House Bill 3931
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    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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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HB 3931
    612-117-98
  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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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    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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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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