Senate Bill 1674
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1674
    By Senator Kirkpatrick
    5-1383A-99
  1                      A bill to be entitled
  2         An act relating to economic development;
  3         providing legislative findings and declarations
  4         with respect to the global competition that is
  5         encountered by the state in attracting certain
  6         high-impact business facilities; creating the
  7         Florida Economic Opportunities Incentive Fund
  8         within the Office of Tourism, Trade, and
  9         Economic Development; providing for the
10         transfer of moneys to the fund; limiting the
11         amount of moneys that may be transferred to the
12         fund in any one fiscal year; requiring
13         Enterprise Florida, Inc., to evaluate and
14         recommend high-impact facilities eligible for a
15         payment of moneys from the fund; requiring that
16         such payments be approved by the Governor,
17         following consultation with the President of
18         the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
19         Representatives; providing certain requirements
20         for the contract awarding moneys from the fund;
21         providing a contingent effective date.
22
23  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
24
25         Section 1.  Florida Economic Opportunities Incentive
26  Fund.--
27         (1)(a)  The Legislature finds that attracting,
28  retaining, and providing favorable conditions for the growth
29  of certain high-impact business facilities provides widespread
30  economic benefits to the public through high-quality
31  employment opportunities in such facilities and in related
                                  1
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1674
    5-1383A-99
  1  facilities attracted to the state, through the increased tax
  2  base provided by the high-impact facility and businesses in
  3  related sectors, through an enhanced entrepreneurial climate
  4  in the state and the resulting business and employment
  5  opportunities, and through the stimulation and enhancement of
  6  the state's universities and community colleges. In the global
  7  economy, there exists serious and fierce international
  8  competition for these facilities, and in most instances, when
  9  all available resources for economic development have been
10  used, the state continues to encounter severe competitive
11  disadvantages in vying for these high-impact business
12  facilities.
13         (b)  The Legislature therefore declares that sufficient
14  resources shall be available to respond to extraordinary
15  economic opportunities and to compete effectively for these
16  high-impact business facilities.
17         (2)(a)  There is created within the Office of Tourism,
18  Trade, and Economic Development the Florida Economic
19  Opportunities Incentive Fund.
20         (b)  Upon the approval of the Governor, moneys may be
21  transferred to the Florida Economic Opportunities Incentive
22  Fund from the Working Capital Fund or other unappropriated
23  surplus funds, not to exceed $50 million in any one fiscal
24  year.
25         (3)(a)  Enterprise Florida, Inc., shall evaluate
26  individual proposals for high-impact business facilities and
27  forward recommendations regarding the use of moneys in the
28  fund for such facilities to the director of the Office of
29  Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development. Such evaluation and
30  recommendation must include, but need not be limited to:
31
                                  2
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1674
    5-1383A-99
  1         1.  A description of the type of facility, its business
  2  operation, and the product or service associated with the
  3  facility.
  4         2.  The number of full-time-equivalent jobs that will
  5  be created by the facility and the total estimated average
  6  annual wages of those jobs.
  7         3.  The cumulative amount of investment to be dedicated
  8  to the facility within a specified period.
  9         4.  A statement of any special impacts the facility is
10  expected to stimulate in a particular business sector in the
11  state or regional economy or in the state's universities and
12  community colleges.
13         5.  A statement of the role the incentive is expected
14  to play in the decision of the applicant business to locate or
15  expand in this state.
16         (b)  Upon receipt of the evaluation and recommendation
17  from Enterprise Florida, Inc., the director shall recommend
18  approval or disapproval of a project for receipt of funds from
19  the Florida Economic Opportunities Incentive Fund to the
20  Governor. In recommending a high-impact business facility, the
21  director shall include proposed performance conditions that
22  the facility must meet to obtain incentive funds. The Governor
23  shall consult with the President of the Senate and the Speaker
24  of the House of Representatives before giving final approval
25  for a project.
26         (c)  Upon the approval of the Governor, the director of
27  the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development and the
28  high-impact business shall enter into a contract that sets
29  forth the conditions for payment of moneys from the fund. The
30  contract must include the total amount of funds awarded; the
31  performance conditions that must be met to obtain the award,
                                  3
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1674
    5-1383A-99
  1  including, but not limited to, net new employment in the
  2  state, average salary, and total capital investment; the
  3  methodology for validating performance; and the schedule of
  4  payments from the fund.
  5         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a
  6  law, but it shall not take effect unless it is enacted by at
  7  least a three-fifths vote of the membership of each house of
  8  the Legislature.
  9
10            *****************************************
11                          SENATE SUMMARY
12    Creates the Florida Economic Opportunities Incentive Fund
      within the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic
13    Development. Limits the amount of moneys that may be
      transferred to the fund to $50 million in any one fiscal
14    year. Requires that Enterprise Florida, Inc., evaluate
      and recommend high-impact facilities that are eligible
15    for a payment of moneys from the fund. Requires that any
      payments from the fund be approved by the Governor,
16    following consultation with the President of the Senate
      and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
                                  4