HB 7119 Summary - Florida Forever Program

• Revises the Florida Forever Trust Fund distribution, reorganizing allocations among state agencies for land acquisition and capital projects with specific percentages: 30% to Department of Environmental Protection for water management districts, 35% for general DEP acquisitions, and allocations to Florida Communities Trust (21%), parks (1.5%), forests (1.5%), wildlife (1.5%), greenways/trails (1.5%), and agricultural lands (3.5%)

• Requires the Department of Environmental Protection to restrict unencumbered funds in Florida Forever subaccounts to a maximum of 3 fiscal years; any remaining funds after that period must be redistributed by the Legislature

• Mandates specific annual appropriations from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund to the Florida Forever Trust Fund, ranging from $57 million in fiscal 2018-2019 to $200 million annually by fiscal 2029-2030 and continuing through 2035-2036

• Consolidates land acquisition program funding by eliminating obsolete provisions and updating cross-references throughout Florida Statutes (sections 20.3315, 253.027, 253.034, 259.035, 380.510, 570.715, and 589.065)

• Effective date: July 1, 2017