forecast for the availability of funding for the projects,projects basedrecommendations onfor fundsfunding dedicatedbeach erosion control projects prioritized according to the criteria established in s.

375.041 recommendations for funding beach erosion control projects prioritized according to the criteria established in s.

Section 5. Subsection5. Except (3)as ofotherwise sectionprovided 375.041,in Floridathis Statutes,act, isthis amendedact toshall read:take effect July 1, 2018.

375.041 Land Acquisition Trust Fund.— (3) Funds distributed into the Land Acquisition Trust Fund pursuant to s.

201.15 shall be applied:

(a) First, to pay debt service or to fund debt service reserve funds, rebate obligations, or other amounts payable with respect to Florida Forever bonds issued under s.

215.618;

and pay debt service, provide reserves, and pay rebate obligations and other amounts due with respect to Everglades restoration bonds issued under s.

215.619;

and (b) Of the funds remaining after the payments required under paragraph (a), but before funds may be appropriated, pledged, or dedicated for other uses:

1. A minimum of the lesser of 25 percent or $200 million shall be appropriated annually for Everglades projects that implement the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set forth in s.

373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning Project subject to Congressional authorization;

the Long-Term Plan as defined in s.

373.4592(2);

and the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program as set forth in s.

373.4595.

From these funds, $32 million shall be distributed each fiscal year through the 2023-2024 fiscal year to the South Florida Water Management District for the Long-Term Plan as defined in s.

373.4592(2).

After deducting the $32 million distributed under this subparagraph, from the funds remaining, a minimum of the lesser of 76.5 percent or $100 million shall be appropriated each fiscal year through the 2025-2026 fiscal year for the planning, design, engineering, and construction of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan as set forth in s.

373.470, including the Central Everglades Planning Project, the Everglades Agricultural Area Storage Reservoir Project, the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Project, the C-43 West Basin Storage Reservoir Project, the Indian River Lagoon-South Project, the Western Everglades Restoration Project, and the Picayune Strand Restoration Project.

The Department of Environmental Protection and the South Florida Water Management District shall give preference to those Everglades restoration projects that reduce harmful discharges of water from Lake Okeechobee to the St.

Lucie or Caloosahatchee estuaries in a timely manner.

For the purpose of performing the calculation provided in this subparagraph, the amount of debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) for bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth under paragraph (b) shall be added to the amount remaining after the payments required under paragraph (a).

The amount of the distribution calculated shall then be reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth under this subparagraph.

2. A minimum of the lesser of 7.6 percent or $50 million shall be appropriated annually for spring restoration, protection, and management projects.

For the purpose of performing the calculation provided in this subparagraph, the amount of debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) for bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth under paragraph (b) shall be added to the amount remaining after the payments required under paragraph (a).

The amount of the distribution calculated shall then be reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth under this subparagraph.

3. The sum of $5 million shall be appropriated annually each fiscal year through the 2025-2026 fiscal year to the St.

Johns River Water Management District for projects dedicated to the restoration of Lake Apopka.

This distribution shall be reduced by an amount equal to the debt service paid pursuant to paragraph (a) on bonds issued after July 1, 2016, for the purposes set forth in this subparagraph.

4. The sum of $64 million is appropriated and shall be transferred to the Everglades Trust Fund for the 2018-2019 fiscal year, and each fiscal year thereafter, for the EAA reservoir project pursuant to s.

373.4598.