House Bill 3931

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HB 3931

        By the Committee on Transportation & Economic Development
    Appropriations and Representative Merchant





  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to economic development grants;

  3         amending s. 14.2015, F.S.; establishing an

  4         economic development grant program under the

  5         Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic

  6         Development; providing criteria, requirements,

  7         and restrictions with respect thereto; amending

  8         ss. 288.108 and 288.90152, F.S.; correcting

  9         cross references; providing an effective date.

10

11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

12

13         Section 1.  Subsection (9) is added to section 14.2015,

14  Florida Statutes, to read:

15         14.2015  Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic

16  Development; creation; powers and duties.--

17         (9)(a)  Subject to the cooperative recommendations of

18  Enterprise Florida, Inc., and the Florida Commission on

19  Tourism and to the approval of the Governor, the Office of

20  Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development is authorized to

21  expend appropriated state and federal funds for general

22  economic development grants. The office shall establish

23  criteria for the award of grants, including criteria relating

24  to highest economic return for the state as a whole, or a

25  particular region, county, city, or community, ability to

26  properly administer grant funds, and such other matters deemed

27  necessary and appropriate to further the purposes of this

28  subsection. The office shall expend all funds in accordance

29  with state law and shall use such appropriations to supplement

30  the financial support of:

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HB 3931

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  1         1.  Programs that have a substantial economic

  2  significance, giving emphasis to programs that benefit the

  3  state as a whole.

  4         2.  Programs with a high potential for match funding

  5  from nonstate sources.

  6         3.  Economic development programs for which no other

  7  state grants are available.

  8         4.  Rural areas and distressed urban areas.

  9         (b)  Grants shall be made by contract with any

10  nonprofit corporation or local or state governmental entity.

11  Of the total amount of funds available from all sources for

12  grants, 70 percent of such funds shall be awarded on a

13  50-percent matching basis. Up to 30 percent of such funds

14  available may be awarded on a nonmatching basis.

15         (c)  In administering grants, contracts, and funds

16  appropriated for economic development programs, the office may

17  release moneys in advance on a quarterly basis. By the end of

18  the contract period, the grantee or contractee shall furnish

19  to the office a complete and accurate accounting of how all

20  grant funds were expended. Postaudits to be conducted by an

21  independent certified public accountant may be required in

22  accordance with criteria adopted by the office.

23         (d)  The office shall not award any new grant which

24  will, in whole or in part, inure to the personal benefit of

25  any board member of Enterprise Florida, Inc., or the Florida

26  Commission on Tourism during that member's term of office, if

27  the board member participated in the vote of the board or

28  panel thereof recommending the award. However, this subsection

29  does not prohibit the office from awarding a grant to an

30  entity with which a board member is associated.

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HB 3931

    612-117-98






  1         Section 2.  Paragraph (e) of subsection (6) of section

  2  288.108, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

  3         288.108  High-impact business.--

  4         (6)  SELECTION AND DESIGNATION OF HIGH-IMPACT

  5  SECTORS.--

  6         (e)  The study and its findings and recommendations and

  7  the recommendations gathered from the sector-business network

  8  must be discussed and considered during at least one of the

  9  quarterly meetings required in s. 14.2015(2)(f)(h).

10         Section 3.  Subsection (7) of section 288.90152,

11  Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

12         288.90152  Pilot matching grant program.--

13         (7)  Upon completing all training funded under this

14  pilot program, the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic

15  Development shall report on the outputs and outcomes for this

16  program as part of the annual report prepared under s.

17  14.2015(2)(e)(g). Such report must include a recommendation on

18  whether it would be sound public policy to continue or

19  discontinue funding for the program.

20         Section 4.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

21  law.

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23            *****************************************

24                          HOUSE SUMMARY

25
      Establishes an economic development grant program under
26    the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development
      and provides criteria, requirements, and restrictions
27    with respect thereto. See bill for details.

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