Title: Paper Reduction

Summary: Providing that the uniform statewide voter registration application be designed to elicit the e-mail address of an applicant and whether the applicant desires to receive sample ballots by e-mail; authorizing the property appraiser to notify taxpayers of proposed property taxes by posting the notice on the appraiser's website in lieu of first-class mail when approved by the county governing board; authorizing the property appraiser to provide e-mail notification when the proposed taxes and assessments are available on the appraiser's website, etc.

Full Text:
An act relating to paper reduction; amending s. 97.052, F.S.; providing that the uniform statewide voter registration application be designed to elicit the e-mail address of an applicant and whether the applicant desires to receive sample ballots by e-mail; amending s. 101.20, F.S.; authorizing a supervisor of elections to send a sample ballot to a registered elector by e-mail under certain circumstances; amending s. 125.66, F.S.; requiring the clerk of a board of county commissioners to electronically transmit enacted ordinances, amendments, and emergency ordinances to the Department of State; amending s. 194.034, F.S.; permitting a value adjustment board to electronically provide the taxpayer and property appraiser with notice of the decision of the board; amending s. 200.069, F.S.; authorizing the property appraiser to notify taxpayers of proposed property taxes by posting the notice on the appraiser s website in lieu of first-class mail when approved by the county governing board; providing notice format details; requiring publication of legal notice that the notice of proposed taxes and assessments is available through the property appraiser s website; authorizing the property appraiser to provide e-mail notification when the proposed taxes and assessments are available on the appraiser s website; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Paragraphs (e) through (t) of subsection (2) of section 97.052, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as paragraphs (f) through (u), respectively, and a new paragraph (e) is added to that section, to read: 97.052 Uniform statewide voter registration application.  (2) The uniform statewide voter registration application must be designed to elicit the following information from the applicant: (e) E-mail address and whether the applicant wishes to receive sample ballots by e-mail. The registration application must be in plain language and designed so that convicted felons whose civil rights have been restored and persons who have been adjudicated mentally incapacitated and have had their voting rights restored are not required to reveal their prior conviction or adjudication. Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 101.20, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 101.20 Publication of ballot form; sample ballots.  (2) Upon completion of the list of qualified candidates, a sample ballot shall be published by the supervisor of elections in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, before prior to the day of election. A supervisor may send a sample ballot to each registered elector by e-mail at least days before any election if an e-mail address has been provided and the elector has opted to receive a sample ballot by electronic delivery. If an e-mail address has not been provided, or if the elector has not opted for electronic delivery If the county has an addressograph or equivalent system for mailing to registered electors,a sample ballot may be mailed to each registered elector or to each household in which there is a registered elector,in lieu of publication, at least days before prior to any election. Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) and subsection (3) of section 125.66, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 125.66 Ordinances; enactment procedure; emergency ordinances; rezoning or change of land use ordinances or resolutions.  (2) (b) Certified copies of ordinances or amendments thereto enacted under this regular enactment procedure shall be filed with the Department of State by the clerk of the board of county commissioners within days after enactment by said board and shall take effect upon filing with the Department of State. However, any ordinance may prescribe a later effective date. In lieu of delivery of the certified copies of the enacted ordinances or amendments by first-class mail, the clerk of the board of county commissioners shall transmit the enacted ordinances or amendments to the department by e-mail. The department shall confirm by e-mail the receipt and effective date of the ordinances or amendments with the clerk of the board of county commissioners. (3) The emergency enactment procedure shall be as follows: The board of county commissioners at any regular or special meeting may enact or amend any ordinance with a waiver of the notice requirements of subsection (2) by a four-fifths vote of the membership of such board, declaring that an emergency exists and that the immediate enactment of said ordinance is necessary. However, no emergency ordinance or resolution shall be enacted which establishes or amends the actual zoning map designation of a parcel or parcels of land or changes the actual list of permitted, conditional, or prohibited uses within a zoning category. Emergency enactment procedures for land use plans adopted pursuant to part II of chapter shall be pursuant to that part. Certified copies of ordinances or amendments thereto enacted under this emergency enactment procedure by a county shall be filed with the Department of State by the clerk of the board of county commissioners as soon after enactment by said board as is practicable. An emergency ordinance enacted under this procedure shall be transmitted by the clerk of the board of county commissioners by e-mail to the Department of State. It shall be deemed to be filed and shall take effect when a copy has been accepted and confirmed by the department by e-mail deemed to be filed and shall take effect when a copy has been accepted by the postal authorities of the Government of the United States for special delivery by certified mail to the Department of State.Section 4. Subsection (2) of section 194.034, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 194.034 Hearing procedures; rules.  (2) In each case, except if the complaint is withdrawn by the petitioner or if the complaint is acknowledged as correct by the property appraiser, the value adjustment board shall render a written decision. All such decisions shall be issued within calendar days after the last day the board is in session under s. 194.032. The decision of the board must contain findings of fact and conclusions of law and must include reasons for upholding or overturning the determination of the property appraiser. If a special magistrate has been appointed, the recommendations of the special magistrate shall be considered by the board. The clerk, upon issuance of a decision, shall, on a form provided by the Department of Revenue, notify each taxpayer and the property appraiser of the decision of the board. This notification shall be by first-class mail or by electronic means if selected by the taxpayer on the originally filed petition each taxpayer and the property appraiser of the decision of the board.If requested by the Department of Revenue, the clerk shall provide to the department a copy of the decision or information relating to the tax impact of the findings and results of the board as described in s. 194.037 in the manner and form requested. Section 5. Section 200.069, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 200.069 Notice of proposed property taxes and non-ad valorem assessments. Pursuant to s. 200.065(2)(b), the property appraiser, in the name of the taxing authorities and local governing boards levying non-ad valorem assessments within his or her jurisdiction and at the expense of the county, shall prepare and deliver by first-class mail to each taxpayer to be listed on the current year s assessment roll a notice of proposed property taxes, which notice shall contain the elements and use the format provided in the following form. Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 195.022, no county officer shall use a form other than that provided herein. The Department of Revenue may adjust the spacing and placement on the form of the elements listed in this section as it considers necessary based on changes in conditions necessitated by various taxing authorities. If the elements are in the order listed, the placement of the listed columns may be varied at the discretion and expense of the property appraiser, and the property appraiser may use printing technology and devices to complete the form, the spacing, and the placement of the information in the columns. A county officer may use a form other than that provided by the department for purposes of this part, but only if his or her office pays the related expenses and he or she obtains prior written permission from the executive director of the department; however, a county officer may not use a form the substantive content of which is at variance with the form prescribed by the department. The county officer may continue to use such an approved form until the law that specifies the form is amended or repealed or until the officer receives written disapproval from the executive director. In lieu of delivery of the notice of proposed property taxes by first-class mail, the property appraiser may prepare and make available for viewing and printing on his or her office website the notice of proposed property taxes for each taxpayer to be listed on the current year s assessment roll, but only if, following a recommendation by the property appraiser, the county governing board of his or her jurisdiction approves the measure by ordinance. If approved by ordinance of the county governing board, the notice shall be a separate web page, web link, attachment, or document and shall contain all the substantive elements outlined in this section. The property appraiser may use a format for web display of all substantive elements as outlined in this section other than that provided by the department for purposes of this section, but only if his or her office obtains prior written permission from the executive director of the department. The format may contain substantive elements deemed important by the property appraiser, in addition to those outlined in this section. The property appraiser may continue to use the approved format until the law that specifies the form is amended or repealed or until the officer receives written disapproval from the executive director. The property appraiser shall provide legal notice in a periodical meeting the requirements of s. 50.011 that the notice of proposed property taxes and non-ad valorem assessments is available on the property appraiser website. The legal notice shall contain the property appraiser s website address. The property appraiser may also provide notification by e-mail to property owners or other interested parties who have registered a request with the property appraiser for e-mail notification when the notice of proposed property taxes and non-ad valorem assessments is available on the website. (1) The first page of the notice shall read: NOTICE OF PROPOSED PROPERTY TAXES DO NOT PAY THIS IS NOT A BILL The taxing authorities which levy property taxes against your property will soon hold PUBLIC HEARINGS to adopt budgets and tax rates for the next year. The purpose of these PUBLIC HEARINGS is to receive opinions from the general public and to answer questions on the proposed tax change and budget PRIOR TO TAKING FINAL ACTION. Each taxing authority may AMEND OR ALTER its proposals at the hearing. (2)(a) The notice shall include a brief legal description of the property, the name and mailing address of the owner of record, and the tax information applicable to the specific parcel in question. The information shall be in columnar form. There shall be seven column headings which shall read:  Taxing Authority,   Your Property Taxes Last Year,   Last Year s Adjusted Tax Rate (Millage),   Your Taxes This Year IF NO Budget Change Is Adopted,   Tax Rate This Year IF PROPOSED Budget Is Adopted (Millage),   Your Taxes This Year IF PROPOSED Budget Change Is Adopted,  and  A Public Hearing on the Proposed Taxes and Budget Will Be Held:.  (b) As used in this section, the term  last year s adjusted tax rate  means the rolled-back rate calculated pursuant to s. 200.065(1). (3) There shall be under each column heading an entry for the county; the school district levy required pursuant to s. 1011.60(6); other operating school levies; the municipality or municipal service taxing unit or units in which the parcel lies, if any; the water management district levying pursuant to s. 373.503; the independent special districts in which the parcel lies, if any; and for all voted levies for debt service applicable to the parcel, if any. (4) For each entry listed in subsection (3), there shall appear on the notice the following: (a) In the first column, a brief, commonly used name for the taxing authority or its governing body. The entry in the first column for the levy required pursuant to s. 1011.60(6) shall be  By State Law.  The entry for other operating school district levies shall be  By Local Board.  Both school levy entries shall be indented and preceded by the notation  Public Schools: . For each voted levy for debt service, the entry shall be  Voter Approved Debt Payments.  (b) In the second column, the gross amount of ad valorem taxes levied against the parcel in the previous year. If the parcel did not exist in the previous year, the second column shall be blank. (c) In the third column, last year s adjusted tax rate or, in the case of voted levies for debt service, the tax rate previously authorized by referendum. (d) In the fourth column, the gross amount of ad valorem taxes which will apply to the parcel in the current year if each taxing authority levies last year s adjusted tax rate or, in the case of voted levies for debt service, the amount previously authorized by referendum. (e) In the fifth column, the tax rate that each taxing authority must levy against the parcel to fund the proposed budget or, in the case of voted levies for debt service, the tax rate previously authorized by referendum. (f) In the sixth column, the gross amount of ad valorem taxes that must be levied in the current year if the proposed budget is adopted. (g) In the seventh column, the date, the time, and a brief description of the location of the public hearing required pursuant to s. 200.065(2)(c). (5) Following the entries for each taxing authority, a final entry shall show: in the first column, the words  Total Property Taxes:  and in the second, fourth, and sixth columns, the sum of the entries for each of the individual taxing authorities. The second, fourth, and sixth columns shall, immediately below said entries, be labeled Column 1, Column 2, and Column 3, respectively. Below these labels shall appear, in boldfaced type, the statement: SEE REVERSE SIDE FOR EXPLANATION. (6)(a) The second page of the notice shall state the parcel s market value and for each taxing authority that levies an ad valorem tax against the parcel: 1. The assessed value, value of exemptions, and taxable value for the previous year and the current year. 2. Each assessment reduction and exemption applicable to the property, including the value of the assessment reduction or exemption and tax levies to which they apply. (b) The reverse side of the second page shall contain definitions and explanations for the values included on the front side. (7) The following statement shall appear after the values listed on the front of the second page: If you feel that the market value of your property is inaccurate or does not reflect fair market value, or if you are entitled to an exemption or classification that is not reflected above, contact your county property appraiser at...(phone number)... or...(location).... If the property appraiser s office is unable to resolve the matter as to market value, classification, or an exemption, you may file a petition for adjustment with the Value Adjustment Board. Petition forms are available from the county property appraiser and must be filed ON OR BEFORE...(date).... (8) The reverse side of the first page of the form shall read: EXPLANATION *COLUMN 1 YOUR PROPERTY TAXES LAST YEAR  This column shows the taxes that applied last year to your property. These amounts were based on budgets adopted last year and your property s previous taxable value. *COLUMN 2 YOUR TAXES IF NO BUDGET CHANGE IS ADOPTED  This column shows what your taxes will be this year IF EACH TAXING AUTHORITY DOES NOT CHANGE ITS PROPERTY TAX LEVY. These amounts are based on last year s budgets and your current assessment. *COLUMN 3 YOUR TAXES IF PROPOSED BUDGET CHANGE IS ADOPTED  This column shows what your taxes will be this year under the BUDGET ACTUALLY PROPOSED by each local taxing authority. The proposal is NOT final and may be amended at the public hearings shown on the front side of this notice. The difference between columns and is the tax change proposed by each local taxing authority and is NOT the result of higher assessments. *Note: Amounts shown on this form do NOT reflect early payment discounts you may have received or may be eligible to receive. (Discounts are a maximum of percent of the amounts shown on this form.) (9) The bottom portion of the notice shall further read in bold, conspicuous print:  Your final tax bill may contain non-ad valorem assessments which may not be reflected on this notice such as assessments for roads, fire, garbage, lighting, drainage, water, sewer, or other governmental services and facilities which may be levied by your county, city, or any special district.  (10)(a) If requested by the local governing board levying non-ad valorem assessments and agreed to by the property appraiser, the notice specified in this section may contain a notice of proposed or adopted non-ad valorem assessments. If so agreed, the notice shall be titled: NOTICE OF PROPOSED PROPERTY TAXES AND PROPOSED OR ADOPTED NON-AD VALOREM ASSESSMENTS DO NOT PAY THIS IS NOT A BILL There must be a clear partition between the notice of proposed property taxes and the notice of proposed or adopted non-ad valorem assessments. The partition must be a bold, horizontal line approximately 1/8-inch thick. By rule, the department shall provide a format for the form of the notice of proposed or adopted non-ad valorem assessments which meets the following minimum requirements: 1. There must be subheading for columns listing the levying local governing board, with corresponding assessment rates expressed in dollars and cents per unit of assessment, and the associated assessment amount. 2. The purpose of each assessment must also be listed in the column listing the levying local governing board if the purpose is not clearly indicated by the name of the board. 3. Each non-ad valorem assessment for each levying local governing board must be listed separately. 4. If a county has too many municipal service benefit units or assessments to be listed separately, it shall combine them by function. 5. A brief statement outlining the responsibility of the tax collector and each levying local governing board as to any non-ad valorem assessment must be provided on the form, accompanied by directions as to which office to contact for particular questions or problems. (b) If the notice includes all adopted non-ad valorem assessments, the provisions contained in subsection (9) shall not be placed on the notice. Section 6. This act shall take effect October 1, 2013.