House Bill 2273

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







    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HB 2273

        By Representatives Kilmer, J. Miller, Bense, Cantens,
    Prieguez, Farkas, C. Green, Barreiro, Sorensen, Harrington,
    Littlefield, Fuller, Sembler, Patterson, Stansel, Ball,
    Maygarden, Putnam, Bradley, Kelly, Crady, Argenio, Rubio,
    Byrd, Casey, Melvin, Suarez, Peaden and Spratt


  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to rural economic development;

  3         amending s. 220.701, F.S.; providing for

  4         deposit of a portion of corporate income tax

  5         revenues in a Rural Economic Development Trust

  6         Fund; amending s. 288.0655, F.S.; extending

  7         deadlines for the Office of Tourism, Trade, and

  8         Economic Development to pursue execution of a

  9         memorandum of agreement with the United States

10         Department of Agriculture, and to develop

11         guidelines and criteria, with respect to use of

12         the Rural Infrastructure Fund; directing

13         specified agencies to develop a strategic plan

14         for use of said fund and other programs to

15         support economic development in rural

16         communities; providing an effective date.

17

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

19

20         Section 1.  Section 220.701, Florida Statutes, is

21  amended to read:

22         220.701  Collection authority.--The department shall

23  deposit the revenues it collects from collect the taxes

24  imposed by this chapter as follows:

25         (1)  Seven percent of the amount collected in fiscal

26  year 2000-2001, and one percent of the amount collected in

27  each year thereafter, shall be deposited into the Rural

28  Economic Development Trust Fund, if that trust fund is

29  otherwise created by law.

30

31

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HB 2273

    718-122-00






  1         (2)  The remaining balance collected each year shall be

  2  deposited and shall pay all moneys received by it into the

  3  General Revenue Fund of the state.

  4         Section 2.  Paragraph (d) of subsection (2) and

  5  subsection (4) of section 288.0655, Florida Statutes, are

  6  amended to read:

  7         288.0655  Rural Infrastructure Fund.--

  8         (2)

  9         (d)  By September 1, 2000 1999, the office shall pursue

10  execution of a memorandum of agreement with the United States

11  Department of Agriculture under which state funds available

12  through the Rural Infrastructure Fund may be advanced, in

13  excess of the prescribed state share, for a project that has

14  received from the department a preliminary determination of

15  eligibility for federal financial support. State funds in

16  excess of the prescribed state share which are advanced

17  pursuant to this paragraph and the memorandum of agreement

18  shall be reimbursed when funds are awarded under an

19  application for federal funding.

20         (4)  By September 1, 2000 1999, the office shall, in

21  consultation with the organizations listed in subsection (3),

22  and other organizations, develop guidelines and criteria

23  governing submission of applications for funding, review and

24  evaluation of such applications, and approval of funding under

25  this section. The office shall consider factors including, but

26  not limited to, the project's potential for enhanced job

27  creation or increased capital investment, the demonstration of

28  local public and private commitment, the location of the

29  project in an enterprise zone, the location of the project in

30  a community development corporation service area as defined in

31  s. 290.035(2), the location of the project in a county

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HB 2273

    718-122-00






  1  designated under s. 212.097, the unemployment rate of the

  2  surrounding area, and the poverty rate of the community.

  3         Section 3.  The Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic

  4  Development, Enterprise Florida, Inc., and the Florida Tourism

  5  Industry Marketing Corporation, in consultation with the

  6  participating agencies and organizations of the Rural Economic

  7  Development Initiative, shall develop a strategic plan for the

  8  use of the Rural Infrastructure Fund under s. 288.0655,

  9  Florida Statutes, as well as other available programs, to

10  support economic development activities in rural communities

11  in the state. The plan shall, at a minimum, consider the

12  appropriate timing and priority for development of

13  infrastructure in support of nature-based and other rural

14  tourism, implementation of marketing initiatives directed

15  toward the use of such tourism infrastructure, creation of

16  microenterprise and other businesses in the tourism industry,

17  and development of infrastructure in support of other economic

18  development activities. This plan must be submitted to the

19  Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the

20  House of Representatives by October 1, 2000.

21         Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.

22

23            *****************************************

24                          HOUSE SUMMARY

25
      Provides for deposit of a portion of corporate income tax
26    revenues in a Rural Economic Development Trust Fund, if
      that fund is created.
27

28    Extends deadlines for the Office of Tourism, Trade, and
      Economic Development to pursue execution of a memorandum
29    of agreement with the United States Department of
      Agriculture, and to develop guidelines and criteria, with
30    respect to use of the Rural Infrastructure Fund. Directs
      specified agencies to develop a strategic plan for use of
31    said fund and other programs to support economic
      development in rural communities.
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