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House Bill 1145c1

Florida House of Representatives - 1997 CS/HB 1145 By the Committee on Tourism and Representatives Thrasher, Lippman, Bitner, Burroughs, Heyman, Meek, Garcia, Fasano, Morse, Tobin, Putnam, Cosgrove, Roberts-Burke, Bloom, Barreiro, Merchant, Gay, Valdes, Feeney, Flanagan, King, (Additional Sponsors on Last Printed Page) 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to professional sports 3 franchises; amending s. 288.1162, F.S.; 4 revising the definition of the term "new 5 professional sports franchise"; authorizing 6 certain applicants to be certified more than 7 once under certain circumstances; providing 8 requirements for certain applicants; conforming 9 dates to comply with the act; providing that an 10 applicant applying for certification for more 11 than one franchise, after a certain date, is 12 required to have a contract with the Department 13 of Labor and Employment Security for the hiring 14 of WAGES participants; providing contract 15 requirements; providing for an annual report to 16 the Governor and specified legislative leaders 17 on the extent of WAGES hiring by the applicant; 18 providing an effective date. 19 20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 21 22 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3), paragraphs 23 (c), (e), and (h) of subsection (4), and subsection (8) of 24 section 288.1162, Florida Statutes, 1996 Supplement, are 25 amended, and subsection (11) is added to said section, to 26 read: 27 288.1162 Professional sports franchises; spring 28 training franchises; duties.-- 29 (3) As used in this section: 30 31 1 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 CS/HB 1145 177-232-97 1 (a) "New professional sports franchise" means a 2 professional sports franchise that is not based in this state 3 prior to August 16, 1965 April 1, 1987. 4 (4) Prior to certifying an applicant as a "facility 5 for a new professional sports franchise" or a "facility for a 6 retained professional sports franchise," the Office of 7 Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development must determine that: 8 (c) The applicant has a verified copy of the approval 9 from the governing authority of the league in which the new 10 professional sports franchise exists authorizing the location 11 of the professional sports franchise in this state after 12 August 16, 1965 April 1, 1987, or in the case of a retained 13 professional sports franchise, verified evidence that it has 14 had a league-authorized location in this state on or before 15 December 31, 1976. The term "league" means the National League 16 or the American League of Major League Baseball, the National 17 Basketball Association, the National Football League, or the 18 National Hockey League. 19 (e) The applicant has an independent analysis or 20 study, verified by the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic 21 Development, which demonstrates that the amount of the 22 revenues generated by the taxes imposed under part I of 23 chapter 212 with respect to the use and operation of the 24 professional sports franchise facility will equal or exceed $2 25 million annually, and in the case of an applicant which has 26 been certified for one franchise and is an applicant for a 27 different franchise, the amount demonstrated shall be $2 28 million annually for each franchise. 29 (h) No applicant previously certified under any 30 provision of this section who has received funding under such 31 certification shall be eligible for an additional 2 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 CS/HB 1145 177-232-97 1 certification, unless it is for a different sports franchise 2 as recognized under paragraph (c). 3 (8) The Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic 4 Development shall notify the Department of Revenue of any 5 facility certified as a facility for a new professional sports 6 franchise or a facility for a retained professional sports 7 franchise or as a new spring training franchise facility. The 8 Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development may certify 9 no more than eight facilities for no more than nine 10 professional sports franchises as facilities for a new 11 professional sports franchise, as facilities for a retained 12 professional sports franchise, or as new spring training 13 franchise facilities, including in such total any facilities 14 certified by the Department of Commerce before July 1, 1996. 15 The office may make no more than one certification for any 16 facility. 17 (11) The Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic 18 Development shall, in addition to any other requirements of 19 this section, determine that an applicant which has been 20 certified under this section prior to June 1, 1997, for one 21 franchise and is an applicant for certification for a 22 different franchise under this section after June 1, 1997, has 23 entered into a contract with the Department of Labor and 24 Employment Security in which the applicant agrees to register 25 with the Work and Gain Economic Self-Sufficiency (WAGES) 26 Program Business Registry established by the local WAGES 27 coalition for the area in which the applicant is located. Such 28 contract shall further provide that the applicant shall hire 29 WAGES program participants to the maximum extent possible and 30 shall provide for appropriate monitoring and training of such 31 employees. The applicant shall agree to employ a specified 3 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 CS/HB 1145 177-232-97 1 number of WAGES participants in each year that it receives a 2 distribution under s. 212.20. The number of WAGES participants 3 to be employed by the applicant shall be based upon the 4 applicant's good faith efforts, workforce availability, 5 suitable jobs, and in keeping with the facility's minimum 6 standards of employment as provided in the contract with the 7 department. The applicant may renegotiate the contract and 8 employ fewer program participants if the applicant 9 demonstrates to the satisfaction of the department that due to 10 economic condition or the nature of its business in a given 11 year the requirement to hire the specified number of employees 12 is unattainable. Each applicant subject to the requirements of 13 this subsection shall report to the Governor, the President of 14 the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by 15 December 31 of each year in which the applicant receives a 16 distribution under s. 212.20 on the extent to which its 17 employees are WAGES participants. 18 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a 19 law. 20 21 22 ***************************************** 23 24 ADDITIONAL SPONSORS 25 Edwards, Chestnut, Mackenzie, Logan, Mackey, Ogles, 26 Constantine, Harrington, Geller, Culp and Ritchie 27 28 29 30 31 4