| 1 | The Committee on Agriculture recommends the following: |
| 2 |
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| 3 | Committee Substitute |
| 4 | Remove the entire bill and insert: |
| 5 | A bill to be entitled |
| 6 | An act relating to rural counties; amending s. 163.05, |
| 7 | F.S.; revising requirements for program providers entering |
| 8 | into contracts with the Department of Agriculture and |
| 9 | Consumer Services to provide assistance under the Small |
| 10 | County Technical Assistance Program; amending s. 288.0656, |
| 11 | F.S.; describing designees to the Rural Economic |
| 12 | Development Initiative; updating the list of Rural |
| 13 | Economic Development Initiative members; providing a |
| 14 | definition; creating s. 288.06571, F.S.; providing |
| 15 | definitions; authorizing the provision of grants to |
| 16 | fiscally constrained counties; providing for a grant |
| 17 | application process, a marketing process, review criteria, |
| 18 | a review process, and a reporting requirement; providing |
| 19 | for rulemaking; providing an effective date. |
| 20 |
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| 21 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 22 |
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| 23 | Section 1. Subsection (4) of section 163.05, Florida |
| 24 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 25 | 163.05 Small County Technical Assistance Program.-- |
| 26 | (4) The Commissioner of Agriculture shall enter into |
| 27 | contracts with program providers who shall: |
| 28 | (a) Meet the requirement for nonprofit status under s. |
| 29 | 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or be a registered |
| 30 | Florida nonprofit corporation pursuant to chapter 617. Be a |
| 31 | foundation that meets the requirements for nonprofit status |
| 32 | under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code with a governing |
| 33 | board which includes in its membership county commissioners and |
| 34 | professional staff of the county. |
| 35 | (b) Have substantial and documented experience working |
| 36 | closely with county governments in providing both educational |
| 37 | and technical assistance. |
| 38 | (c) Use existing resources, services, and information that |
| 39 | are available from state or local agencies, universities, or the |
| 40 | private sector. |
| 41 | (d) Seek and accept funding from any public or private |
| 42 | source. |
| 43 | (e) Assist small counties in developing alternative |
| 44 | revenue sources. |
| 45 | (e)(f) Provide assistance to small counties in areas such |
| 46 | as leadership, fiscal matters, alternative revenue sources, |
| 47 | financial management, accounting, investing, purchasing, |
| 48 | planning and budgeting, debt issuance, public management, |
| 49 | management systems, computers and information technology, |
| 50 | transportation issues, economic and community development, and |
| 51 | public safety management. |
| 52 | (f)(g) Provide for an annual independent financial audit |
| 53 | of the program. |
| 54 | (g)(h) In each county served, conduct a needs assessment |
| 55 | upon which the assistance provided for that county will be |
| 56 | designed. |
| 57 | Section 2. Subsections (6) and (7) of section 288.0656, |
| 58 | Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 59 | 288.0656 Rural Economic Development Initiative.-- |
| 60 | (6)(a) By August 1 of each year, the head of each of the |
| 61 | following agencies and organizations shall designate a high- |
| 62 | level staff person who directly reports to the head of from |
| 63 | within the agency or organization to serve as the REDI |
| 64 | representative for the agency or organization: |
| 65 | 1. The Department of Community Affairs. |
| 66 | 2. The Department of Transportation. |
| 67 | 3. The Department of Environmental Protection. |
| 68 | 4. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. |
| 69 | 5. The Department of State. |
| 70 | 6. The Department of Health. |
| 71 | 7. The Department of Children and Family Services. |
| 72 | 8. The Department of Corrections. |
| 73 | 9. The Agency for Workforce Innovation. |
| 74 | 10. The Department of Education. |
| 75 | 11. The Department of Juvenile Justice. |
| 76 | 12. The Department of Elder Affairs. |
| 77 | 13. The Agency for Health Care Administration. |
| 78 | 14.12. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. |
| 79 | 15.13. Each water management district. |
| 80 | 16.14. Enterprise Florida, Inc. |
| 81 | 17.15. Workforce Florida, Inc. |
| 82 | 18.16. The Florida Commission on Tourism or VISIT Florida. |
| 83 | 19.17. The Florida Regional Planning Council Association. |
| 84 | 20.18. The Florida State Rural Development Council. |
| 85 | 21.19. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences |
| 86 | (IFAS). |
| 87 |
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| 88 | An alternate for each designee shall also be chosen, and the |
| 89 | names of the designees and alternates shall be sent to the |
| 90 | director of the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic |
| 91 | Development. |
| 92 | (b) Each REDI representative must have comprehensive |
| 93 | knowledge of his or her agency's functions, both regulatory and |
| 94 | service in nature, and of the state's economic goals, policies, |
| 95 | and programs. This person shall be the primary point of contact |
| 96 | for his or her agency with REDI on issues and projects relating |
| 97 | to economically distressed rural communities and with regard to |
| 98 | expediting project review, shall ensure a prompt effective |
| 99 | response to problems arising with regard to rural issues, and |
| 100 | shall work closely with the other REDI representatives in the |
| 101 | identification of opportunities for preferential awards of |
| 102 | program funds and allowances and waiver of program requirements |
| 103 | when necessary to encourage and facilitate long-term private |
| 104 | capital investment and job creation. |
| 105 | (c) The REDI representatives shall work with REDI in the |
| 106 | review and evaluation of statutes and rules for adverse impact |
| 107 | on rural communities and the development of alternative |
| 108 | proposals to mitigate that impact. |
| 109 | (d) Each REDI representative shall be responsible for |
| 110 | ensuring that each district office or facility of his or her |
| 111 | agency is informed about the Rural Economic Development |
| 112 | Initiative and for providing assistance throughout the agency in |
| 113 | the implementation of REDI activities. |
| 114 | (7)(a) REDI may recommend to the Governor up to three |
| 115 | rural areas of critical economic concern. A rural area of |
| 116 | critical economic concern must be a rural community, or a region |
| 117 | composed of such, that has been adversely affected by an |
| 118 | extraordinary economic event or a natural disaster or that |
| 119 | presents a unique economic development opportunity of regional |
| 120 | impact that will create more than 1,000 jobs over a 5-year |
| 121 | period. The Governor may by executive order designate up to |
| 122 | three rural areas of critical economic concern which will |
| 123 | establish these areas as priority assignments for REDI as well |
| 124 | as to allow the Governor, acting through REDI, to waive |
| 125 | criteria, requirements, or similar provisions of any economic |
| 126 | development incentive. Such incentives shall include, but not be |
| 127 | limited to: the Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund Program |
| 128 | under s. 288.106, the Quick Response Training Program under s. |
| 129 | 288.047, the Quick Response Training Program for participants in |
| 130 | the welfare transition program under s. 288.047(8), |
| 131 | transportation projects under s. 288.063, the brownfield |
| 132 | redevelopment bonus refund under s. 288.107, and the rural job |
| 133 | tax credit program under ss. 212.098 and 220.1895. Designation |
| 134 | as a rural area of critical economic concern under this |
| 135 | subsection shall be contingent upon the execution of a |
| 136 | memorandum of agreement among the Office of Tourism, Trade, and |
| 137 | Economic Development; the governing body of the county; and the |
| 138 | governing bodies of any municipalities to be included within a |
| 139 | rural area of critical economic concern. Such agreement shall |
| 140 | specify the terms and conditions of the designation, including, |
| 141 | but not limited to, the duties and responsibilities of the |
| 142 | county and any participating municipalities to take actions |
| 143 | designed to facilitate the retention and expansion of existing |
| 144 | businesses in the area, as well as the recruitment of new |
| 145 | businesses to the area. |
| 146 | (b) The term "fiscally constrained county" means a county |
| 147 | designated as a rural area of critical economic concern for |
| 148 | which the value of a mill in the county is no more than $3 |
| 149 | million based on the property valuations and tax data annually |
| 150 | published by the Department of Revenue under s. 195.052. It is |
| 151 | the intent of the Legislature that a fiscally constrained county |
| 152 | for which the value of a mill in the county is at least $1 |
| 153 | million, and which receives benefits from the state, demonstrate |
| 154 | progress toward ending its status as a fiscally constrained |
| 155 | county and, as appropriate, provide increasing amounts of local |
| 156 | financial support, commensurate with such progress, as match for |
| 157 | state benefits. |
| 158 | Section 3. Section 288.06571, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 159 | to read: |
| 160 | 288.06571 Fiscally constrained county grants.-- |
| 161 | (1) Definitions.--As used in this section, the term: |
| 162 | (a) "Fiscally constrained county" has the same meaning |
| 163 | ascribed in s. 288.0656. |
| 164 | (b) "Department" means the Department of Community |
| 165 | Affairs. |
| 166 | (2) The department may accept and administer moneys |
| 167 | appropriated to it for providing grants to assist fiscally |
| 168 | constrained counties with government services or infrastructure |
| 169 | development, including, but not limited to, for use as matching |
| 170 | funds for larger grants that would improve government services |
| 171 | or promote infrastructure development or for use as seed funding |
| 172 | for long-term projects. |
| 173 | (3) The department, in consultation with the Rural |
| 174 | Economic Development Initiative, shall establish a grant |
| 175 | application process for fiscally constrained counties. It is the |
| 176 | intent of the Legislature that the process promote full |
| 177 | participation of eligible applicants by providing a grant award |
| 178 | to each eligible county that completes the application process, |
| 179 | and award amounts shall be determined using a weighted factor |
| 180 | based on local efforts, including, but not limited to, mills |
| 181 | levied. The process must not be burdensome to any applicant. The |
| 182 | Rural Economic Development Initiative shall provide, or |
| 183 | facilitate the provision of, technical and administrative |
| 184 | assistance to any applicant that requests assistance in |
| 185 | completing an application or to any grantee that requests such |
| 186 | assistance with respect to grant-related activities. |
| 187 | (4) The Rural Economic Development Initiative shall |
| 188 | directly and aggressively inform, through various communications |
| 189 | media, fiscally constrained counties about the grant program and |
| 190 | the availability of funds. |
| 191 | (5) The department, in consultation with the Rural |
| 192 | Economic Development Initiative, shall establish criteria for |
| 193 | reviewing grant applications. These criteria must include, but |
| 194 | are not limited to, the need for a grant and the degree of |
| 195 | participation and commitment by the local community in the |
| 196 | proposed grant-funded activity. |
| 197 | (6) The department and the Rural Economic Development |
| 198 | Initiative shall review grant applications. The department, in |
| 199 | consultation with the Rural Economic Development Initiative, |
| 200 | shall approve grant award amounts and award grants as soon as |
| 201 | practicable after such review. |
| 202 | (7) At least annually and upon completion of grant-funded |
| 203 | activities, a fiscally constrained county receiving a grant must |
| 204 | provide the department with a written report describing the |
| 205 | status of grant-funded activities, the cumulative benefit to the |
| 206 | county of those activities, the nature and amount of local or |
| 207 | other financial support used for those activities, and the |
| 208 | progress made toward ending the county's status as a fiscally |
| 209 | constrained county. The department shall transmit a copy of the |
| 210 | report to the Rural Economic Development Initiative. |
| 211 | (8) The department may adopt rules pursuant to ss. |
| 212 | 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement the provisions of this |
| 213 | section conferring duties upon it. |
| 214 | Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2004. |