Senate Bill sb2588c1

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2588

    By the Committee on Health Care; and Senator Bennett





    587-2316-06

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to enterprise zone incentives

  3         to serve the uninsured; amending s. 212.08,

  4         F.S.; providing for an exemption by refund from

  5         the tax on sales, use, and other transactions

  6         of certain medical equipment or supplies

  7         purchased and used by certain health care

  8         facilities located in enterprise zones;

  9         providing a limitation; providing application

10         requirements; providing procedures and

11         limitations for the refund; providing duties of

12         a local governing body or enterprise zone

13         development agency; providing duties of the

14         Department of Revenue; requiring the department

15         to adopt rules; providing for return of the

16         refund under certain circumstances; requiring

17         the department to deduct a portion of refunds

18         from amounts to be transferred into a certain

19         trust fund and deposit such amount into the

20         General Revenue Fund; providing definitions;

21         providing for expiration under certain

22         circumstances; amending s. 290.0056, F.S.;

23         expanding the list of entities from which

24         appointments may be made to an enterprise zone

25         development agency's board of commissioners;

26         providing an additional requirement for the

27         membership of an enterprise zone development

28         agency board of commissioners under certain

29         circumstances; providing a limitation;

30         providing an effective date.

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2588
    587-2316-06




 1         WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that making high quality

 2  health care available to the citizens of this state is an

 3  overwhelming public necessity, NOW, THEREFORE,

 4  

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

 6  

 7         Section 1.  Paragraph (r) is added to subsection (5) of

 8  section 212.08, Florida Statutes, to read:

 9         212.08  Sales, rental, use, consumption, distribution,

10  and storage tax; specified exemptions.--The sale at retail,

11  the rental, the use, the consumption, the distribution, and

12  the storage to be used or consumed in this state of the

13  following are hereby specifically exempt from the tax imposed

14  by this chapter.

15         (5)  EXEMPTIONS; ACCOUNT OF USE.--

16         (r)  Medical equipment and supplies used in an

17  enterprise zone.--

18         1.  Medical equipment and supplies purchased for use by

19  health care facilities that serve uninsured patients located

20  in an enterprise zone which are subsequently used in an

21  enterprise zone are exempt. This exemption inures to the

22  health care facility only through a refund of previously paid

23  taxes. A refund shall be authorized upon an affirmative

24  showing by the taxpayer to the satisfaction of the department

25  that the requirements of this paragraph have been met.

26         2.  To receive a refund, the health care facility must

27  file under oath with the governing body or enterprise zone

28  development agency having jurisdiction over the enterprise

29  zone in which the health care facility is located, as

30  applicable, an application that includes:

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2588
    587-2316-06




 1         a.  The name and address of the health care facility

 2  claiming the refund.

 3         b.  The identifying number assigned pursuant to s.

 4  290.0065 to the enterprise zone in which the health care

 5  facility is located.

 6         c.  A specific description of the medical equipment for

 7  which a refund is sought, including the serial numbers or

 8  other permanent identification numbers of the equipment.

 9         d.  A specific description of the medical supplies for

10  which a refund is sought, including the serial or lot numbers

11  or other numbers identifying the purchased supplies.

12         e.  The sales invoice or other proof of purchase of the

13  medical equipment or supplies, showing the amount of sales tax

14  paid, the date of purchase, and the name and address of the

15  sales tax dealer from whom the medical equipment or supplies

16  were purchased.

17         f.  An affidavit declaring that at least 10 percent of

18  the cost incurred for care by the health care facility in the

19  previous taxable year was for uncompensated care and that the

20  health care facility did not receive supplemental Medicaid,

21  disproportionate share hospital, or low-income pool funding

22  pursuant to chapter 409.

23         g.  A statement defining the taxpayer's taxable year.

24         3.  Within 10 working days after receipt of an

25  application, the governing body or enterprise zone development

26  agency shall review the application to determine if the

27  application contains all the information required pursuant to

28  subparagraph 2. and meets the criteria set out in this

29  paragraph. The governing body or agency shall certify all

30  applications that contain the information required pursuant to

31  subparagraph 2. and that meet the criteria set out in this

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2588
    587-2316-06




 1  paragraph as eligible to receive a refund. The certification

 2  shall be in writing and a copy of the certification shall be

 3  transmitted to the executive director of the Department of

 4  Revenue. The health care facility shall be responsible for

 5  forwarding a certified application to the department within

 6  the time specified in subparagraph 4.

 7         4.  An application for a refund pursuant to this

 8  paragraph must be submitted to the department within 6 months

 9  after the close of the taxable year during which the eligible

10  medical equipment or supplies were purchased.

11         5.  The provisions of s. 212.095 do not apply to any

12  refund application made pursuant to this paragraph. This

13  exemption shall apply to the first $500,000 of taxable medical

14  equipment or supplies purchased by a health care facility and

15  used in the facility in any taxable year. A refund may not be

16  granted under this paragraph unless the amount to be refunded

17  exceeds $100 in sales tax paid on purchases made within a

18  60-day time period. A refund may not be granted under this

19  paragraph for medical equipment or supplies eligible for

20  exemption pursuant to subsection (2) or eligible for a refund

21  pursuant to paragraph (h).

22         6.  The department shall adopt rules governing the

23  manner and form of refund applications and may establish

24  guidelines as to the requisites for an affirmative showing of

25  qualification for exemption under this paragraph.

26         7.  If the department determines that the medical

27  equipment or supplies are used outside an enterprise zone

28  within 3 years from the date of purchase, the amount of taxes

29  refunded to the health care facility purchasing such medical

30  equipment or supplies shall immediately be due and payable to

31  the department by the health care facility, together with the

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2588
    587-2316-06




 1  appropriate interest and penalty, computed from the date of

 2  purchase, in the manner provided by this chapter.

 3  Notwithstanding this subparagraph, a health care facility may

 4  dispose of disposable supplies according to law.

 5         8.  The department shall deduct an amount equal to 10

 6  percent of each refund granted under this paragraph from the

 7  amount to be transferred into the Local Government Half-cent

 8  Sales Tax Clearing Trust Fund pursuant to s. 212.20 for the

 9  county area in which the medical equipment or supplies are

10  located and shall deposit that amount into the General Revenue

11  Fund.

12         9.  For purposes of this exemption, the term:

13         a.  "Medical equipment" means durable medical equipment

14  that can be used repeatedly and that serves a medical purpose

15  in the diagnosis, treatment, or care of an individual.

16         b.  "Medical supplies" means items that are consumable,

17  expendable, disposable or nondurable, and that serve a medical

18  purpose in the diagnosis, treatment, or care of an individual.

19         c.  "Health care facility" means a facility licensed

20  pursuant to chapter 395 or a county health department, a

21  children's medical services program, a federally qualified

22  health center, a federally funded migrant health center, a

23  rural clinic, or any other publicly funded community health

24  program and any other program designated by the Department of

25  Health as a community health center that provides primary care

26  services to the uninsured.

27         10.  This paragraph expires on the date specified in s.

28  290.016 for the expiration of the Florida Enterprise Zone Act.

29         Section 2.  Subsection (2) and paragraph (a) of

30  subsection (9) of section 290.0056, Florida Statutes, are

31  amended to read:

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2588
    587-2316-06




 1         290.0056  Enterprise zone development agency.--

 2         (2)  When the governing body creates an enterprise zone

 3  development agency, that body shall appoint a board of

 4  commissioners of the agency, which shall consist of not fewer

 5  than 8 or more than 13 commissioners. The governing body may

 6  appoint at least one representative from each of the

 7  following: the local chamber of commerce; local financial or

 8  insurance entities; local businesses and, where possible,

 9  businesses operating within the nominated area; the residents

10  residing within the nominated area; nonprofit community-based

11  organizations operating within the nominated area; health care

12  facilities operating within the nominated area; the regional

13  workforce board; the local code enforcement agency; and the

14  local law enforcement agency. One of the commissioners on the

15  board may be employed in the health care field, provided such

16  requirement applies only when a position on the board becomes

17  vacant after July 1, 2007, and appointment of a new

18  commissioner is required to fill the vacancy or an additional

19  member is to be appointed after July 1, 2007. The terms of

20  office of the commissioners shall be for 4 years, except that,

21  in making the initial appointments, the governing body shall

22  appoint two members for terms of 3 years, two members for

23  terms of 2 years, and one member for a term of 1 year; the

24  remaining initial members shall serve for terms of 4 years. A

25  vacancy occurring during a term shall be filled for the

26  unexpired term. The importance of including individuals from

27  the nominated area shall be considered in making appointments.

28  Further, the importance of minority representation on the

29  agency shall be considered in making appointments so that the

30  agency generally reflects the gender and ethnic composition of

31  the community as a whole.

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2588
    587-2316-06




 1         (9)  The following powers and responsibilities shall be

 2  performed by the governing body creating the enterprise zone

 3  development agency acting as the managing agent of the

 4  enterprise zone development agency, or, contingent upon

 5  approval by such governing body, such powers and

 6  responsibilities shall be performed by the enterprise zone

 7  development agency:

 8         (a)  To review, process, and certify applications for

 9  state enterprise zone tax incentives pursuant to ss.

10  212.08(5)(g), (h), (r), and (15); 212.096; 220.181; and

11  220.182.

12         Section 3.  This act shall take effect January 1, 2007.

13  

14          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
15                         Senate Bill 2588

16                                 

17  The committee substitute:  creates a tax exemption, through a
    refund of previously paid taxes, on the purchase of certain
18  medical equipment and supplies by a health care facility
    providing services to the uninsured and located in an
19  enterprise zone; specifies an application process for
    refunding the sales tax; establishes procedures and
20  requirements for the Department of Revenue (DOR) to certify
    applications for a refund; limits a refund to only the first
21  $500,000 of taxable medical equipment or supplies purchased by
    a health care facility and used in the facility in any taxable
22  year; requires a health care facility to repay any refund in
    the event the medical equipment or supplies for which a refund
23  was granted has been used outside an enterprise zone within
    three years of purchase; requires DOR to deduct an amount
24  equal to 10 percent of each refund granted under this
    paragraph from the amount to be transferred into the Local
25  Government Half-cent Sales Tax Clearing Trust Fund pursuant to
    s. 212.20, F.S., for the county area in which the medical
26  equipment or supplies are located and to deposit that amount
    into the General Revenue Fund; includes definitions for the
27  terms "medical equipment," "medical supplies," and "health
    care facility;" and specifies that the governing body of an
28  enterprise zone development agency may appoint to its board a
    commissioner employed in the health care field.
29  

30  

31  

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