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House Bill 0277

Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 277 By Representative Saunders 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to the local option tourist 3 development tax; amending s. 125.0104, F.S.; 4 authorizing use of tax revenues to acquire 5 property for beach parking or beach access and 6 to construct or improve existing beach parking 7 facilities or beach access areas; authorizing 8 issuance of bonds; providing an effective date. 9 10 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 11 12 Section 1. Subsection (5) of section 125.0104, Florida 13 Statutes, 1996 Supplement, is amended to read: 14 125.0104 Tourist development tax; procedure for 15 levying; authorized uses; referendum; enforcement.-- 16 (5) AUTHORIZED USES OF REVENUE.-- 17 (a) All tax revenues received pursuant to this section 18 by a county imposing the tourist development tax shall be used 19 by that county for the following purposes only: 20 1. To acquire, construct, extend, enlarge, remodel, 21 repair, improve, maintain, operate, or promote one or more 22 publicly owned and operated convention centers, sports 23 stadiums, sports arenas, coliseums, or auditoriums, or museums 24 that are publicly owned and operated or owned and operated by 25 not-for-profit organizations and open to the public, within 26 the boundaries of the county or subcounty special taxing 27 district in which the tax is levied. Tax revenues received 28 pursuant to this section may also be used for promotion of 29 zoological parks that are publicly owned and operated or owned 30 and operated by not-for-profit organizations and open to the 31 public. However, these purposes may be implemented through 1 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 277 550-137-97 1 service contracts and leases with lessees with sufficient 2 expertise or financial capability to operate such facilities.; 3 2. To promote and advertise tourism in the State of 4 Florida and nationally and internationally; however, if tax 5 revenues are expended for an activity, service, venue, or 6 event, the activity, service, venue, or event shall have as 7 one of its main purposes the attraction of tourists as 8 evidenced by the promotion of the activity, service, venue, or 9 event to tourists.; 10 3. To fund convention bureaus, tourist bureaus, 11 tourist information centers, and news bureaus as county 12 agencies or by contract with the chambers of commerce or 13 similar associations in the county, which may include any 14 indirect administrative costs for services performed by the 15 county on behalf of the promotion agency.; or 16 4. To finance beach park facilities or beach 17 improvement, maintenance, renourishment, restoration, and 18 erosion control, including shoreline protection, enhancement, 19 cleanup, or restoration of inland lakes and rivers to which 20 there is public access as those uses relate to the physical 21 preservation of the beach, shoreline, or inland lake or river. 22 In counties of less than 100,000 population, no more than 10 23 percent of the revenues from the tourist development tax may 24 be used for beach park facilities. 25 5. To acquire property for use as a publicly owned and 26 operated beach parking facility or beach access area, and to 27 construct, enlarge, remodel, repair, or improve existing 28 publicly owned and operated beach parking facilities or public 29 beach access areas. 30 (b) Tax revenues received pursuant to this section by 31 a county of less than 600,000 population imposing a tourist 2 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 277 550-137-97 1 development tax may only be used by that county for the 2 following purposes in addition to those purposes allowed 3 pursuant to paragraph (a): to acquire, construct, extend, 4 enlarge, remodel, repair, improve, maintain, operate, or 5 promote one or more zoological parks, fishing piers or nature 6 centers which are publicly owned and operated or owned and 7 operated by not-for-profit organizations and open to the 8 public. All population figures relating to this subsection 9 shall be based on the most recent population estimates 10 prepared pursuant to the provisions of s. 186.901. These 11 population estimates shall be those in effect on July 1 of 12 each year. 13 (c) The revenues to be derived from the tourist 14 development tax may be pledged to secure and liquidate revenue 15 bonds issued by the county for the purposes set forth in 16 subparagraphs (a)1., and 4., and 5. or for the purpose of 17 refunding bonds previously issued for such purposes, or both; 18 however, no more than 50 percent of the revenues from the 19 tourist development tax may be pledged to secure and liquidate 20 revenue bonds or revenue refunding bonds issued for the 21 purposes set forth in subparagraph (a)4. Such revenue bonds 22 and revenue refunding bonds may be authorized and issued in 23 such principal amounts, with such interest rates and maturity 24 dates, and subject to such other terms, conditions, and 25 covenants as the governing board of the county shall provide. 26 The Legislature intends that this paragraph shall be full and 27 complete authority for accomplishing such purposes, but such 28 authority shall be supplemental and additional to, and not in 29 derogation of, any powers now existing or later conferred 30 under law. 31 3 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 277 550-137-97 1 (d) Any use of the local option tourist development 2 tax revenues collected pursuant to this section for a purpose 3 not expressly authorized by paragraph (3)(l) or paragraph 4 (3)(o) or paragraph (a), paragraph (b), or paragraph (c) of 5 this subsection is expressly prohibited. 6 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a 7 law. 8 9 ***************************************** 10 HOUSE SUMMARY 11 Authorizes use of local option tourist development tax 12 revenues to acquire property for beach parking or beach access and to construct or improve existing beach parking 13 facilities or beach access areas. Authorizes issuance of bonds. 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 4