189.412  Special District Information Program; duties and responsibilities.--The Special District Information Program of the Department of Community Affairs is created and has the following special duties:

(1)  The collection and maintenance of special district compliance status reports from the Auditor General, the Department of Banking and Finance, the Division of Bond Finance of the State Board of Administration, the Division of Retirement, the Department of Revenue, and the Commission on Ethics for the reporting required in ss. 11.45, 112.3144, 112.3145, 112.3148, 112.3149, 112.63, 200.068, 218.32, 218.34, 218.38, and 280.17 and chapter 121 and from state agencies administering programs that distribute money to special districts. The special district compliance status reports must consist of a list of special districts used in that state agency and a list of which special districts did not comply with the reporting statutorily required by that agency.

(2)  The maintenance of a master list of independent and dependent special districts which shall be annually updated and distributed to the appropriate officials in state and local governments.

(3)  The publishing and updating of a "Florida Special District Handbook" that contains, at a minimum:

(a)  A section that specifies definitions of special districts and status distinctions in the statutes.

(b)  A section or sections that specify current statutory provisions for special district creation, implementation, modification, dissolution, and operating procedures.

(c)  A section that summarizes the reporting requirements applicable to all types of special districts as provided in ss. 189.417 and 189.418.

(4)  When feasible, securing and maintaining access to special district information collected by all state agencies in existing or newly created state computer systems.

(5)  The facilitation of coordination and communication among state agencies regarding special district information.

(6)  The conduct of studies relevant to special districts.

(7)  The provision of assistance related to and appropriate in the performance of requirements specified in this chapter.