HB 1313 re-creates the Resilient Florida Trust Fund within the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and removes the fund’s scheduled termination date. The bill amends section 380.0935, Florida Statutes, to abrogate the existing sunset provision that would have caused the trust fund to terminate on July 1, 2025, and instead allows the fund to continue in operation beginning July 1, 2025.
The practical effect is to preserve a dedicated funding mechanism for the Resilient Florida program, which supports resilience and adaptation-related activities administered by DEP. By reauthorizing the trust fund, the bill maintains the statutory structure used to receive and expend money for these purposes and prevents the fund from lapsing under the constitutional trust-fund termination process.
Impact
The bill affects state trust-fund law by overriding the scheduled termination of the Resilient Florida Trust Fund and keeping it active under chapter 380.0935, Florida Statutes. It does not create a new program or change eligibility rules, but it does preserve the legal authority for DEP to continue using the fund for resilience-related expenditures and related administrative purposes.
Sentiment
The available record shows no committee transcript, recorded debate, or vote breakdown, so there is no direct evidence of opposition or support in discussion. The bill’s enactment and chaptering indicate it moved successfully through the legislative process, suggesting general acceptance of continuing the trust fund.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. The only substantive issue apparent from the bill text is the policy choice to extend the life of a dedicated environmental resilience trust fund rather than allow it to terminate on schedule. Any disagreement would likely have centered on whether the fund should continue and whether its purposes remain sufficiently justified, but no speakers or votes are provided to identify particular advocates or opponents.