House Bill 2345
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 2345
By the Committee on Business Development & International
Trade and Representative Bradley
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to international trade;
3 providing for the establishment of the
4 Florida-Africa Market Expansion Program by
5 Enterprise Florida, Inc., contingent upon a
6 specific appropriation; providing purposes of
7 the program; providing responsibilities of
8 Enterprise Florida, Inc.; authorizing
9 Enterprise Florida, Inc., to establish certain
10 offices contingent upon an appropriation;
11 providing for the establishment of the
12 Florida-Caribbean Basin Trade Program by the
13 Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic
14 Development Council contingent upon a specific
15 appropriation; providing purpose of the
16 program; providing responsibilities of the
17 Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic
18 Development Council; providing an effective
19 date.
20
21 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
22
23 Section 1. Florida-Africa Market Expansion Program.--
24 (1) Contingent upon a specific appropriation, there is
25 created within Enterprise Florida, Inc., the Florida-Africa
26 Market Expansion Program to enhance the economy of the state
27 by increasing international trade between Florida and the
28 nations of Africa. The Florida-Africa Market Expansion Program
29 shall be a multilevel market expansion program designed to
30 expand trade and business opportunities between Florida and
31
1
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 2345
170-869-00
1 Africa, which shall include, but not be limited to, the
2 following components:
3 (a) The establishment and maintenance of a strategic
4 alliance between Enterprise Florida, Inc., and the United
5 States Agency for International Development that focuses on
6 identifying and qualifying business opportunities in
7 sub-Saharan Africa through the United States Agency for
8 International Development's 12 African offices, and matching
9 those leads with Florida companies.
10 (b) A Team Florida mission, which the Governor of
11 Florida will be invited to lead, to South Africa in the winter
12 of fiscal year 2000-2001.
13 (c) Establishment of a Certified Trade Events Program
14 to provide financial and technical support for business
15 development initiatives targeting Africa, organized by
16 qualified economic development organizations in Florida.
17 Priority shall be given to qualified not-for-profit minority
18 organizations.
19 (d) Support for local business development programs
20 that provide business information on Africa and promote
21 bilateral business opportunities.
22 (e) Provision of export counseling services for
23 Florida businesses through Enterprise Florida's seven state
24 field offices and staff located in Miami.
25 (f) Establishment of international representation for
26 the state in South Africa for the purpose of dramatically
27 expanding business, infrastructure, and cultural ties between
28 Florida and Africa, as well as promoting Florida's trade
29 advantages in Africa.
30 (2) Enterprise Florida, Inc., shall coordinate with
31 appropriate organizations and educational institutions in the
2
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 2345
170-869-00
1 execution of this market expansion program to maximize the
2 resources and information services for the expansion of trade
3 between Florida and the nations of Africa.
4 (3) Enterprise Florida, Inc., may establish an African
5 trade or consular office in Florida for the nations of
6 Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Benin, South Africa, and other
7 sub-Saharan countries, contingent upon a specific
8 appropriation.
9 Section 2. Florida-Caribbean Basin Trade Program.--
10 (1) Contingent upon a specific appropriation, the
11 Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development
12 Council shall establish the Florida-Caribbean Basin Trade
13 Program for the purpose of assisting small and medium-sized
14 businesses in becoming involved in international trade
15 activities and helping them identify markets with product
16 demand, identify strategic alliances in those markets, and
17 obtain the financing to effectuate trade opportunities. In
18 addition, the program shall assist urban communities in
19 increasing access to growth industries in the state, such as
20 international trade, maritime, transportation, tourism, and
21 information technology. The program shall offer export
22 readiness, assistance and referral services, adult job
23 training, career awareness, internships, seminars, workshops,
24 conferences, E-commerce, and mentoring and matchmaking
25 services.
26 (2) The program shall focus on urban development and
27 job opportunities and seek to create a permanent economic base
28 in urban areas for international trade. The program shall also
29 focus on the development and utilization of urban inner-city
30 areas as platforms on which to provide and develop new
31
3
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 2345
170-869-00
1 support, staging, manufacturing, and service centers within
2 Florida.
3 (3) The Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic
4 Development Council shall coordinate with appropriate
5 organizations and educational institutions, and may contract
6 with individuals or entities considered qualified relative to
7 the development of a comprehensive plan, to expand trade
8 between Florida and the Caribbean Basin. The coordination may
9 encompass export assistance and referral services, export
10 financing, job training programs, educational programs, market
11 research and development, market promotion, trade missions,
12 E-commerce, and mentoring and matchmaking services relative to
13 the expansion of trade between Florida and the Caribbean
14 Basin. The program shall also form alliances with
15 multilateral, international, and domestic funding programs
16 from Florida, the United States, and the Caribbean Basin
17 region to coordinate systems and programs for fundamental
18 assistance in facilitating trade and investment.
19 (4) The Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic
20 Development Council may develop and administer other programs
21 it considers advisable and appropriate for the purpose of
22 collecting and disseminating to prospective manufacturers and
23 businesses information regarding export to and from, and
24 foreign investment by and in, Caribbean Basin nations.
25 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming
26 law.
27
28
29
30
31
4
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 2345
170-869-00
1 *****************************************
2 HOUSE SUMMARY
3
Provides for the establishment of the Florida-Africa
4 Market Expansion Program by Enterprise Florida, Inc.,
contingent upon a specific appropriation, to enhance the
5 economy of the state by increasing international trade
between Florida and the nations of Africa. Provides
6 purposes of the program. Provides responsibilities of
Enterprise Florida, Inc. Authorizes Enterprise Florida,
7 Inc., to establish certain offices contingent upon an
appropriation.
8
9 Provides for the establishment of the Florida-Caribbean
Basin Trade Program by the Florida Seaport Transportation
10 and Economic Development Council, contingent upon a
specific appropriation, to assist small and medium-sized
11 businesses in becoming involved in international trade
activities. Provides purposes of the program. Provides
12 responsibilities of the Florida Seaport Transportation
and Economic Development Council.
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
5