(1) The department shall declare inactive any special district in this state by documenting that:

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   (a) The special district meets one of the following criteria:

   1. The registered agent of the district, the chair of the governing body of the district, or the governing body of the appropriate local general-purpose government notifies the department in writing that the district has taken no action for 2 or more years;

   2. Following an inquiry from the department, the registered agent of the district, the chair of the governing body of the district, or the governing body of the appropriate local general-purpose government notifies the department in writing that the district has not had a governing board or a sufficient number of governing board members to constitute a quorum for 2 or more years or the registered agent of the district, the chair of the governing body of the district, or the governing body of the appropriate local general-purpose government fails to respond to the department’s inquiry within 21 days;

   3. The department determines, pursuant to s. 189.421, that the district has failed to file any of the reports listed in s. 189.419; or

   4. The district has not had a registered office and agent on file with the department for 1 or more years.

   (b) The department, special district, or local general-purpose government published a notice of proposed declaration of inactive status in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or municipality in which the territory of the special district is located and sent a copy of such notice by certified mail to the registered agent or chair of the board, if any. Such notice must include the name of the special district, the law under which it was organized and operating, a general description of the territory included in the special district, and a statement that any objections must be filed pursuant to chapter 120 within 21 days after the publication date; and

   (c) Twenty-one days have elapsed from the publication date of the notice of proposed declaration of inactive status and no administrative appeals were filed.

   (2) If any special district is declared inactive pursuant to this section, the property or assets of the special district are subject to legal process for payment of any debts of the district. After the payment of all the debts of said inactive special district, the remainder of its property or assets shall escheat to the county or municipality wherein located. If, however, it shall be necessary, in order to pay any such debt, to levy any tax or taxes on the property in the territory or limits of the inactive special district, the same may be assessed and levied by order of the local general-purpose government wherein the same is situated and shall be assessed by the county property appraiser and collected by the county tax collector.

   (3) In the case of a district created by special act of the Legislature, the department shall send a notice of declaration of inactive status to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate. The notice of declaration of inactive status shall reference each known special act creating or amending the charter of any special district declared to be inactive under this section. The declaration of inactive status shall be sufficient notice as required by s. 10, Art. III of the State Constitution to authorize the Legislature to repeal any special laws so reported. In the case of a district created by one or more local general-purpose governments, the department shall send a notice of declaration of inactive status to the chair of the governing body of each local general-purpose government that created the district. In the case of a district created by interlocal agreement, the department shall send a notice of declaration of inactive status to the chair of the governing body of each local general-purpose government which entered into the interlocal agreement.

   (4) The entity that created a special district declared inactive under this section must dissolve the special district by repealing its enabling laws or by other appropriate means.

s. 10, ch. 89-169; s. 10, ch. 97-255; s. 143, ch. 2001-2