HB 5071

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to the Professional Sports Development
3	Trust Fund; amending s. 320.08058, F.S.; removing a
4	timeframe restriction on the use of proceeds from the fund
5	for operational expenses of the Florida Sports Foundation
6	and financial support of the Sunshine State Games;
7	providing an effective date.
8
9	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
10
11	Section 1.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (9) of section
12	320.08058, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
13	320.08058  Specialty license plates.--
14	(9)  FLORIDA PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAM LICENSE PLATES.--
15	(b)  The license plate annual use fees are to be annually
16	distributed as follows:
17	1.  Fifty-five percent of the proceeds from the Florida
18	Professional Sports Team plate must be deposited into the
19	Professional Sports Development Trust Fund within the Office of
20	Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development. These funds must be
21	used solely to attract and support major sports events in this
22	state. As used in this subparagraph, the term "major sports
23	events" means, but is not limited to, championship or all-star
24	contests of Major League Baseball, the National Basketball
25	Association, the National Football League, the National Hockey
26	League, the men's and women's National Collegiate Athletic
27	Association Final Four basketball championship, or a horseracing
28	or dogracing Breeders' Cup. All funds must be used to support
29	and promote major sporting events, and the uses must be approved
30	by the Florida Sports Foundation.
31	2.  The remaining proceeds of the Florida Professional
32	Sports Team license plate must be allocated to the Florida
33	Sports Foundation, a direct-support organization of the Office
34	of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development. These funds must be
35	deposited into the Professional Sports Development Trust Fund
36	within the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development.
37	These funds must be used by the Florida Sports Foundation to
38	promote the economic development of the sports industry; to
39	distribute licensing and royalty fees to participating
40	professional sports teams; to promote education programs in
41	Florida schools that provide an awareness of the benefits of
42	physical activity and nutrition standards; to partner with the
43	Department of Education and the Department of Health to develop
44	a program that recognizes schools whose students demonstrate
45	excellent physical fitness or fitness improvement; to institute
46	a grant program for communities bidding on minor sporting events
47	that create an economic impact for the state; to distribute
48	funds to Florida-based charities designated by the Florida
49	Sports Foundation and the participating professional sports
50	teams; and to fulfill the sports promotion responsibilities of
51	the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development.
52	3.  The Florida Sports Foundation shall provide an annual
53	financial audit in accordance with s. 215.981 of its financial
54	accounts and records by an independent certified public
55	accountant pursuant to the contract established by the Office of
56	Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development as specified in s.
57	288.1229(5). The auditor shall submit the audit report to the
58	Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development for review
59	and approval. If the audit report is approved, the office shall
60	certify the audit report to the Auditor General for review.
61	4.  For the 2007-2008 fiscal year only and Notwithstanding
62	the provisions of subparagraphs 1. and 2., proceeds from the
63	Professional Sports Development Trust Fund may also be used for
64	operational expenses of the Florida Sports Foundation and
65	financial support of the Sunshine State Games. This subparagraph
66	expires July 1, 2008.
67	Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.

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