House Bill hb1611
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 2002 HB 1611
By Representative Brummer
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to tourist recruitment
3 facilities; creating s. 288.1175, F.S.;
4 providing that the Department of Agriculture
5 and Consumer Services shall be the state agency
6 for screening applicants for state funding and
7 certification as a tourist recruitment
8 facility; providing for rules; providing
9 definitions; providing criteria for applicants;
10 providing for evaluation by the department;
11 providing criteria; prohibiting the expenditure
12 of funds to subsidize privately owned or
13 maintained facilities; providing limitations on
14 certification by the department; providing an
15 effective date.
16
17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19 Section 1. Section 288.1175, Florida Statutes, is
20 created to read:
21 288.1175 Tourist recruitment facilities.--
22 (1) The Department of Agriculture and Consumer
23 Services shall serve as the state agency for screening
24 applicants for state funding pursuant to this section and for
25 certifying an applicant as a qualified "tourist recruitment
26 facility."
27 (2) The department shall develop rules for the receipt
28 and processing of applications for funding of projects
29 pursuant to this section.
30 (3) As used in this section, the term:
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Florida House of Representatives - 2002 HB 1611
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1 (a) "Tourist recruitment facility" means a convention
2 center, exposition hall, or other capital project which can be
3 used for concerts, conventions, agricultural events, or
4 exhibitions primarily by nonresidents of the applying unit of
5 local government.
6 (b) "Unit of local government," as defined in s.
7 218.369, means the unit of local government that is
8 responsible for the construction, management, or operation of
9 the tourist recruitment facility or that holds title to the
10 property on which the tourist recruitment facility is located.
11 (4) In order to qualify for funding as an applicant
12 pursuant to this section:
13 (a) The applicant has projections, verified by the
14 department, which demonstrate that the tourist recruitment
15 facility will attract more than 50,000 nonresidents annually.
16 (b) The applicant has an independent analysis or
17 study, verified by the department, which demonstrates that the
18 amount of the revenues generated by the taxes imposed under
19 chapter 212, with respect to the use and operation of the
20 tourist recruitment facility, will equal or exceed $1 million
21 annually.
22 (c) The municipality in which the facility is located,
23 or the county if the facility is located in an unincorporated
24 area, has certified by resolution after a public hearing that
25 the application serves a public purpose.
26 (d) The applicant has demonstrated that it has
27 provided, is capable of providing, or has financial or other
28 commitments to provide more than one-half of the costs
29 incurred or related to the acquisition, construction, or
30 renovation of the facility.
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Florida House of Representatives - 2002 HB 1611
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1 (e) The facility is located in a county that is
2 levying a tourist development tax pursuant to s. 125.0104.
3 (5) No applicant who has been previously certified
4 under the provisions of this section and who has received
5 funding under such certification shall be eligible for an
6 additional certification.
7 (6) The department shall evaluate applications on a
8 competitive basis for funding of tourist recruitment
9 facilities. Applications must be submitted for consideration
10 by October 1, 2002, and certifications shall be made by
11 January 1, 2003. If the number of applications exceeds five
12 and the aggregate funding request of all applications exceeds
13 $1 million, the department shall rank the applications
14 according to selection criteria adopted by department rule and
15 shall certify the highest ranked proposals. The selection
16 criteria shall include, with priority given in descending
17 order, the following:
18 (a) The intended use of the funds by the applicant,
19 with priority given to the construction of a new facility.
20 (b) The amount of local match, with priority given to
21 the largest percentage of local match proposed.
22 (c) The net increase of total available convention or
23 exhibition space within the applying unit of local government
24 following construction of the facility, with priority given to
25 the largest percentage increase of total convention or
26 exhibition space.
27 (d) The location of the facility in a brownfield, an
28 enterprise zone, a community redevelopment area, or other area
29 of targeted development or revitalization included in an Urban
30 Infill Redevelopment Plan, or a farm buy-out area, with
31 priority given to facilities located in these areas.
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Florida House of Representatives - 2002 HB 1611
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1 (e) The projection on attendance attracted by the
2 facility and the proposed effect on the economy of the local
3 community, with priority given to the highest projected paid
4 attendance.
5 (7) Funds may not be expended pursuant to this section
6 to subsidize privately owned and maintained facilities.
7 (8) An applicant certified as a tourist recruitment
8 facility may use funds provided pursuant to this section only
9 for the public purpose of paying for the acquisition,
10 construction, reconstruction, or renovation of a tourist
11 recruitment facility or to pay or pledge for the payment of
12 debt service on, or to fund debt service reserve funds,
13 arbitrate rebate obligations, or other amounts payable with
14 respect to bonds issued for the acquisition, construction,
15 reconstruction, or renovation of such facility or for
16 reimbursement of such costs or refinancing of bonds issued for
17 such purposes.
18 (9) The department shall make no more than one
19 certification for any facility. The department shall not
20 certify funding for less than the requested amount to any
21 applicant certified as a facility.
22 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
23 law.
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26 HOUSE SUMMARY
27
Provides that the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
28 Services is the state agency for screening applicants for
funding and certification as a tourist recruitment
29 facility. Provides a procedure. See bill for details.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.