House Bill hb0139B

    Florida House of Representatives - 2001               HB 139-B

        By Representatives Alexander, Goodlette, Bense, Attkisson,
    Brummer, Baker, Barreiro, Stansel and Waters





  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the excise tax on aviation

  3         fuel; abating the tax imposed by s.

  4         206.9825(1)(a), F.S., for a specified period;

  5         creating the Legislative Aviation Fuel Tax

  6         Accountability Panel; specifying membership;

  7         providing for meetings; providing intent;

  8         specifying duties of the panel; providing for a

  9         report and recommendations; providing for

10         expiration of the panel; providing an effective

11         date.

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

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15         Section 1.  Notwithstanding section 206.9825(1)(a),

16  Florida Statutes, the excise tax on aviation fuel is abated

17  until June 30, 2003.

18         Section 2.  (1)  There is created the Legislative

19  Aviation Fuel Tax Accountability Panel, consisting of seven

20  members appointed as follows:

21         (a)  Three members of the Senate appointed by the

22  President of the Senate, one of whom is designated in the

23  appointment as the Senate co-chair;

24         (b)  Three members of the House of Representatives

25  appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one

26  of whom is designated in the appointment as House co-chair;

27  and

28         (c)  The Lieutenant Governor or the Lieutenant

29  Governor's designee.

30         (2)  The panel shall be chaired jointly by the

31  designate co-chairs and shall meet at the call of either

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  1  co-chair. Meetings shall be noticed in the same manner as

  2  meetings of joint legislative committees.

  3         (3)  It is the intent of the Legislature to provide an

  4  incentive for airlines to increase the number or capacity of

  5  flights in Florida and to hold the airlines accountable.

  6  Therefore, the purpose of the accountability panel is to

  7  determine the extent to which airlines have, in fact,

  8  increased the number or capacity of flights in Florida in

  9  response to this incentive. It is the further intent of this

10  act that the Legislature should allow this incentive to remain

11  in place for the full period referred to in section 1 of this

12  act if the panel's accountability standards are met. The

13  accountability panel shall:

14         (a)  Establish objective standards for determining

15  whether the expected increases in the number or capacity of

16  flights in Florida have in fact occurred, using October 15,

17  2001, as the baseline.

18         (b)  Obtain such information from governmental and

19  private sector sources as is necessary to determine whether

20  the standards referred to in paragraph (a) have been met.

21         (c)  No later than January 15, 2002, provide to the

22  President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of

23  Representatives a report describing the accountability

24  standards and detailing the extent to which progress toward

25  those standards has been achieved. If the panel determines

26  that satisfactory progress has been achieved, the panel's

27  report shall also include a recommendation that the abatement

28  of the excise tax on aviation fuel be allowed to remain in

29  place for the full period referred to in section 1 of this

30  act. If the panel determines that the abatement should remain

31  in place as provided in section 1 of this act, the panel shall

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  1  continue to monitor the progress and consider and recommend at

  2  what rate the excise tax on aviation fuel should be reinstated

  3  subsequent to June 30, 2003.

  4         (d)  The panel shall expire upon the adjournment sine

  5  die of the 2003 Regular Session of the Legislature.

  6         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

  7  law.

  8

  9            *****************************************

10                          HOUSE SUMMARY

11
      Abates the excise tax on aviation fuel imposed by s.
12    206.9825(1)(a), F.S., until June 30, 2003.  Creates the
      Legislative Aviation Fuel Tax Accountability Panel to
13    monitor and report to the Legislature on the impact of
      such abatement and to include in such report
14    recommendations on the continuation of the abatement for
      the duration of such period and the rate at which the tax
15    should be reinstated.  Provides for expiration of the
      panel upon adjournment sine die of the 2003 Regular
16    Session of the Legislature.

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