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





                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                  Bill No. HB 2167

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)

                            CHAMBER ACTION
              Senate                               House
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 5                                           ORIGINAL STAMP BELOW

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 9

10                                                                

11  Representative(s) Eggelletion offered the following:

12

13         Amendment (with title amendment) 

14         On page 2, line 19, of the bill

15

16  insert:

17         Section 1.  Legislative intent; Small and Minority

18  Business Surety Program; eligibility; report; default.--

19         (1)  It is the intent of the state to meaningfully

20  assist socially and economically disadvantaged business

21  enterprises through a program that will provide for

22  contracting opportunities and financial assistance in the form

23  of performance, labor, and material bond guarantees, to

24  primarily remedy the effects of past economic disparity.

25         (2)  There is established a Small and Minority Business

26  Surety Program. The program shall provide participants who are

27  licensed contractors who desire to compete for state

28  construction projects, with a bond guarantee.

29         (3)  The Minority Business Advocacy and Assistance

30  Office shall be responsible for developing a plan to implement

31  the Small and Minority Business Surety Program, which shall

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    File original & 9 copies    04/25/00
    hbd0001                     05:04 pm         02167-0094-745863




                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                  Bill No. HB 2167

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)





 1  include a market assistance plan, an education and application

 2  assistance program, and any other elements designed to assist

 3  small and minority businesses obtain surety bonding coverage

 4  from the private volunteer market.

 5         (4)  To be eligible for the bond guarantee provided

 6  herein, the contractor must have met all of the following

 7  conditions:

 8         (a)  Be a certified small and/or minority business

 9  enterprise in accordance with chapter 287, Florida Statutes.

10  (b)  Be prequalified pursuant to the rules of the contracting

11  agency.

12         (c)  Have applied for a surety bond through the private

13  sector.

14         (5)  The state will guarantee up to 65 percent of a

15  contract amount on contracts up to $1 million, to allow such

16  participants to meet bond requirements for state construction

17  projects, which bonds are provided by an approved surety and

18  which bonds are issued pursuant to s. 255.05, Florida

19  Statutes. The contracting department shall retain 5 percent of

20  the total contract amount designated to the small or minority

21  business until final acceptance of the project, in order to

22  receive a bond guarantee.

23         (6)  Annually, the head of the department is required

24  to report the progress of this program to the President of the

25  Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the

26  Governor. The report shall include, at a minimum, the number

27  of users of the bond guarantee plan along with the number of

28  defaults and dollars loss to the state.

29         (7)  Any participant of the Small and Minority Business

30  Surety Program who defaults on a construction contract shall

31  not participate in the program for at last 3 consecutive years

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    File original & 9 copies    04/25/00
    hbd0001                     05:04 pm         02167-0094-745863




                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                  Bill No. HB 2167

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)





 1  following the default.

 2         Section 2.  The sum of $1,000,000 is hereby

 3  appropriated from the Insurance Commissioner's Regulatory

 4  Trust Fund for the purpose of providing a bond guarantee to

 5  contractors that meet the eligibility criteria provided

 6  herein.

 7

 8

 9  ================ T I T L E   A M E N D M E N T ===============

10  And the title is amended as follows:

11         On page 1, line 3, after "Services;"

12

13  insert:

14         providing legislative intent; establishing the

15         Small and Minority Business Surety Program;

16         providing for a plan; providing eligibility;

17         providing state responsibility; providing for

18         an annual report; providing penalties for

19         default; providing an appropriation;

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    File original & 9 copies    04/25/00
    hbd0001                     05:04 pm         02167-0094-745863