House Bill hb1343c1
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 2002 CS/HB 1343
By the Council for Competitive Commerce and
Representatives Stansel, Bean, Brown, Spratt, Kilmer and
Kendrick
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Small County Technical
3 Assistance Program; amending s. 163.05, F.S.;
4 revising legislative findings; providing
5 criteria for contracts between the Commissioner
6 of Agriculture and program providers; deleting
7 responsibilities of the Comptroller and the
8 Legislative Committee on Intergovernmental
9 Relations; authorizing the Commissioner of
10 Agriculture to award contracts to provide
11 assistance to small counties; requiring the
12 Commissioner of Agriculture to provide fiscal
13 oversight and performance reviews; providing an
14 appropriation; providing an effective date.
15
16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18 Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (c) of subsection (1)
19 and subsections (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), and (9) of section
20 163.05, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
21 163.05 Small County Technical Assistance Program.--
22 (1) Among small counties, the Legislature finds that:
23 (a) The percentage of the population of small counties
24 residing in the unincorporated areas is relatively high based
25 on the United States Decennial Census of 2000 and increased
26 substantially between 1980 and 1990.
27 (c) Fiscal shortfalls persist even though 12 13 of the
28 small counties levied the maximum ad valorem millage
29 authorized in their jurisdictions in 2001 1990 and an
30 additional 15 13 small counties levied between 8 and 10 mills.
31
1
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 2002 CS/HB 1343
402-151-02
1 (4) The Commissioner of Agriculture Comptroller shall
2 enter into contracts with program providers who shall:
3 (a) Be a foundation that meets the requirements for
4 nonprofit status under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue
5 Code with a governing board which includes in its membership
6 county commissioners and professional staff of the county
7 public agency or private, nonprofit corporation, association,
8 or entity.
9 (b) Have substantial and documented experience working
10 closely with county governments in providing both educational
11 and technical assistance.
12 (c)(b) Use existing resources, services, and
13 information that are available from state or local agencies,
14 universities, or the private sector.
15 (d)(c) Seek and accept funding from any public or
16 private source.
17 (d) Annually submit information to assist the
18 Legislative Committee on Intergovernmental Relations in
19 preparing a performance review that will include an analysis
20 of the effectiveness of the program.
21 (e) Assist small counties in developing alternative
22 revenue sources.
23 (f) Provide assistance to small counties in the areas
24 such as of financial management, accounting, investing,
25 purchasing, planning and budgeting, debt issuance, public
26 management, management systems, computers and information
27 technology, economic and community development, and public
28 safety management.
29 (g) Provide for an annual independent financial audit
30 of the program.
31
2
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 2002 CS/HB 1343
402-151-02
1 (h) In each county served, conduct a needs assessment
2 upon which the assistance provided for that county will be
3 designed.
4 (5)(a) The Commissioner of Agriculture Comptroller
5 shall issue a request for proposals to provide assistance to
6 small counties. The request for proposals shall be required no
7 more frequently than every third year beginning with fiscal
8 year 2004-2005. All contracts in existence on the effective
9 date of this act between the Comptroller and any other party
10 with respect to the Small County Technical Assistance Program
11 may be accepted by the Commissioner of Agriculture as the
12 party in interest and said contracts shall remain in full
13 force and effect according to their terms. At the request of
14 the Comptroller, the Legislative Committee on
15 Intergovernmental Relations shall assist in the preparation of
16 the request for proposals.
17 (b) The Commissioner of Agriculture Comptroller shall
18 review each contract proposal submitted.
19 (c) The Legislative Committee on Intergovernmental
20 Relations shall review each contract proposal and submit to
21 the Comptroller, in writing, advisory comments and
22 recommendations, citing with specificity the reasons for its
23 recommendations.
24 (c)(d) The Commissioner of Agriculture Comptroller and
25 the council shall consider the following factors in reviewing
26 contract proposals:
27 1. The demonstrated capacity of the provider to
28 conduct needs assessments and implement the program as
29 proposed.
30 2. The number of small counties to be served under the
31 proposal.
3
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 2002 CS/HB 1343
402-151-02
1 3. The cost of the program as specified in a proposed
2 budget.
3 4. The short-term and long-term benefits of the
4 assistance to small counties.
5 5. The form and extent to which existing resources,
6 services, and information that are available from state and
7 local agencies, universities, and the private sector will be
8 used by the provider under the contract.
9 (6) A decision of the Commissioner of Agriculture
10 Comptroller to award a contract under this section is final
11 and shall be in writing with a copy provided to the
12 Legislative Committee on Intergovernmental Relations.
13 (7) The Comptroller may enter into contracts and
14 agreements with other state and local agencies and with any
15 person, association, corporation, or entity other than the
16 program providers, for the purpose of administering this
17 section.
18 (7)(8) The Commissioner of Agriculture Comptroller
19 shall provide fiscal oversight to ensure that funds expended
20 for the program are used in accordance with the contracts
21 entered into pursuant to subsection (4) and shall conduct a
22 performance review of the program as may be necessary to
23 ensure that the goals and objectives of the program are being
24 met.
25 (9) The Legislative Committee on Intergovernmental
26 Relations shall annually conduct a performance review of the
27 program. The findings of the review shall be presented in a
28 report submitted to the Governor, the President of the Senate,
29 the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the
30 Comptroller by January 15 of each year.
31
4
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 2002 CS/HB 1343
402-151-02
1 Section 2. Specific Appropriation 2252 in the
2 2002-2003 General Appropriations Act is hereby repealed and an
3 identical amount is hereby appropriated to the Department of
4 Agriculture and Consumer Services from the General Revenue
5 Fund for the purposes of this act.
6 Section 3. This act shall take effect June 30, 2002.
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
5
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.