HB 1741CS

CHAMBER ACTION




1The Justice Council recommends the following:
2
3     Council/Committee Substitute
4     Remove the entire bill and insert:
5
House Joint Resolution
6A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 7 of
7Article XI of the State Constitution to require approval
8by at least two-thirds of the voters of any proposed
9amendment or revision to the State Constitution imposing
10or authorizing imposition of any new tax or fee,
11increasing or authorizing an increase in any existing tax
12or fee, or imposing a significant fiscal impact on the
13state, counties, school districts, municipalities, or
14special districts, and to delete a provision limiting such
15voting requirement to only new state taxes or fees.
16
17Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19     That the amendment to Section 7 of Article XI of the State
20Constitution set forth below is agreed to and shall be submitted
21to the electors of Florida for approval or rejection at the
22general election to be held in November 2006:
23
ARTICLE XI
24
AMENDMENTS
25     SECTION 7.  Tax, or fee, or significant fiscal impact
26limitation.--Notwithstanding Article X, Section 12(d) of this
27constitution:
28     (a)  Any amendment or revision to this constitution that
29imposes or authorizes the imposition of a, no new State tax or
30fee or increases or authorizes an increase in an existing tax or
31fee shall become effective only if be imposed on or after
32November 8, 1994 by any amendment to this constitution unless
33the proposed amendment or revision is approved by not fewer than
34two-thirds of the voters voting in the election in which such
35proposed amendment or revision is considered. This subsection
36shall apply to the imposition or authorization of an existing
37tax or fee that is not currently being collected, to an increase
38in the rate of an existing tax or fee, and to the modification
39of an exemption, exclusion, deduction, credit, or other
40mechanism which currently eliminates or reduces the liability of
41a person or entity for an existing tax or fee. For purposes of
42this section, the phrase "new State tax or fee" means shall mean
43any tax or fee which would produce revenue subject to lump sum
44or other appropriation by the Legislature, either for the State
45general revenue fund or any trust fund, which tax or fee is not
46in effect on November 7, 1994, including without limitation such
47taxes and fees as are the subject of proposed constitutional
48amendments appearing on the ballot on November 8, 1994. The
49phrase "new tax or fee" also means any tax or fee which would
50produce revenue for a county, school district, municipality, or
51special district. This section shall apply to proposed
52constitutional amendments relating to State taxes or fees which
53appear on the November 8, 1994 ballot, or later ballots, and Any
54such proposed amendment or revision which fails to gain the two-
55thirds vote required hereby shall be null, void, and without
56effect.
57     (b)  Any amendment or revision to this constitution that
58imposes a significant fiscal impact on the state, counties,
59school districts, municipalities, or special districts shall
60become effective only if the proposed amendment or revision is
61approved by not fewer than two-thirds of the voters voting in
62the election in which such proposed amendment or revision is
63considered. For purposes of this section, the phrase
64"significant fiscal impact" means having a collective annual
65fiscal impact in an amount greater than one-tenth of one percent
66of the total state budget for the state fiscal year ending in
67the year prior to the election in which such proposed amendment
68or revision is considered. The dollar amount for the
69determination of a significant fiscal impact shall be certified
70pursuant to the process established in general law. Any such
71proposed amendment or revision which fails to gain the two-
72thirds vote required hereby shall be null, void, and without
73effect.
74     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the title and substance of the
75amendment proposed herein shall appear on the ballot as follows:
76
EXTRAORDINARY VOTE TO AMEND CONSTITUTION TO INCREASE
77
OR IMPOSE TAXES, FEES, OR SIGNIFICANT FISCAL IMPACT
78     Proposes an amendment to Section 7 of Article XI of the
79State Constitution to require approval by at least two-thirds of
80the voters of any proposed amendment or revision to the State
81Constitution imposing or authorizing imposition of any new tax
82or fee, increasing or authorizing an increase in any existing
83tax or fee, or imposing a significant fiscal impact on the
84state, counties, school districts, municipalities, or special
85districts; to delete a provision limiting application of such
86voting requirement to only state taxes or fees; to expand the
87definition of the term "new tax or fee" to include revenue-
88producing exactions for counties, municipalities, school
89districts, and special districts; and to define the term
90"significant fiscal impact" to mean having a collective annual
91fiscal impact in an amount greater than one-tenth of one percent
92of the total state budget for the state fiscal year ending in
93the year prior to the general election in which such proposed
94amendment or revision is considered.


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