Senate Bill 1210c1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.



    Florida Senate - 2000                           CS for SB 1210

    By the Committee on Commerce and Economic Opportunities; and
    Senator Kirkpatrick




    310-2131A-00

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the space industry; amending

  3         s. 331.368, F.S.; expanding the purpose of the

  4         Florida Space Research Institute; revising the

  5         membership of the institute; prescribing

  6         additional duties of the institute; creating

  7         the Space Industry Workforce Initiative;

  8         requiring the Workforce Development Board of

  9         Enterprise Florida, Inc., to develop

10         initiatives to address the workforce needs of

11         the industry; prescribing criteria; requiring

12         the board to convene industry representatives;

13         requiring a report; creating s. 331.3685, F.S.;

14         creating the Florida Space-Industry

15         Research-Development Program to finance

16         space-related research projects and programs;

17         providing for certain sales-tax collections to

18         be distributed to the Florida Space Research

19         Institute; prescribing uses of such funds;

20         requiring an annual accounting of such funds;

21         providing for review of funding proposals by

22         the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic

23         Development; requiring a contract with the

24         office governing distribution of funds under

25         the program; amending s. 212.20, F.S.;

26         providing for sales-tax collections from the

27         Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to be

28         distributed to the Florida Space Research

29         Institute; providing an effective date.

30

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

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2000                           CS for SB 1210
    310-2131A-00




  1         Section 1.  Section 331.368, Florida Statutes, is

  2  amended to read:

  3         331.368  Florida Space Research Institute.--

  4         (1)  There is created the Florida Space Research

  5  Institute, the purpose of which is to serve as an

  6  industry-driven center for research, leveraging the state's

  7  resources in a collaborative effort to support Florida's space

  8  industry and its expansion, diversification, and transition to

  9  commercialization.

10         (2)  The institute shall operate as a public/private

11  partnership under the direction of a board composed comprised

12  of:

13         (a)  A representative of the Spaceport Florida

14  Authority.

15         (b)  A representative of Enterprise Florida, Inc.

16         (c)  A representative of the Florida Aviation Aerospace

17  Alliance.

18         (d)  A representative of the Florida Space Business

19  Roundtable.

20         (e)  Additional private-sector representatives from the

21  space industry selected collaboratively by the core members

22  specified in paragraphs (a)-(d). The additional space industry

23  representatives under this paragraph must comprise the

24  majority of members of the board and must be from geographic

25  regions throughout the state.

26         (f)  Two representatives from the educational community

27  who are selected collaboratively by the core members specified

28  in paragraphs (a)-(d) and who are engaged in research or

29  instruction related to the space industry. One representative

30  must be from a community college and one representative must

31  be from a public or private university.

                                  2

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2000                           CS for SB 1210
    310-2131A-00




  1

  2  Annually, the members of the board shall select one of the

  3  members to serve as chair, who shall be responsible for

  4  convening and leading meetings of the board. representatives

  5  of the Spaceport Florida Authority, Enterprise Florida, Inc.,

  6  the Florida Aviation and Aerospace Alliance, and four

  7  additional space industry representatives selected by the core

  8  membership of the board.

  9         (3)  The board of the Florida Space Research Institute

10  shall:

11         (a)  Set the strategic direction for the space-related

12  institute, including research priorities of the state and its

13  space-related businesses, the scope of research projects for

14  the institute, and the timeframes for completion.

15         (b)  Invite the participation of public and private

16  universities, including, but not limited to, the University of

17  Central Florida, the University of Florida, the University of

18  South Florida, Florida State University, Florida Institute of

19  Technology, and the University of Miami.

20         (c)  Select a lead university to:

21         1.  Serve as coordinator of research and as the

22  administrative entity of the institute;.

23         2.  Support the institute's development of a statewide

24  space research agenda and programs; and

25         3.  Develop, and update as necessary, a report

26  recommending ways that the state's public and private

27  universities can work in partnership to support the state's

28  space-industry requirements, which report must be completed by

29  December 15, 2000.

30         (d)  Establish a partnership with the state Workforce

31  Development Board, or its successor entity, under which the

                                  3

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2000                           CS for SB 1210
    310-2131A-00




  1  institute coordinates the workforce-training requirements

  2  identified by the space industry and supports development of

  3  workforce-training initiatives to meet such requirements,

  4  using training providers approved by the board or its

  5  successor entity.

  6         (e)  Co-manage, with the National Aeronautics and Space

  7  Administration, operation of a Space Experiment Research and

  8  Processing Laboratory, if such a facility is constructed on

  9  land of the John F. Kennedy Space Center. The institute shall

10  use a consortium of public and private universities, under the

11  direction of the lead university designated under paragraph

12  (c), to carry out such responsibilities for co-managing the

13  laboratory. Subject to agreement with the National Aeronautics

14  and Space Administration, the institute shall coordinate

15  access for public and private universities to the laboratory

16  and shall coordinate access for the administration to the

17  off-site resources of such universities.

18         (f)  Develop initiatives to foster the participation of

19  the state's space industry in the International Space Station

20  and to help the state maintain and enhance its competitive

21  position in the commercial space-transportation industry.

22         (g)  Pursue partnerships with the National Aeronautics

23  and Space Administration to coordinate and conduct research in

24  fields, including, but not limited to, environmental

25  monitoring; agriculture; aquatics; resource reutilization

26  technologies for long-duration space missions; and spaceport

27  technologies such as next-generation launches and range

28  systems.

29         (h)  Pursue partnerships with the National Aeronautics

30  and Space Administration and the John F. Kennedy Space Center

31  for the conduct of space-related research using computer

                                  4

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2000                           CS for SB 1210
    310-2131A-00




  1  technology to connect experts in a given field of science who

  2  are in disparate locations and to perform research experiments

  3  in a real-time, virtual environment.

  4         (4)  By December 15 1 of each year, the institute shall

  5  submit a report of its activities and accomplishments for the

  6  prior fiscal year to the Governor, the President of the

  7  Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The

  8  report shall also include recommendations regarding actions

  9  the state should take to enhance the development of

10  space-related businesses, including:

11         (a)  Future research activities.

12         (b)  The development of capital and technology

13  assistance to new and expanding industries.

14         (c)  The removal of regulatory impediments.

15         (d)  The establishment of business development

16  incentives.

17         (e)  The initiation of education and training programs

18  to ensure a skilled workforce.

19         Section 2.  Space Industry Workforce Initiative.--

20         (1)  The Legislature finds that the space industry is

21  critical to the economic future of the state and that the

22  competitiveness of the industry in the state depends upon the

23  development and maintenance of a qualified workforce. The

24  Legislature further finds that the space industry in this

25  state has diverse and complex workforce needs, including, but

26  not limited to, the need for qualified entry-level workers,

27  the need to upgrade the skills of technician-level incumbent

28  workers, and the need to ensure continuing education

29  opportunities for workers with advanced educational degrees.

30  It is the intent of the Legislature to support programs

31

                                  5

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2000                           CS for SB 1210
    310-2131A-00




  1  designed to address the workforce development needs of the

  2  space industry in this state.

  3         (2)  The Workforce Development Board of Enterprise

  4  Florida, Inc., or it successor entity, shall coordinate

  5  development of a Space Industry Workforce Initiative in

  6  partnership with the Florida Space Research Institute, the

  7  institute's consortium of public and private universities,

  8  community colleges, and other training providers approved by

  9  the board. The purpose of the initiative is to use or revise

10  existing programs and to develop innovative new programs to

11  address the workforce needs of the space industry.

12         (3)  The initiative shall emphasize:

13         (a)  Curricula content and timeframes developed with

14  industry participation and endorsed by the industry;

15         (b)  Programs that certify persons completing training

16  as meeting industry-approved standards or competencies;

17         (c)  Use of distance-learning and computer-based

18  training modules as appropriate and feasible;

19         (d)  Industry solicitation of public and private

20  universities to develop continuing education programs at the

21  master's and doctoral levels;

22         (e)  Agreements with the National Aeronautics and Space

23  Administration to replicate on a national level successful

24  training programs developed through the initiative; and

25         (f)  Leveraging of state and federal workforce funds.

26         (4)  The Workforce Development Board of Enterprise

27  Florida, Inc., or its successor entity, with the assistance of

28  the Florida Space Research Institute, shall convene

29  representatives from the space industry to identify the

30  priority training and education needs of the industry and to

31  appoint a team to design programs to meet such priority needs.

                                  6

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2000                           CS for SB 1210
    310-2131A-00




  1         (5)  The Workforce Development Board of Enterprise

  2  Florida, Inc., or its successor entity, as part of its

  3  statutorily prescribed annual report to the Legislature, shall

  4  provide recommendations for policies, programs, and funding to

  5  enhance the workforce needs of the space industry.

  6         Section 3.  Section 331.3685, Florida Statutes, is

  7  created to read:

  8         331.3685  Florida Space-Industry Research-Development

  9  Program.--

10         (1)  There is created the Florida Space-Industry

11  Research-Development Program within the Florida Space Research

12  Institute to finance space-industry research and other support

13  projects and programs that will improve the statewide

14  development of space-related economic and academic

15  opportunities.

16         (2)  State taxes imposed pursuant to chapter 212 which

17  are collected at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

18  shall be distributed to the Florida Space Research Institute

19  as provided by s. 212.20(6)(f) and shall be used to fund the

20  Florida Space-Industry Research-Development Program. Such

21  funds shall be distributed quarterly by the Department of

22  Revenue to the Florida Space Research Institute. The institute

23  shall place all of such funds in a segregated account, and the

24  account and its activity shall be subject to an annual audit.

25  As part of the annual report under s. 331.368(4), the

26  institute shall submit a complete accounting each year of

27  funds distributed and expended under this program. Any funds

28  distributed in a given fiscal year that are not obligated by

29  the end of that fiscal year shall revert to the General

30  Revenue Fund.

31

                                  7

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2000                           CS for SB 1210
    310-2131A-00




  1         (3)  Program funds shall be used to support activities

  2  authorized under s. 331.368. The Office of Tourism, Trade, and

  3  Economic Development shall review and certify funding

  4  proposals for consistency with s. 331.368 and this section.

  5         (4)  The Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic

  6  Development shall execute a contract with the Florida Space

  7  Research Institute governing the distribution of funds under

  8  s. 212.20(6)(f). The contract shall prescribe guidelines and

  9  procedures governing the use of, and accountability for, such

10  funds.

11         Section 4.  Present paragraph (f) of subsection (6) of

12  section 212.20, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as paragraph

13  (g), and a new paragraph (f) is added to that subsection, to

14  read:

15         212.20  Funds collected, disposition; additional powers

16  of department; operational expense; refund of taxes

17  adjudicated unconstitutionally collected.--

18         (6)  Distribution of all proceeds under this chapter

19  shall be as follows:

20         (f)  Proceeds from the state taxes imposed pursuant to

21  this chapter which are collected at the Kennedy Space Center

22  Visitor Complex shall be distributed quarterly by the

23  department to the Florida Space Research Institute, through

24  the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development, for

25  use as provided in ss. 331.365 and 331.368.

26         Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.

27

28

29

30

31

                                  8

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2000                           CS for SB 1210
    310-2131A-00




  1          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
  2                         Senate Bill 1210

  3

  4  This committee substitute differs from Senate Bill 1210 by:

  5  -revising the membership of the Florida Space Research
    Institute (institute), to add a representative from the
  6  Florida Space Business Roundtable, and to add two
    representatives from the academic community;
  7
    -directing the Workforce Development Board to partner with the
  8  institute for the establishment of a Space Industry Workforce
    Initiative to develop innovative programs to address the
  9  diverse workforce needs of the space industry;

10  -redirecting sales taxes from the Kennedy Space Center to the
    institute for the Florida Space Industry Research Development
11  Program to finance space industry research and other support
    projects and programs; and
12
    -expanding responsibilities of the institute to include:
13  partnering with the state Workforce Development Board to
    address the training needs of the space industry; co-managing
14  the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory;
    fostering the participation of the space industry in the
15  International Space Station; and partnering with the National
    Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on research
16  projects in specified fields and on the use of computer
    technology to conduct experiments in a virtual environment.
17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

                                  9