(1) The Land Acquisition Trust Fund is created within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The trust fund is established for use as a depository for funds received from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund within the Department of Environmental Protection and for expenditure of such funds for the purposes set forth in s. 28, Art. X of the State Constitution.
(2) The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services must maintain the integrity of such moneys transferred from the Department of Environmental Protection. Any transferred moneys available from reversions or reductions in budget authority shall be transferred back to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund within the Department of Environmental Protection within 15 days after such reversion or reduction and shall be available for future appropriation for the purposes set forth in s. 28, Art. X of the State Constitution.
(3) If expenditures from the trust fund will result in state ownership of land or related property interests, title shall be vested in the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund as required under chapter 253. Such acquisition of land or related property interests shall be by voluntary, negotiated acquisition and, if title is to be vested in the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, is subject to the acquisition procedures of s. 253.025. Acquisition costs shall include purchase prices and costs and fees associated with title work, surveys, and appraisals required to complete an acquisition. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services or its designee shall manage such lands or related property interests in accordance with the purposes set forth in s. 28, Art. X of the State Constitution. Other uses, not contrary to such purposes, may be authorized.
(4) Moneys in the trust fund may not be invested as provided in s. 17.61, but shall be retained in the trust fund for investment with interest appropriated to the General Revenue Fund as provided in s. 17.57.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2015-230; s. 2, ch. 2018-115.