HB 0685

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to hurricane recovery assistance; creating
3	s. 215.5593, F.S.; creating the Hurricane Recovery
4	Assistance Program of 2005; providing legislative findings
5	and intent; requiring the revenue estimating conference to
6	identify sales tax revenues generated from hurricane-
7	related rebuilding, identify the need for such funds for
8	certain purposes, and report such information to the
9	Legislature; requiring the Executive Office of the
10	Governor to develop plans for certain agencies to
11	implement and administer the program; providing plan
12	requirements; requiring the Executive Office of the
13	Governor to submit copies of such plans to the Legislature
14	and the Chief Financial Officer for certain purposes;
15	providing for annual appropriations to the Hurricane
16	Recovery Trust Fund of 2005 for specified purposes;
17	providing duties of the Department of Insurance, the
18	Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development, and
19	the Department of Community Affairs with respect to such
20	appropriations; providing that moneys appropriated for the
21	program are not to supplant other funding sources of the
22	affected agencies; requiring annual reports to the
23	Legislature and the Chief Financial Officer; requiring the
24	Chief Financial Officer to conduct annual financial,
25	operational, and performance audits and continuing
26	oversight of such agencies to determine compliance with
27	plan requirements; requiring the Chief Financial Officer
28	to submit a report of such audits to the Legislature prior
29	to each regular session; providing for future expiration
30	of the program; providing an effective date.
31
32	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
33
34	Section 1.  Section 215.5593, Florida Statutes, is created
35	to read:
36	215.5593  Hurricane Recovery Assistance Program of 2005.--
37	(1)  The Legislature finds and declares that the 2005
38	hurricane season was uniquely devastating to the residents and
39	economy of the state. Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and
40	Jeanne caused extensive damage to property and infrastructure
41	and though much reconstruction and rebuilding is accomplished,
42	much remains to be done. It is the intent of this section to
43	assist in that reconstruction and rebuilding effort.
44	(2)(a)  The Hurricane Recovery Assistance Program of 2005
45	is created to use sales tax revenues generated from hurricane-
46	related rebuilding efforts to assist in that rebuilding.
47	(b)  The revenue estimating conference shall identify those
48	funds that represent sales tax revenues generated from
49	hurricane-related rebuilding efforts during such period and
50	shall identify the relative need for funds for each of the
51	purposes specified in subsection (4). The revenue estimating
52	conference shall provide such information to the Speaker of the
53	House of Representatives, the President of the Senate, and the
54	Majority and Minority Leaders of the House of Representatives
55	and the Senate by February 1 each year.
56	(c)  Each fiscal year, the Legislature shall appropriate
57	from the General Revenue Fund to the Hurricane Recovery Trust
58	Fund of 2005, created under s. 215.5595, the amount identified
59	by the Revenue Estimating Conference in paragraph (b) for the
60	purposes specified in subsection (4). Moneys shall first be
61	available for appropriation under this paragraph in fiscal year
62	2004-2005.
63	(3)  By July 1, 2005, the Executive Office of the Governor
64	shall develop plans for the Department of Insurance, the Office
65	of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development, and the Department
66	of Community Affairs to enable those agencies to implement and
67	administer the program established by this section by such
68	agency. Each plan shall provide guidelines, procedures,
69	requirements, criteria, and measures to enable the agency to
70	effectively and with accountability satisfy elements of the
71	plan. The Executive Office of the Governor shall submit copies
72	of each plan to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the
73	President of the Senate, the Majority and Minority Leaders of
74	the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the Chief
75	Financial Officer for review and comment.
76	(4)  The Legislature shall annually appropriate moneys
77	authorized for appropriation under subsection (2) from the
78	Hurricane Recovery Trust Fund of 2005 to:
79	(a)  The Department of Insurance to assist residential
80	property owners, including mobile home owners and owners of
81	condominium or cooperative units, with expenses not covered by
82	the Federal Emergency Management Agency and expenses resulting
83	from multiple deductibles for hurricane damage on their insured
84	residential property.
85	(b)  The Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development
86	to provide grants or low-interest loans to small businesses.
87	(c)  The Department of Community Affairs to:
88	1.  Assist counties and municipalities with their
89	unreimbursable costs due to hurricane damage.
90	2.  Provide the required 5-percent match for the Federal
91	Emergency Management Agency.
92	3.  Hold counties, municipalities, and school districts
93	harmless for any property tax abatements resulting from
94	hurricane damage.
95	4.  Provide local governments relief for other needs
96	resulting from hurricane damage.
97	(5)  Moneys provided to the Department of Insurance, the
98	Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development, and the
99	Department of Community Affairs under this section are intended
100	to supplement other funding sources of such agencies and may not
101	supplant other funding sources of such agencies.
102	(6)  By December 31 of each year, beginning in 2005, the
103	Department of Insurance, the Office of Tourism, Trade, and
104	Economic Development, and the Department of Community Affairs
105	shall each provide a full report and accounting of their
106	respective activities under this section for that calendar year,
107	and an evaluation of such activities, to the Speaker of the
108	House of Representatives, the President of the Senate, the
109	Majority and Minority Leaders of the House of Representatives
110	and the Senate, and the Chief Financial Officer.
111	(7)  The Chief Financial Officer shall conduct annual
112	financial, operational, and performance audits of the Department
113	of Insurance, the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic
114	Development, and the Department of Community Affairs to
115	determine compliance with the plans developed by the Executive
116	Office of the Governor for such agencies under this section and
117	shall provide continuing oversight of the activities of such
118	agencies in implementing such plans to ensure compliance with
119	the intent and application of this section. The Chief Financial
120	Officer shall submit a report of such audits to the Speaker of
121	the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate
122	prior to each regular session of the Legislature.
123	(8)  This section expires January 1, 2010.
124	Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.

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