Amendment
Bill No. 7001D

Amendment No. 848281

CHAMBER ACTION
Senate		House
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1	Representative(s) Robaina offered the following:
2
3	Amendment (with directory, schedule, ballot, and title
4	amendments)
5	Between lines 374 and 375, insert:
6	SECTION 19.  State sales tax increase; required local
7	effort.--The legislature shall provide for an increase in the
8	rate of the state tax on sales, use, and other transactions
9	imposed by general law by an additional two percent. The
10	legislature shall apply each year the amount of additional
11	revenues generated by the increase in the state tax on sales,
12	use, and other transactions required by this section to reduce
13	the required local effort imposed upon school districts for
14	funding education finance as required by general law.
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17	D I R E C T O R Y  A M E N D M E N T
18	Remove line(s) 24-26 and insert:
19	That the following amendments to Sections 3, 4, 6, and 9
20	and the creation of Section 19 of Article VII, the amendment to
21	Section 1 of Article VIII, and the creation of Sections 27, 28,
22	and 29 of Article XII of the State Constitution are
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25	S C H E D U L E  A M E N D M E N T
26	Remove line(s) 460-477 and insert:
27	SECTION 28.  State sales tax increase; annual appropriation
28	to fund required local effort.--During the next regular session
29	of the legislature after the effective date of the creation of
30	Section 19 of Article VII, the legislature shall provide by
31	general law for an increase of two percent in the rate of the
32	state tax on sales, use, and other transactions. The legislature
33	shall appropriate each year an amount equal to the total amount
34	generated by the two percent increase in the rate of the state
35	tax on sales, use, and other transactions for the purpose of
36	reducing the required local effort imposed upon school districts
37	for funding education finance as required by general law.
38	SECTION 29.  Property tax exemptions; ad valorem tax
39	limitations; state sales tax increase.--The amendments to
40	Sections 3, 4, 6, and 9 and the creation of Section 19 of
41	Article VII, providing a $25,000 exemption from ad valorem
42	taxation for tangible personal property, providing an additional
43	$25,000 homestead exemption, authorizing the transfer of the
44	accrued benefit from the limitation on the assessment of
45	homestead property, providing an additional homestead exemption
46	for first-time homestead property owners, providing a complete
47	homestead exemption for low-income seniors, providing for
48	assessing rent-restricted affordable housing and commercial and
49	public-access waterfront property pursuant to general law,
50	limiting annual increases in assessments of nonhomestead real
51	property, requiring the legislature to limit the authority of
52	counties, municipalities, and special districts to increase ad
53	valorem taxes, and requiring the legislature to increase the
54	state sales and use tax and apply the additional revenues from
55	the increase to reduce the required local effort imposed upon
56	school districts; the amendment to Section 1 of Article VIII,
57	requiring property appraisers to be elected; the creation of
58	Section 27 of this Article, providing for election of county
59	property appraisers; the creation of Section 28 of this Article,
60	requiring the legislature to increase the state sales and use
61	tax and appropriate additional revenues from the increase to
62	reduce the required local effort imposed upon school districts,
63	and this section, if submitted to the
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66	B A L L O T  A M E N D M E N T
67	Remove line(s) 488-562 and insert:
68	ARTICLE VII, SECTIONS 3, 4, 6, 9, and 19
69	ARTICLE VIII, SECTION 1
70	ARTICLE XII, SECTIONS 27, 28, AND 29
71	PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS; AD VALOREM TAX INCREASE
72	LIMITATIONS; SALES TAX INCREASE; ELECTED PROPERTY
73	APPRAISERS.--This revision proposes changes to the State
74	Constitution relating to ad valorem taxation, sales and use tax,
75	and elected property appraisers. With respect to homestead
76	property, this revision 1) adds an additional homestead
77	exemption for most homestead owners, 2) exempts certain low-
78	income seniors from ad valorem tax on their homesteads, 3)
79	provides an additional homestead exemption that diminishes over
80	time for first-time Florida homebuyers, and 4) provides for the
81	transfer of accumulated Save Our Homes benefits. With respect to
82	non-homestead property, this revision allows the Legislature to
83	limit ad valorem assessments on 5) affordable housing and 6) on
84	working waterfronts under specific circumstances, 7) provides a
85	$25,000 exemption for tangible personal property, and 8) limits
86	annual increases in assessments of nonhomestead real property.
87	Further, this revision 9) requires the Legislature to limit the
88	authority of local governments other than school districts to
89	increase property taxes, 10) provides for a 2-percent increase
90	in the state sales and use tax and applies revenues from the
91	increase to reduce required local effort for school districts,
92	and 11) requires all county property appraisers to be elected.
93	In more detail, this revision:
94	1.  Increases the homestead exemption by providing an
95	additional $25,000 homestead exemption for the portion of the
96	assessed value above $50,000 up to $75,000.  This exemption does
97	not apply to school taxes.
98	2.  Exempts certain low-income seniors from ad valorem tax
99	on their homes. Persons 65 or older whose household income is
100	less than $23,604, adjusted annually for inflation, will be
101	totally exempt from ad valorem taxes, including school taxes, on
102	their homestead property.
103	3.  Provides an increased exemption for first-time Florida
104	homebuyers beginning in 2008. First-time homebuyers in Florida
105	who qualify for homestead exemption will be eligible for an
106	additional exemption equal to 25 percent of the assessed value
107	of their new home, not to exceed 25 percent of the county median
108	homestead just value for the prior year. The amount of the
109	exemption will decrease each year by the amount of the home's
110	Save Our Homes benefit. When the amount of the home's Save Our
111	Homes benefit meets or exceeds this exemption, the exemption is
112	lost. This exemption also is available to 2007 first-time
113	homebuyers who qualify for homestead exemption January 1, 2008.
114	This exemption does not apply to school taxes.
115	4.  Provides for the transfer of accumulated Save Our Homes
116	benefits. Homestead property owners will be able to transfer
117	their Save Our Homes benefit to a new homestead within two years
118	of relinquishing their previous homestead exemption; except, if
119	the new homestead is established on January 1, 2008, the
120	previous homestead must have been relinquished in 2007. If the
121	new homestead has a higher just value than the old one, the
122	entire benefit can be transferred; if the new homestead has a
123	lower just value, the amount of benefit transferred will be
124	reduced in proportion of the just value of the new homestead to
125	the just value of the old homestead. The transferred benefit may
126	not exceed $1 million. This provision does not apply to school
127	taxes.
128	5.  Provides for assessing certain rent-restricted
129	affordable housing property as provided by general law. This
130	provision will not apply to school taxes.
131	6.  Provides for assessing certain waterfront property used
132	for commercial fishing, commercial water-dependent activities,
133	and public access as provided by general law. This provision
134	will not apply to school taxes.
135	7.  Limits increases in assessments each year for all
136	property other than homestead property to the lower of 3 percent
137	or the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index.
138	8.  Authorizes an exemption from ad valorem taxes of
139	$25,000 of assessed value of tangible personal property. This
140	provision applies to all tax levies.
141	9.  Requires the Legislature to limit the authority of
142	counties, municipalities, and special districts to increase ad
143	valorem taxes.
144	10.  Requires the Legislature to increase the state sales
145	and use tax by 2 percent and appropriate additional revenues
146	from the increase to reduce the required local effort imposed
147	upon school districts.
148	11.  Requires each county to have an elected property
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151	T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T
152	Remove line(s) 3-17 and insert:
153	6, and 9 and the creation of Section 19 of Article VII, the
154	amendment to Section 1 of Article VIII, and the creation of
155	Sections 27, 28, and 29 of Article XII of the State
156	Constitution, to require an exemption from ad valorem taxation
157	for tangible personal property, to provide for the transfer of
158	the accrued benefit from the limitation on the assessed value of
159	homestead property, to provide for assessing rent-restricted
160	affordable housing and commercial and public-access waterfront
161	property by general law, to limit assessment increases for
162	nonhomestead real property, to increase the homestead exemption,
163	to create an additional homestead exemption for first-time
164	homestead property owners, to provide a complete homestead
165	exemption for low-income seniors, to require the Legislature to
166	limit county, municipality, and special district authority to
167	increase ad valorem taxes, to increase the state sales and use
168	tax and apply revenues from the increase to reduce the required
169	local effort for school districts,

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