Senate Bill sb0708

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SB 708

    By Senator Siplin





    19-278-07

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to economic development;

  3         amending s. 125.0104, F.S., relating to the

  4         local option tourist development tax; allowing

  5         a county that levies the tax authorized under

  6         s. 125.0104(3)(n), F.S., to use the tax

  7         proceeds to participate with the state in an

  8         economic-development project to attract

  9         specified types of high-technology industries

10         to the county; providing an effective date.

11  

12         WHEREAS, the commercialization of technologies

13  developed in academic laboratories and research centers

14  through the application of recent innovations is critical for

15  Florida to maintain a competitive economy, and

16         WHEREAS, the development of high-technology industries

17  in Florida, including artificial intelligence, human-centered

18  computing, information technology and communications,

19  biotechnology, bioinformatics, biomedical research,

20  electro-optics, life science, nanotechnology, and computer

21  simulation, is critical to the long-term economic vitality of

22  this state, and

23         WHEREAS, high-technology industries will further

24  diversify and strengthen the Florida economy and complement

25  industries that are already recognized as being critical to

26  Florida's economic health, and

27         WHEREAS, attracting leading scholars and researchers in

28  advanced and emerging technology disciplines to Florida's

29  universities is critical to building Florida's knowledge base

30  and will serve a paramount public purpose, NOW, THEREFORE,

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SB 708
    19-278-07




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

 2  

 3         Section 1.  Paragraph (n) of subsection (3) of section

 4  125.0104, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

 5         125.0104  Tourist development tax; procedure for

 6  levying; authorized uses; referendum; enforcement.--

 7         (3)  TAXABLE PRIVILEGES; EXEMPTIONS; LEVY; RATE.--

 8         (n)  In addition to any other tax that is imposed under

 9  this section, a county that has imposed the tax under

10  paragraph (l) may impose an additional tax that is no greater

11  than 1 percent on the exercise of the privilege described in

12  paragraph (a) by a majority plus one vote of the membership of

13  the board of county commissioners in order to:

14         1.  Pay the debt service on bonds issued to finance:

15         a.  The construction, reconstruction, or renovation of

16  a facility either publicly owned and operated, or publicly

17  owned and operated by the owner of a professional sports

18  franchise or other lessee with sufficient expertise or

19  financial capability to operate such facility, and to pay the

20  planning and design costs incurred prior to the issuance of

21  such bonds for a new professional sports franchise as defined

22  in s. 288.1162.

23         b.  The acquisition, construction, reconstruction, or

24  renovation of a facility either publicly owned and operated,

25  or publicly owned and operated by the owner of a professional

26  sports franchise or other lessee with sufficient expertise or

27  financial capability to operate such facility, and to pay the

28  planning and design costs incurred prior to the issuance of

29  such bonds for a retained spring training franchise.

30         2.  Promote and advertise tourism in the State of

31  Florida and nationally and internationally; however, if tax

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SB 708
    19-278-07




 1  revenues are expended for an activity, service, venue, or

 2  event, the activity, service, venue, or event shall have as

 3  one of its main purposes the attraction of tourists as

 4  evidenced by the promotion of the activity, service, venue, or

 5  event to tourists.

 6         3.  Participate with the state in an economic

 7  development project for which additional revenues are needed

 8  to attract to the county high-technology industries, including

 9  information technology and communications, biotechnology,

10  bioinformation, biomedical research, electro-optics, life

11  science, nanotechnology, and computer simulation.

12  

13  A county that imposes the tax authorized in this paragraph may

14  not expend any ad valorem tax revenues for the acquisition,

15  construction, reconstruction, or renovation of a facility for

16  which tax revenues are used pursuant to subparagraph 1. The

17  provision of paragraph (b) which prohibits any county

18  authorized to levy a convention development tax pursuant to s.

19  212.0305 from levying more than the 2-percent tax authorized

20  by this section shall not apply to the additional tax

21  authorized by this paragraph in counties which levy convention

22  development taxes pursuant to s. 212.0305(4)(a). Subsection

23  (4) does not apply to the adoption of the additional tax

24  authorized in this paragraph. The effective date of the levy

25  and imposition of the tax authorized under this paragraph is

26  the first day of the second month following approval of the

27  ordinance by the board of county commissioners or the first

28  day of any subsequent month specified in the ordinance. A

29  certified copy of such ordinance shall be furnished by the

30  county to the Department of Revenue within 10 days after

31  approval of the ordinance.

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SB 708
    19-278-07




 1         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

 2  law.

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 4            *****************************************

 5                          SENATE SUMMARY

 6    Allows a county that levies a local option tourist
      development tax under s. 125.0104(3)(n), F.S., to use the
 7    tax proceeds to participate with the state in an
      economic-development project to attract specified types
 8    of high-technology industries to the county.

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