Senate Bill sb1008

    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 1008

    By Senator Bennett





    21-583-07

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the use of public moneys and

  3         property; providing definitions; prohibiting

  4         the use of public funds for certain purposes

  5         benefiting a professional sports team;

  6         providing exceptions; amending s. 196.199,

  7         F.S.; providing for the ad valorem taxation of

  8         property owned by a governmental entity if the

  9         property is used by a private entity for a

10         nonexempt purpose; providing effective dates.

11  

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

13  

14         Section 1.  (1)  As used in this section, the term:

15         (a)  "Governmental entity" means the state, a county, a

16  municipality, or an entity created by and acting on behalf of

17  the state, a county, or a municipality.

18         (b)  "Professional sports team" means a professional

19  sports franchise that exists within the National League or the

20  American League of Major League Baseball, the National

21  Basketball Association, the National Football League, or the

22  National Hockey League.

23         (c)  "Public funds" means any moneys held by a

24  governmental entity.

25         (2)  Notwithstanding any other law and except as

26  provided in subsection (3), a governmental entity may not

27  spend public funds in aid of a professional sports team, to

28  pay for a facility used or intended to be used for such a

29  team, or for a sporting event of such a team unless the

30  expenditure has been approved by a majority vote of the

31  

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






    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 1008
    21-583-07




 1  registered electors residing within the jurisdictional

 2  boundaries of the governmental entity.

 3         (3)  This section does not prohibit the expenditure of

 4  funds to meet a legally binding obligation of a governmental

 5  entity which was created before July 1, 2007, or to compensate

 6  an employee of a governmental entity for an activity that is

 7  within the scope of his or her employment which assists a

 8  professional sports team in an incidental manner, such as

 9  advising a professional sports team of applicable regulatory

10  requirements.

11         Section 2.  Effective January 1, 2008, subsection (11)

12  is added to section 196.199, Florida Statutes, to read:

13         196.199  Government property exemption.--

14         (11)  Property that is owned by a governmental entity

15  and that is otherwise exempt or immune from taxation is

16  taxable if the property is used by a private entity in any

17  manner other than predominantly for a governmental,

18  charitable, literary, religious, scientific, or educational

19  purpose.

20         Section 3.  Except as otherwise expressly provided in

21  this act, this act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

22  

23            *****************************************

24                          SENATE SUMMARY

25    Prohibits the use of public funds for certain purposes
      benefiting a professional sport team. Provides that
26    property owned by a governmental entity is taxable if the
      property is used by a private entity for a nonexempt
27    purpose.

28  

29  

30  

31  

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