Amendment
Bill No. 1531
Amendment No. 256215
CHAMBER ACTION
Senate House
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1Representative Ritter offered the following:
2
3     Amendment (with title amendment)
4     Remove everything after the enacting clause and insert:
5     Section 1.  The Arcade and Amusement Center Study
6Commission is created. For the purpose of this section, the term
7"commission" means the Arcade and Amusement Study Commission.
8The purpose of the Commission is to address amusement game
9standards, definitions, and regulations governing the offer of
10amusement game play at retail venues throughout the state.
11     Section 2.  The Commission shall consist of five members,
12appointed by the Governor, and shall consist of the following
13members:
14     (1)  The secretary of the Department of Business and
15Professional Regulation, or their designee.
16     (2)  The Executive Director of the Department of Revenue,
17or their designee.
18     (3)  Two members of the amusement game arcade industry in
19the state.
20     (4)  One member representing the consumer.
21     Section 3. The Arcade and Amusement Study Commission is
22assigned to the Department of Business and Professional
23Regulation for administrative purposes only.  The commission
24shall by staffed by the department.
25     Section 4.  Members of the commission shall be appointed by
26the Governor, and shall organize following appointment to select
27a chair and set meetings.
28     Section 5.  A vacancy of an appointed member of the
29commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original
30appointment. A vacancy of any member who may select a designee
31shall be filled by the member's selected designee or, if the
32vacancy concerns a member's selected designee, shall be filled
33by the member or another designee selected by the member.
34Vacancies must be filled within 30 days.
35     Section 6.  The commission shall hold all meetings within
36the state. Meetings of the commission shall be open to the
37public.
38     Section 7.  Members of the commission shall serve without
39compensation but are entitled to receive reimbursement for
40travel and per diem expenses as provided by section 112.061,
41Florida Statutes, while carrying out official business of the
42commission.
43     Section 8.  The commission shall report its findings and
44recommendations in an official report adopted by the members to
45be transmitted to the Governor, President of the Senate, and
46Speaker of the House of Representative by February 1, 2005. The
47commission shall automatically expire upon submission of its
48report to the Governor and the Legislature.
49     Section 9.  This act shall take effect October 1, 2004.
50
51
52================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T =================
53     Remove the entire title and insert:
54An act relating to arcade amusement centers; providing
55legislative findings; creating the Arcade and Amusement
56Center Study Commission; specifying the purpose of the
57commission; providing for appointment and qualification of
58members; providing for staffing of the commission;
59providing for filling of vacancy; requiring that meetings
60of the commission be open to the public and held within
61the state; authorizing reimbursement for travel and per
62diem expenses for members while carrying out official
63business of the commission; requiring the commission to
64report its findings to the Governor and to legislative
65leaders; providing for the expiration of the commission;
66providing an effective date.
67
68     WHEREAS, The arcade and amusement industry is an expanding
69segment of the economy, with potential for significant impacts
70on Florida's tourist industry; and
71     WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of Florida's families
72to ensure that the industry creates a wholesome environment; and
73     WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of the Legislature to
74provide appropriate regulation through clear and consistent
75industry standards to safeguard against fraud and tax avoidance,
76while not creating an excessive burden on small businesses in
77the state; and
78     WHEREAS, modernizing licensure and compliance laws to
79reflect technological advances within the arcade industry will
80benefit the State of Florida; and
81     WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that the creation of a study
82commission to review regulation of games used in arcade and
83amusement centers and to collect information and testimony would
84be of benefit to the State of Florida, NOW, THEREFORE,


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