Senate Bill 2064

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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2064

    By Senator Hargrett





    21-1595-00

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to international trade;

  3         providing for the establishment of the

  4         Florida-Caribbean Basin Trade Program by

  5         Enterprise Florida, Inc., the Florida Export

  6         Finance Corporation, and the Florida Seaport

  7         Transportation and Economic Development

  8         Council; providing for the purposes of the

  9         program; providing an effective date.

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

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13         Section 1.  Florida-Caribbean Basin Trade Program.--

14         (1)  Enterprise Florida, Inc., the Florida Export

15  Finance Corporation, and the Florida Seaport Transportation

16  and Economic Development Council shall establish the

17  Florida-Caribbean Basin Trade Program for the purpose of

18  assisting small and medium-sized businesses to become involved

19  in international activities and help them to identify markets

20  with product demand, identify strategic alliances in those

21  markets, and obtain the financing to effectuate trade

22  opportunities. In addition, the program will assist urban

23  communities in tapping into the state's growth industries,

24  international trade, maritime, transportation, tourism, and

25  information technology. The program will offer export

26  readiness, assistance and referral services, adult job

27  training, career awareness, internships, seminars, workshops,

28  conferences, e-commerce, plus mentoring and matchmaking

29  services.

30         (2)  The program will focus on urban development and

31  job opportunities and seek to create a permanent economic base

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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2064
    21-1595-00




  1  in the urban areas for international trade. The program will

  2  also focus on the urban inner-city areas to become platforms

  3  on which to provide and develop new support, staging,

  4  manufacturing, and service centers within the state.

  5         (3)  Enterprise Florida, Inc. and the Florida Seaport

  6  Transportation and Economic Development Council shall

  7  coordinate with appropriate organizations and educational

  8  institutions and may contract with individuals or entities

  9  considered qualified relative to the development of a

10  comprehensive plan to expand trade between the state and the

11  Caribbean Basin. The coordination may encompass export

12  assistance and referral services, export financing,

13  job-training programs, educational programs, market research

14  and development, market promotion, trade missions, e-commerce,

15  and mentoring and matchmaking services relative to the

16  expansion of trade between the state and the Caribbean Basin.

17  The program will also form alliances with multilateral,

18  international, and domestic funding programs from the state,

19  the United States, and the Caribbean Basin Region to

20  coordinate systems and programs for fundamental assistance in

21  facilitating trade and investment.

22         (4)  Enterprise Florida, Inc. and the Florida Seaport

23  Transportation and Economic Development Council may develop

24  and administer other programs they consider advisable and

25  appropriate for the purpose of collecting and disseminating to

26  prospective manufacturers and businesses information regarding

27  export to and from and foreign investment by and in Caribbean

28  Basin nations.

29         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

30  law.

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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2064
    21-1595-00




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  2                          SENATE SUMMARY

  3    Provides for the establishment of the Florida-Caribbean
      Basin Trade Program by Enterprise Florida, Inc., the
  4    Florida Export Finance Corporation, and the Florida
      Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council.
  5    Provides for the purposes of the program and the
      responsibilities of the agencies involved.
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