| 1 | Representative Coley offered the following: |
| 2 |
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| 3 | Amendment (with title amendment) |
| 4 | Between lines 26 and 27, insert: |
| 5 | Section 1. Paragraph (f) of subsection (7) of section |
| 6 | 212.055, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as paragraph (g), and |
| 7 | a new paragraph (f) is added to that subsection to read: |
| 8 | 212.055 Discretionary sales surtaxes; legislative intent; |
| 9 | authorization and use of proceeds.--It is the legislative intent |
| 10 | that any authorization for imposition of a discretionary sales |
| 11 | surtax shall be published in the Florida Statutes as a |
| 12 | subsection of this section, irrespective of the duration of the |
| 13 | levy. Each enactment shall specify the types of counties |
| 14 | authorized to levy; the rate or rates which may be imposed; the |
| 15 | maximum length of time the surtax may be imposed, if any; the |
| 16 | procedure which must be followed to secure voter approval, if |
| 17 | required; the purpose for which the proceeds may be expended; |
| 18 | and such other requirements as the Legislature may provide. |
| 19 | Taxable transactions and administrative procedures shall be as |
| 20 | provided in s. 212.054. |
| 21 | (7) VOTER-APPROVED INDIGENT CARE SURTAX.-- |
| 22 | (f) Notwithstanding any provision of this subsection |
| 23 | except paragraphs (b) and (g), a hospital surtax may be levied |
| 24 | upon approval of a referendum by the electors in a county that |
| 25 | has more than one independent special hospital district and a |
| 26 | population of fewer than 50,000 residents, not including inmates |
| 27 | and patients residing in institutions operated by the Federal |
| 28 | Government, the Department of Corrections, the Department of |
| 29 | Health, or the Department of Children and Family Services. |
| 30 | Subject to the cap imposed in paragraph (g), the surtax may be |
| 31 | levied at a rate not to exceed 1 percent. |
| 32 | 1. At least 90 days before submitting the referendum to |
| 33 | the voters, the governing body of the county shall certify to |
| 34 | the Department of Revenue the populations of each independent |
| 35 | special hospital district. If the surtax referendum is approved, |
| 36 | surtax proceeds shall be allocated to each such district in |
| 37 | proportion to the relative populations certified by the county |
| 38 | governing body. |
| 39 | 2. In addition to the uses authorized by this subsection, |
| 40 | an independent special hospital district may pledge surtax |
| 41 | proceeds to service new or existing bond indebtedness and may |
| 42 | use surtax proceeds to pay the direct costs incurred to finance, |
| 43 | plan, construct, or reconstruct a public or not-for-profit |
| 44 | hospital in the county; the costs incurred for land acquisition, |
| 45 | land improvement, design, engineering, equipment, and furnishing |
| 46 | related to the hospital; or the direct costs associated |
| 47 | therewith. An independent special hospital district may use the |
| 48 | services of the Division of Bond Finance of the State Board of |
| 49 | Administration pursuant to the State Bond Act to issue bonds |
| 50 | under this paragraph. |
| 51 | 3. Any county having a population of fewer than 50,000 |
| 52 | residents at the time bonds authorized in this paragraph are |
| 53 | issued shall retain the authority granted under this paragraph |
| 54 | throughout the term of such bonds, including the term of any |
| 55 | refinancing bonds, regardless of any subsequent increase in |
| 56 | population that results in the county having 50,000 or more |
| 57 | residents. |
| 58 | 4. If the indebtedness issued by one independent special |
| 59 | hospital district expires before the indebtedness issued by |
| 60 | another independent special hospital district, the full amount |
| 61 | of the surtax proceeds shall be applied to service the remaining |
| 62 | indebtedness until the indebtedness is extinguished. |
| 63 |
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| 64 |
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| 65 | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| 66 | T I T L E A M E N D M E N T |
| 67 | Remove line 2 and insert: |
| 68 | An act relating to local governments; amending s. 212.055, F.S.; |
| 69 | expanding authorization for voter-approved indigent care |
| 70 | surtaxes; authorizing certain counties to levy a hospital surtax |
| 71 | subject to referendum approval; providing for allocation and |
| 72 | uses of surtax proceeds; preserving certain bonding authority; |