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



                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                    Bill No. CS for CS for CS for SB 406, 2nd Eng.

    Amendment No. 001 (for drafter's use only)

                            CHAMBER ACTION
              Senate                               House
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  4  ______________________________________________________________

  5                                           ORIGINAL STAMP BELOW

  6

  7

  8

  9

10  ______________________________________________________________

11  Representative(s) Bradley offered the following:

12

13         Amendment (with title amendment) 

14         On page 28, between lines 3 and 4, of the bill

15

16  insert:

17         Section 13.  Toolkit for Economic Development.--

18         (1)  LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--The Legislature finds that

19  the state has numerous economically distressed communities

20  with a high proportion of needy families who are current or

21  former recipients of public assistance or who are at risk of

22  becoming dependent upon public assistance. The Legislature

23  also finds that the existence of safe and strong communities

24  with prosperous economies is crucial to reduce dependence on

25  public assistance and to promote employment retention and

26  self-sufficiency. It is the intent of the Legislature to

27  reduce reliance on public assistance, to promote employment

28  retention, and to increase self-sufficiency by providing

29  easily accessed and useable tools that support local

30  initiatives that create economically prosperous communities

31  for needy families.

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                    Bill No. CS for CS for CS for SB 406, 2nd Eng.

    Amendment No. 001 (for drafter's use only)





  1         (2)  CREATION; PURPOSE.--There is created a program to

  2  be known as the "Toolkit for Economic Development," the

  3  purpose of which is to enable economically distressed

  4  communities to access easily, and use effectively, federal and

  5  state tools to improve conditions in the communities and

  6  thereby help needy families in the communities avoid public

  7  assistance, retain employment, and become self-sufficient.

  8         (3)  DEFINITIONS.--For the purposes of this section, a

  9  community is "economically distressed" if the community is

10  experiencing conditions affecting its economic viability and

11  hampering the self-sufficiency of its residents, including,

12  but not limited to, low per capita income, low property

13  values, high unemployment, high under-employment, low weekly

14  wages compared to the state average, low housing values

15  compared to the state or area average, high percentage of the

16  population receiving public assistance, high poverty levels

17  compared to the state average, and high percentage of needy

18  families.

19         (4)  LIAISONS.--

20         (a)  By August 1, 2000, the head of each of the

21  following agencies or organizations shall designate a

22  high-level staff person from within the agency or organization

23  to serve as a liaison to this program:

24         1.  Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development;

25         2.  Office of Urban Opportunity;

26         3.  Department of Community Affairs;

27         4.  Department of Law Enforcement;

28         5.  Department of Juvenile Justice;

29         6.  Department of Transportation;

30         7.  Department of Environmental Protection;

31         8.  Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services;

                                  2

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                    Bill No. CS for CS for CS for SB 406, 2nd Eng.

    Amendment No. 001 (for drafter's use only)





  1         9.  Department of State;

  2         10.  Department of Health;

  3         11.  Department of Children and Family Services;

  4         12.  Department of Corrections;

  5         13.  Department of Labor and Employment Security;

  6         14.  Department of Education;

  7         15.  Department of Military Affairs;

  8         16.  Florida Housing Finance Corporation;

  9         17.  Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences;

10         18.  Institute on Urban Policy and Commerce;

11         19.  Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation;

12         20.  Enterprise Florida, Inc.;

13         21.  Workforce Development Board of Enterprise Florida,

14  Inc.;

15         22.  Executive Office of the Governor; and

16         23.  Any other agencies or organizations as determined

17  by the coordinating partners.

18         (b)  An alternate for each designee shall also be

19  chosen, and the names of the designees and alternates shall be

20  sent to the coordinating partners, which shall convene the

21  liaisons as necessary.

22         (c)  Each liaison must have a comprehensive knowledge

23  of the functions, whether regulatory or service-based, of his

24  or her agency or organization. The liaison shall be the

25  primary contact for the agency or organization for the Toolkit

26  for Economic Development, assisting in expediting proposal

27  review, resolving problems, promoting flexible assistance, and

28  identifying opportunities for support within the agency or

29  organization.

30         (d)  As deemed necessary by the coordinating partners,

31  liaisons shall review proposals from economically distressed

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                    Bill No. CS for CS for CS for SB 406, 2nd Eng.

    Amendment No. 001 (for drafter's use only)





  1  communities to determine if they would be properly referred or

  2  submitted to their agencies or organizations. If such referral

  3  and submittal is appropriate, the liaison shall then assist

  4  the community as an ombudsman.

  5         (e)  The liaisons shall work at the request of the

  6  coordinating partners to review statutes and rules for their

  7  adverse effects on economically distressed communities and to

  8  develop alternative proposals to mitigate these effects.

  9         (f)  Liaisons shall review their agencies' or

10  organizations' evaluation and scoring procedures for grant,

11  loan, and aid programs to ensure that economically distressed

12  communities are not unfairly disadvantaged, hampered, or

13  handicapped in competing for awards because of community

14  economic hardship. If they are, new evaluation criteria and

15  scoring procedures shall be considered that recognize

16  disproportionate requirements which an application process

17  makes of a community that lacks the resources of other more

18  prosperous communities. The evaluation criteria should weight

19  contribution in proportion to the amount of resources

20  available at the local level.

21         (g)  Annually, the coordinating partners shall report

22  to the Governor and the head of each agency or organization on

23  the work and accomplishments of the liaisons.

24         (5)  COORDINATING PARTNERS.--

25         (a)  The liaisons from the WAGES State Board of

26  Directors, or its successor organization, the Office of Urban

27  Opportunity, the Department of Community Affairs, Enterprise

28  Florida, Inc., and the Workforce Development Board of

29  Enterprise Florida, Inc., shall serve as the coordinating

30  partners of the Toolkit for Economic Development and act as an

31  executive committee for the liaisons. The coordinating

                                  4

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                    Bill No. CS for CS for CS for SB 406, 2nd Eng.

    Amendment No. 001 (for drafter's use only)





  1  partners shall review any request from a Front Porch Community

  2  and shall provide whatever assistance that this section can

  3  afford to them.

  4         (b)  From time to time, the coordinating partners may

  5  recommend to the head of an agency or organization, approval

  6  of a project that in the unanimous judgment of the

  7  coordinating partners will have an extraordinary positive

  8  impact on an economically distressed community. Upon such

  9  recommendation, the head of an agency or organization shall

10  give priority consideration for approval of such project.

11         (6)  MATCHING-FUNDS OPTIONS.--Notwithstanding any other

12  provision of law, an agency or organization may waive any

13  state-required matching-funds requirements at the request of

14  the coordinating partners. This waiver is contingent upon the

15  determination by the coordinating partners that the community

16  is fully committed to the success of a project, but lacks the

17  community resources to meet match requirements. In-kind

18  matches shall be allowed and applied as matching-funds

19  utilizing the same determination criteria. The coordinating

20  partners must unanimously endorse each request to an agency or

21  organization. Any funds appropriated to the coordinating

22  partners may be used to meet matching-funds requirements or

23  fees for federal, state, or foundation application

24  requirements.

25         (7)  INVENTORY.--The coordinating partners shall

26  develop, in consultation with the liaisons, an inventory of

27  recommended federal and state tax credits, incentives,

28  inducements, programs, opportunities, demonstrations or pilot

29  programs, grants, and other resources available through the

30  agencies and organizations which could assist Front Porch

31  Florida or economically distressed communities. Each entry in

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                    Bill No. CS for CS for CS for SB 406, 2nd Eng.

    Amendment No. 001 (for drafter's use only)





  1  the inventory must include a summary; a contact person; a

  2  simple description of the application process and a timetable;

  3  a profile of funding awards and funds availability; and a

  4  complexity ranking. The inventory shall be organized into

  5  seven categories, including:

  6         (a)  Leadership.--Entries that promote the skills and

  7  capacities of local leaders, volunteers, organizations, and

  8  employees that work on other categories of the inventory.

  9  These entries shall include, but are not limited to, grants;

10  scholarships; Individual Training Accounts; Retention

11  Incentive Training Account programs; and other programs that

12  build the resident capacity to create a better community.

13  These entries shall include educational-based institutes that

14  can assist with research, consulting, technical assistance,

15  capacity building, training, and program assistance to

16  communities.

17         (b)  Safety.--Entries that increase safety and reduce

18  crime. These entries shall include, but are not limited to,

19  the training and employment of public safety employees and

20  volunteers; establishing safer businesses and neighborhoods;

21  training residents in safety practices; organizing safety

22  networks and cooperatives; improving lighting; improving the

23  safety of homes, buildings, and streets; and providing for

24  community police and safety projects, including those designed

25  to protect youth in the community. Other entries may be

26  included that reinforce community and local law enforcement.

27         (c)  Clean Up.--Entries that support clean up and

28  enhancement projects that quickly create visible improvements

29  in neighborhoods, including the demolition of drug havens and

30  abandoned buildings. These entries shall include, but are not

31  limited to, projects that plan, design, or implement clean up

                                  6

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                    Bill No. CS for CS for CS for SB 406, 2nd Eng.

    Amendment No. 001 (for drafter's use only)





  1  strategies; main street redevelopment; and renovation

  2  projects. These entries may also include planning and

  3  implementation for larger neighborhood revitalization and

  4  economic development projects.

  5         (d)  Business.--Entries that support small business

  6  development, including, but not limited to, attraction of

  7  national franchises; micro-loans; guaranteed commercial loans;

  8  technical assistance; self-employment; linked deposit; loan

  9  loss reserves; business incubators; and other activities that

10  support the market economy.

11         (e)  Schools.--Entries that upgrade schools through

12  repair or renovation, as well as training and employment

13  entries to assist with school transportation, services, and

14  security. These entries shall include, but are not limited to,

15  programs that enable school-based childcare; before, after,

16  and summer school programs; programs that broaden the use of

17  school facilities as a hub and haven within the community;

18  scholarships; and grant programs that assist families and

19  individuals to complete and enhance their education.

20         (f)  Partners.--Entries that provide tax credits,

21  incentives, and other inducements to businesses that

22  contribute to community projects, such as the community

23  contribution tax credit under sections 220.183 and 624.5105,

24  Florida Statutes. These entries shall include any programs

25  that help raise federal or foundation grant funds.

26         (g)  Redevelopment.--Entries that support the planning,

27  preparation, construction, marketing, and financing of

28  residential, mixed-use, and commercial redevelopment, as well

29  as residential and business infrastructure projects. These

30  entries shall include, but are not limited to, the workforce

31  development programs that influence business decisions such as

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                    Bill No. CS for CS for CS for SB 406, 2nd Eng.

    Amendment No. 001 (for drafter's use only)





  1  the Quick-Response Training Program and Quick-Response

  2  Training Program for Work and Gain Economic Self-sufficiency

  3  (WAGES) participants.

  4         (8)  START-UP INITIATIVE.--

  5         (a)  Subject to legislative appropriation and the

  6  provisions of this act, the Start-Up Initiative is created to

  7  promote the use of the inventory, to boost a community's

  8  efforts, and to ensure that federal funds do not go unexpended

  9  or unobligated, or are not returned to federal agencies.

10         (b)  The coordinating partners, in consultation with

11  the liaisons, local economic development organizations, and

12  regional workforce development boards, shall identify 15

13  communities, seven of which must be from the state's seven

14  largest counties, three of which must be from rural counties,

15  and five of which must be from other counties in the state.

16  These communities must be compact, congruent, and contiguous

17  census tracts that have high concentrations of needy families

18  who are current, former, or likely recipients of public

19  assistance. To the maximum extent possible, these communities

20  should coincide with federal empowerment zones, enterprise

21  communities, or similar designations; HOPE VI communities;

22  Front Porch Florida communities; enterprise zones established

23  under chapter 290 or chapter 370, Florida Statutes;

24  Neighborhood Improvement Districts established under chapter

25  163, Florida Statutes; community redevelopment areas

26  established under chapter 163, Florida Statutes; and Urban

27  High Crime Areas or Rural Job Tax Credit Areas established

28  under chapter 212, Florida Statutes.

29         (c)  The coordinating partners shall solicit proposals

30  from Front Porch Advisory Committees, community-based

31  organizations, local governments, and neighborhood

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                    Bill No. CS for CS for CS for SB 406, 2nd Eng.

    Amendment No. 001 (for drafter's use only)





  1  associations located in the communities identified in

  2  paragraph (b) and Front Porch communities. The coordinating

  3  partners shall provide each applicant with the inventory and

  4  recommendations on proposals that can be funded.

  5         (d)  Communities may prepare a proposal to access and

  6  use various entries from the inventory which will launch or

  7  boost their economic development efforts. Proposals must be no

  8  more than 20 pages long and include:

  9         1.  A brief description of how the community would use

10  entries from the inventory in the community's economic

11  development strategy;

12         2.  Specific evidence of community support for the

13  proposal from community-based organizations, local government,

14  regional workforce development boards, and local economic

15  development organizations;

16         3.  Identification and commitment of local resources

17  for the proposal from community-based organizations, local

18  government, regional workforce development boards, and local

19  economic development organizations;

20         4.  Identification of the specific entity or person

21  responsible for coordinating the community's proposal; and

22         5.  Identification of a local fiscal entity for

23  contracting, administration, and accountability.

24         (e)  The coordinating partners shall appoint a liaison

25  to assist each community with the proposal and its

26  implementation, if awarded.

27         (f)  The coordinating partners shall design an

28  impartial and competitive proposal-review process and

29  evaluation criteria. Based on the evaluation criteria, up to

30  nine communities shall be designated to participate in the

31  Start Up Initiative. Once a community is designated, the

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                    Bill No. CS for CS for CS for SB 406, 2nd Eng.

    Amendment No. 001 (for drafter's use only)





  1  coordinating partners and the community's liaison will work to

  2  finalize the proposal, including the addition of funding

  3  sources for each inventory entry. The finalized proposal shall

  4  serve as the contract between the community and the Start-Up

  5  Initiative. If sufficient funding does not exist for an entry

  6  that is essential for the community's proposal or a community

  7  is ineligible for a specific inventory entry, the coordinating

  8  partners may allocate funding that is under their control to

  9  fulfill the entry. The proposal must be operational within 3

10  months after approval.

11         (g)  Proposals that would mainly result in

12  gentrification of the community, that would not employ a

13  preponderance of residents, and that predominately create

14  residences or businesses that are beyond the anticipated

15  income level of the working residents of the community are not

16  eligible.

17         (h)  Proposal awards shall be obligated for federal

18  funding purposes, and shall be considered appropriated for

19  purposes of section 216.301, Florida Statutes. The

20  coordinating partners may allocate funding that is under their

21  control to fund this initiative. Any funding appropriated to

22  assist needy families, or to promote job placement and

23  employment retention, which is in excess of revenues necessary

24  to fulfill the appropriated purpose, and which may not be

25  obligated during the budget year, may be allocated to this

26  initiative to support an approved proposal.

27         (i)  Any federal funds must be used for purposes

28  consistent with applicable federal law; however, the

29  coordinating partners, with the assistance of the Department

30  of Children and Family Services, shall aggressively pursue

31  innovative uses of federal funds to support projects that

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                    Bill No. CS for CS for CS for SB 406, 2nd Eng.

    Amendment No. 001 (for drafter's use only)





  1  train community leaders, upgrade individuals skills, promote

  2  safety, clean up communities, beautify neighborhoods,

  3  encourage small business, stimulate employment, increase

  4  educational opportunity, promote community partnering, advance

  5  community redevelopment, and upgrade housing because it

  6  assists needy families, promoting self-sufficiency and job

  7  retention.

  8         (j)  The coordinating partners shall adopt procedures

  9  for the Start-Up Initiative and may, if necessary, adopt,

10  through the Department of Community Affairs, emergency rules

11  to govern the submission of proposals, the evaluation of

12  proposals, the initiative awards, and the implementation

13  procedures for administration of awards.

14         (9)  COMMUNITIES OF CRITICAL ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY.--The

15  coordinating partners may recommend to the Governor up to

16  three communities of critical economic opportunity. A

17  community of critical economic opportunity must be a community

18  that is economically distressed, that presents a unique

19  economic development opportunity, and that will create more

20  than 1,000 jobs over a 5-year period. The Governor may, by

21  executive order, designate up to three communities of critical

22  economic opportunity which will establish these areas as

23  priority assignments for the liaisons and coordinating

24  partners. The provisions of the Qualified Target Industry Tax

25  Refund Program under section 288.106, Florida Statutes, the

26  Quick Response Training Program under section 288.047, Florida

27  Statutes, the WAGES Quick Response Training Program under

28  section 288.047(10), Florida Statutes, transportation projects

29  under section 288.063, Florida Statutes, the brownfield

30  redevelopment bonus refund under section 288.107, Florida

31  Statutes, the job and employment tax credit programs and any

                                  11

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                    Bill No. CS for CS for CS for SB 406, 2nd Eng.

    Amendment No. 001 (for drafter's use only)





  1  other applicable economic development initiative or incentive

  2  may be utilized to the maximum extent allowable to address the

  3  critical economic opportunity or threat identified by the

  4  coordinating partners. Designation as a community of critical

  5  economic opportunity under this subsection shall be contingent

  6  upon the execution of a memorandum or agreement among the

  7  coordinating partners; the governing body of the county; and

  8  the governing bodies of any municipalities to be included

  9  within an area of critical economic opportunity. Such

10  agreement shall specify the terms and conditions of the

11  designation, including, but not limited to, the duties and

12  responsibilities of the county and any participating

13  municipalities to take actions designed to facilitate the

14  retention and expansion of existing businesses in the area, as

15  well as the recruitment of new businesses to the area.

16         (10)  FUNDING.--

17         (a)  To implement the provisions of this act, there is

18  hereby appropriated the sum of $25 million from non-recurring

19  Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds to the

20  TANF administrative entity at the Department of Management

21  Services. The Department of Management Services shall contract

22  with entities recommended by the coordinating partners for

23  funding pursuant to this section.

24         (b)  Any expenditure from the TANF funds shall be in

25  accordance with the requirements and limitations of Title IV

26  of the Social Security Act, as amended, or any other

27  applicable federal requirement or limitation in law. Prior to

28  any expenditure of such funds, the Workforce Development Board

29  of Enterprise Florida, Inc., and the secretary of the

30  Department of Children and Family Services, or his or her

31  designee, shall certify that controls are in place to ensure

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                    Bill No. CS for CS for CS for SB 406, 2nd Eng.

    Amendment No. 001 (for drafter's use only)





  1  that such funds are expended and reported in accordance with

  2  the requirements and limitations of federal law. It shall be

  3  the responsibility of any entity to which funds are awarded to

  4  obtain the required certification prior to any expenditure of

  5  funds.

  6         (11)  REPORTING.--The Office of Program Policy Analysis

  7  and Government Accountability and the coordinating partners,

  8  shall develop measures and criteria by October 1, 2001, for

  9  evaluating the effectiveness of the Toolkit for Economic

10  Development including the liaisons, coordinating partners,

11  waivers and matching options, inventory, Start-Up Initiative,

12  and Communities of Critical Economic Opportunity. The Office

13  of Program Policy and Government Accountability shall submit

14  to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker

15  of the House of Representatives, by January 1, 2002, a report

16  detailing the progress that the Toolkit for Economic

17  Development has made toward achievement of established

18  measures.

19         (12)  EXPIRATION.--This section expires June 30, 2002.

20                   Renumber Subsequent Section.

21

22

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

24  And the title is amended as follows:

25         On page 3, line 29, after the semicolon,

26

27  insert:

28         providing for creation and purpose of the

29         Toolkit for Economic Development; defining the

30         term "economically distressed"; requiring the

31         appointment of liaisons from agencies and

                                  13

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                    Bill No. CS for CS for CS for SB 406, 2nd Eng.

    Amendment No. 001 (for drafter's use only)





  1         organizations; providing for requirements and

  2         duties; creating coordinating partners to serve

  3         as the program's executive committee; providing

  4         for duties and powers; providing for waivers of

  5         state-required matching-funds requirements;

  6         requiring an inventory of programs that help

  7         economically distressed communities; requiring

  8         that the inventory be categorized; creating the

  9         Start-Up Initiative to promote the use of the

10         inventory; providing for identification of

11         communities; providing for solicitation of

12         proposals; providing for proposal content;

13         providing for review process and evaluation

14         criteria; providing for funding; providing for

15         the designation of communities of critical

16         economic opportunity;  providing for use of

17         funds and certification; providing for

18         reporting; providing for expiration;

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

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