H 5501

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    HB 5501E  2026E
1A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to documentary stamp tax
3distributions; amending s. 201.15, F.S.; revising
4distribution of documentary stamp tax proceeds;
5amending s. 343.58, F.S.; prohibiting the transfer of
6specified funds to the South Florida Regional
7Transportation Authority; providing an effective date.
8
9    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
10
11Section 1.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (4) of section
12201.15, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
13201.15       Distribution of taxes collected.—All taxes
14collected under this chapter are hereby pledged and shall be
15first made available to make payments when due on bonds issued
16pursuant to s. 215.618 or s. 215.619, or any other bonds
17authorized to be issued on a parity basis with such bonds. Such
18pledge and availability for the payment of these bonds shall
19have priority over any requirement for the payment of service
20charges or costs of collection and enforcement under this
21section. All taxes collected under this chapter, except taxes
22distributed to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund pursuant to
23subsections (1) and (2), are subject to the service charge
24imposed in s. 215.20(1). Before distribution pursuant to this
25section, the Department of Revenue shall deduct amounts
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26    necessary to pay the costs of the collection and enforcement of
27    the tax levied by this chapter. The costs and service charge may
28    not be levied against any portion of taxes pledged to debt
29    service on bonds to the extent that the costs and service charge
30    are required to pay any amounts relating to the bonds. All of
31    the costs of the collection and enforcement of the tax levied by
32    this chapter and service charge shall be available and
33    transferred to the extent necessary to pay debt service and any
34    other amounts payable with respect to bonds authorized before
35    January 1, 2017, secured by revenues distributed pursuant to
36    this section. All taxes remaining after deduction of costs shall
37    be distributed as follows:
38(4)      After the required distributions to the Land
39    Acquisition Trust Fund pursuant to subsections (1) and (2) and
40    deduction of the service charge imposed pursuant to s.
41    215.20(1), the remainder shall be distributed as follows:
42(a)      The lesser of 20.5453 percent of the remainder or
43    $420.08 $360.08 million in each fiscal year shall be paid into
44    the State Treasury to the credit of the State Transportation
45    Trust Fund. Notwithstanding any other law, the amount credited
46    to the State Transportation Trust Fund shall be used for:
471.      The Small County Outreach Program specified in s.
48    339.2818, in the amount of 11 13 percent of the funds;
492.      The Strategic Intermodal System specified in ss.
50    339.61, 339.62, 339.63, and 339.64, in the amount of 67 78
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51    percent of the funds; and
523.      The Transportation Regional Incentive Program specified
53    in s. 339.2819, in the amount of 8 9 percent of the funds; and
544.      The Florida Rail Enterprise for the purpose established
55    in s. 341.303, in the amount of 14 percent of the funds.
56Section 2.  Subsection (4) of section 343.58, Florida
57    Statutes, is amended to read:
58343.58       County funding for the South Florida Regional
59    Transportation Authority.—
60(4)      Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
61    contrary and effective July 1, 2010, until as provided in
62    paragraph (d) (c), the department shall transfer annually from
63    the State Transportation Trust Fund to the South Florida
64    Regional Transportation Authority the amounts specified in
65    subparagraph (a)1. or subparagraph (a)2.
66(a)1.       If the authority becomes responsible for maintaining
67    and dispatching the South Florida Rail Corridor:
68a.      $15 million from the State Transportation Trust Fund to
69    the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority for
70    operations, maintenance, and dispatch; and
71b.      An amount no less than the work program commitments
72    equal to $27.1 million for fiscal year 2010-2011, as of July 1,
73    2009, for operating assistance to the authority and corridor
74    track maintenance and contract maintenance for the South Florida
75    Rail Corridor.
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762.      If the authority does not become responsible for
77     maintaining and dispatching the South Florida Rail Corridor:
78a.      $13.3 million from the State Transportation Trust Fund
79     to the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority for
80     operations; and
81b.      An amount no less than the work program commitments
82     equal to $17.3 million for fiscal year 2010-2011, as of July 1,
83     2009, for operating assistance to the authority.
84(b)      Funding required by this subsection may not be
85     provided from the funds dedicated to the Florida Rail Enterprise
86     pursuant to s. 201.15(4)(a)4.
87(c)(b)1.  Funds provided to the authority by the department
88     under this subsection constitute state financial assistance
89     provided to a nonstate entity to carry out a state project
90     subject to ss. 215.97 and 215.971. The department shall provide
91     the funds in accordance with the terms of a written agreement to
92     be entered into between the authority and the department, which
93     shall provide for department review, approval, and audit of
94     authority expenditure of such funds and shall include such other
95     provisions as are required by applicable law. The department is
96     specifically authorized to agree to advance the authority 25
97     percent of the total funds provided under this subsection for a
98     state fiscal year at the beginning of each state fiscal year,
99     with monthly payments over the fiscal year on a reimbursement
100    basis as supported by invoices and such additional documentation
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101    and information as the department may reasonably require and a
102    reconciliation of the advance against remaining invoices in the
103    last quarter of the fiscal year.
1042.      To enable the department to evaluate the authority's
105    proposed uses of state funds, the authority shall annually
106    provide the department with its proposed budget for the
107    following authority fiscal year and shall promptly provide the
108    department with any additional documentation or information
109    required by the department for its evaluation of the proposed
110    uses of the state funds.
111(d)(c)       Funding required by this subsection shall cease
112    upon commencement of an alternate dedicated local funding source
113    sufficient for the authority to meet its responsibilities for
114    operating, maintaining, and dispatching the South Florida Rail
115    Corridor. The authority and the department shall cooperate in
116    the effort to identify and implement such an alternate dedicated
117    local funding source before July 1, 2019. Upon commencement of
118    the alternate dedicated local funding source, the department
119    shall convey to the authority a perpetual commuter rail easement
120    in the South Florida Rail Corridor and all of the department's
121    right, title, and interest in rolling stock, equipment, tracks,
122    and other personal property owned and used by the department for
123    the operation and maintenance of the commuter rail operations in
124    the South Florida Rail Corridor.
125Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.
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