House Bill 0225

    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                 HB 225

        By Representative Littlefield






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to employment of persons with

  3         disabilities; directing the Department of Labor

  4         and Employment Security to develop a program to

  5         increase employment of persons with

  6         disabilities by private-sector businesses;

  7         providing program components; providing an

  8         effective date.

  9

10         WHEREAS, Florida has traditionally failed to receive

11  its fair share of federal grant moneys relative to its share

12  of federal taxes paid, and

13         WHEREAS, encouraging Florida businesses to take

14  advantage of federal tax credit programs, such as those that

15  target persons with disabilities, would help rectify this

16  situation, as well as assist persons with disabilities in

17  finding employment, and

18         WHEREAS, engaging the private sector directly in

19  assisting persons with disabilities to achieve

20  self-sufficiency through employment offers vastly greater

21  potential for accommodating such persons' employment needs

22  than can be offered by government and the voluntary sectors

23  combined, and

24         WHEREAS, providing incentives for businesses to create

25  employment opportunities for persons with disabilities would

26  reconcile Florida's policy of competitive provision of

27  services with its policy of assisting with the employment

28  endeavors of persons with disabilities, and

29         WHEREAS, increasing private-sector involvement in the

30  employment of persons with disabilities would reduce the

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                 HB 225

    731-105-00






  1  state's overhead in administering other employment programs

  2  for such persons, NOW, THEREFORE,

  3

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

  5

  6         Section 1.  The Department of Labor and Employment

  7  Security is directed to develop and implement a program

  8  designed to increase the participation of private-sector

  9  businesses in providing employment opportunities for persons

10  with disabilities. The program shall include the following

11  components:

12         (1)  An information component under which the

13  department and other state agencies shall aggressively inform

14  business organizations and the general public about federal

15  and local programs, such as the Work Opportunity Tax Credit

16  Program, that compensate businesses that hire persons with

17  disabilities.

18         (2)  An incentive component under which state-funded

19  grants or state corporate income tax deductions shall be

20  provided as incentives to businesses that hire persons with

21  disabilities.

22         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.

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24            *****************************************

25                          HOUSE SUMMARY

26
      Directs the Department of Labor and Employment Security
27    to develop and implement a program designed to increase
      employment of persons with disabilities by private-sector
28    businesses. Provides that program components shall
      include providing state-funded grants or state tax
29    incentives to businesses that hire persons with
      disabilities and informing businesses and the public of
30    federal and local programs that compensate such
      businesses.
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