Senate Bill sb1960

    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 1960

    By Senators Meek and Diaz de la Portilla





    36-1120-02                                              See HB

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to empowerment zones; amending

  3         s. 290.0491, F.S., the Florida Empowerment Zone

  4         Act; providing legislative findings and intent;

  5         providing for annual funding of the Florida

  6         Empowerment Zone Program for the remaining

  7         years of the program; providing an

  8         appropriation; providing an effective date.

  9

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

11

12         Section 1.  Section 290.0491, Florida Statutes, is

13  amended to read:

14         290.0491  Florida Empowerment Zones.--

15         (1)  SHORT TITLE.--This section may be cited as the

16  "Florida Empowerment Zone Act."

17         (2)  DEFINITIONS.--As used in this section, the term:

18         (a)  "Department" means the Department of Community

19  Affairs.

20         (b)  "Federal Empowerment Zone Program" means the

21  empowerment zone program established in 26 U.S.C. ss. 1391 et

22  seq.

23         (c)  "Nominated area" means an area nominated for

24  participation in the Federal Empowerment Zone Program.

25         (d)  "Sponsoring designee" means the lead entity that

26  applied for and received the empowerment zone designation, but

27  does not include other entities that joined in the

28  application.

29         (3)  LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.--

30         (a)  The Legislature recognizes that it is in the

31  public interest that the state create economic opportunity in

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






    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 1960
    36-1120-02                                              See HB




  1  poverty-stricken areas and rebuild such areas by empowering

  2  the people and communities within these areas to create jobs

  3  and opportunities. The United States Congress in 1997 provided

  4  that an additional 20 areas may be designated as federal

  5  empowerment zones by January 1, 1999, and, as such, be

  6  eligible for federal funding under the Federal Empowerment

  7  Zone Program. The Legislature seeks to promote local

  8  governments in submitting the strongest possible proposals

  9  under the Federal Empowerment Zone Program by establishing a

10  companion state empowerment zone program.

11         (b)  In 1998, the Governor, the President of the

12  Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives

13  provided letters to the Federal Government indicating that the

14  State of Florida was prepared to commit between $50 million

15  and $100 million in state funds over the 10 years of the

16  program to any designated empowerment zone in the state.

17  During the 1999 Regular Session, the Legislature passed House

18  Bill 297, which became chapter 99-342, Laws of Florida, and

19  which created the Florida Empowerment Zone Act codified in

20  this section.  In conjunction with creating the program and

21  during the same legislative session, the Legislature

22  appropriated $3,275,000 to the urban-sponsoring empowerment

23  zone designee and $225,000 to the rural-sponsoring designee or

24  rural enterprise community.  However, since creating the

25  program, the Legislature has not appropriated any funds under

26  the program for the urban-sponsoring designee or the

27  rural-sponsoring designee or rural enterprise community.  It

28  is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature to provide for

29  the funding of the program for its remaining years, beginning

30  with fiscal year 2002-2003.

31

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






    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 1960
    36-1120-02                                              See HB




  1         (4)  EMPOWERMENT ZONE PROGRAM.--There is created an

  2  economic development program to be known as the Florida

  3  Empowerment Zone Program. The program shall exist for 10 years

  4  and, except as otherwise provided by law, be operated by the

  5  Department of Community Affairs in conjunction with the

  6  Federal Empowerment Zone Program.

  7         (5)  FUNDING.--Beginning in fiscal year 2002-2003, the

  8  Legislature shall appropriate funds on a recurring annual

  9  basis in an amount not less than $7 million per year for each

10  of the remaining years of the program for the purpose of

11  implementing this section.  Such funds shall be distributed by

12  the department to any local government within the state that

13  has applied for and been awarded the federal empowerment zone

14  designation pursuant to 26 U.S.C. s. 1391(g).  Such funds

15  shall be used for the benefit of the nominated area and shall

16  be contingent upon the local government receiving federal

17  matching funds under the Federal Empowerment Zone Program and

18  meeting the local matching requirements imposed by regulations

19  of the federal program.

20         Section 2.  The sum of $7 million is appropriated from

21  the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Community

22  Affairs for fiscal year 2002-2003 to carry out the purposes of

23  s. 290.0491, Florida Statutes, as amended by this act.

24         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.

25

26            *****************************************

27                       LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY

28
      Provides for annual funding of the Florida Empowerment
29    Zone Program for the remaining years of the program.

30

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