Bill > S0768

This bill revises provisions related to the Everglades Improvement and Management, including updating legislative findings to reflect the importance of the Long-Term Plan and Best Management Practices (BMPs) in achieving water quality goals, and clarifies that the use of certain ad valorem tax proceeds, specifically up to 0.1 mill within the Okeechobee Basin, will fund the design, construction, and implementation of the Long-Term Plan and the Everglades Construction Project. It directs the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) to complete a use attainability analysis after the Long-Term Plan projects are finished to ensure they meet water quality standards. The bill also modifies the collection and use of the agricultural privilege tax, a tax on agricultural land, by adjusting its rates over time and specifying that its proceeds will fund the Long-Term Plan and Everglades Construction Project, and importantly, states that payment of this tax, along with the cost of implementing BMPs, fulfills constitutional obligations for landowners. Additionally, it appropriates specific amounts of general revenue and funds from the Water Management Lands Trust Fund for the Restoration Strategies Regional Water Quality Plan.