1 | A bill to be entitled |
2 | An act relating to economic development; amending s. |
3 | 212.031, F.S.; providing a partial exemption from the tax |
4 | on renting, leasing, letting, or granting a license for |
5 | the use of real property for property rented, leased, |
6 | subleased, or licensed to a person providing certain |
7 | services at convention halls, civic centers, or public |
8 | lodging establishments; providing for application only to |
9 | certain portions of payments; providing for retroactive |
10 | application; amending s. 212.08, F.S., relating to |
11 | exemptions from sales, rental, use, consumption, |
12 | distribution, and storage tax; revising the definitions of |
13 | the terms "productive output" and "real property" for |
14 | purposes of certain exemptions; creating s. 288.0659, |
15 | F.S.; creating the Local Government Distressed Area |
16 | Matching Grant Program within the Office of Tourism, |
17 | Trade, and Economic Development; providing a program |
18 | purpose; providing definitions; authorizing the office to |
19 | accept and administer appropriated moneys to provide local |
20 | government distressed area matching grants; authorizing |
21 | local governments to apply for grants to match qualified |
22 | business assistance; providing qualifying requirements for |
23 | targeted businesses; specifying evaluation criteria for |
24 | reviewing grant requests; subjecting grant approval to |
25 | legislative appropriation; providing limitations on |
26 | expending funds; providing procedures for approving grant |
27 | allocations or disapproving application; providing a |
28 | process for making preliminary and final grant awards; |
29 | providing requirements for grant recipients; providing for |
30 | revocation of grants; limiting the grant amount for the |
31 | qualified business assistance; authorizing the office to |
32 | retain certain funds for administrative costs; providing |
33 | appropriations; providing an effective date. |
34 |
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35 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
36 |
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37 | Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section |
38 | 212.031, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
39 | 212.031 Tax on rental or license fee for use of real |
40 | property.- |
41 | (1)(a) It is declared to be the legislative intent that |
42 | every person is exercising a taxable privilege who engages in |
43 | the business of renting, leasing, letting, or granting a license |
44 | for the use of any real property unless such property is: |
45 | 1. Assessed as agricultural property under s. 193.461. |
46 | 2. Used exclusively as dwelling units. |
47 | 3. Property subject to tax on parking, docking, or storage |
48 | spaces under s. 212.03(6). |
49 | 4. Recreational property or the common elements of a |
50 | condominium when subject to a lease between the developer or |
51 | owner thereof and the condominium association in its own right |
52 | or as agent for the owners of individual condominium units or |
53 | the owners of individual condominium units. However, only the |
54 | lease payments on such property shall be exempt from the tax |
55 | imposed by this chapter, and any other use made by the owner or |
56 | the condominium association shall be fully taxable under this |
57 | chapter. |
58 | 5. A public or private street or right-of-way and poles, |
59 | conduits, fixtures, and similar improvements located on such |
60 | streets or rights-of-way, occupied or used by a utility or |
61 | provider of communications services, as defined by s. 202.11, |
62 | for utility or communications or television purposes. For |
63 | purposes of this subparagraph, the term "utility" means any |
64 | person providing utility services as defined in s. 203.012. This |
65 | exception also applies to property, wherever located, on which |
66 | the following are placed: towers, antennas, cables, accessory |
67 | structures, or equipment, not including switching equipment, |
68 | used in the provision of mobile communications services as |
69 | defined in s. 202.11. For purposes of this chapter, towers used |
70 | in the provision of mobile communications services, as defined |
71 | in s. 202.11, are considered to be fixtures. |
72 | 6. A public street or road which is used for |
73 | transportation purposes. |
74 | 7. Property used at an airport exclusively for the purpose |
75 | of aircraft landing or aircraft taxiing or property used by an |
76 | airline for the purpose of loading or unloading passengers or |
77 | property onto or from aircraft or for fueling aircraft. |
78 | 8.a. Property used at a port authority, as defined in s. |
79 | 315.02(2), exclusively for the purpose of oceangoing vessels or |
80 | tugs docking, or such vessels mooring on property used by a port |
81 | authority for the purpose of loading or unloading passengers or |
82 | cargo onto or from such a vessel, or property used at a port |
83 | authority for fueling such vessels, or to the extent that the |
84 | amount paid for the use of any property at the port is based on |
85 | the charge for the amount of tonnage actually imported or |
86 | exported through the port by a tenant. |
87 | b. The amount charged for the use of any property at the |
88 | port in excess of the amount charged for tonnage actually |
89 | imported or exported shall remain subject to tax except as |
90 | provided in sub-subparagraph a. |
91 | 9. Property used as an integral part of the performance of |
92 | qualified production services. As used in this subparagraph, the |
93 | term "qualified production services" means any activity or |
94 | service performed directly in connection with the production of |
95 | a qualified motion picture, as defined in s. 212.06(1)(b), and |
96 | includes: |
97 | a. Photography, sound and recording, casting, location |
98 | managing and scouting, shooting, creation of special and optical |
99 | effects, animation, adaptation (language, media, electronic, or |
100 | otherwise), technological modifications, computer graphics, set |
101 | and stage support (such as electricians, lighting designers and |
102 | operators, greensmen, prop managers and assistants, and grips), |
103 | wardrobe (design, preparation, and management), hair and makeup |
104 | (design, production, and application), performing (such as |
105 | acting, dancing, and playing), designing and executing stunts, |
106 | coaching, consulting, writing, scoring, composing, |
107 | choreographing, script supervising, directing, producing, |
108 | transmitting dailies, dubbing, mixing, editing, cutting, |
109 | looping, printing, processing, duplicating, storing, and |
110 | distributing; |
111 | b. The design, planning, engineering, construction, |
112 | alteration, repair, and maintenance of real or personal property |
113 | including stages, sets, props, models, paintings, and facilities |
114 | principally required for the performance of those services |
115 | listed in sub-subparagraph a.; and |
116 | c. Property management services directly related to |
117 | property used in connection with the services described in sub- |
118 | subparagraphs a. and b. |
119 |
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120 | This exemption will inure to the taxpayer upon presentation of |
121 | the certificate of exemption issued to the taxpayer under the |
122 | provisions of s. 288.1258. |
123 | 10. Leased, subleased, licensed, or rented to a person |
124 | providing food and drink concessionaire services within the |
125 | premises of a convention hall, exhibition hall, auditorium, |
126 | stadium, theater, arena, civic center, performing arts center, |
127 | publicly owned recreational facility, or any business operated |
128 | under a permit issued pursuant to chapter 550. A person |
129 | providing retail concessionaire services involving the sale of |
130 | food and drink or other tangible personal property within the |
131 | premises of an airport shall be subject to tax on the rental of |
132 | real property used for that purpose, but shall not be subject to |
133 | the tax on any license to use the property. For purposes of this |
134 | subparagraph, the term "sale" shall not include the leasing of |
135 | tangible personal property. |
136 | 11. Property occupied pursuant to an instrument calling |
137 | for payments which the department has declared, in a Technical |
138 | Assistance Advisement issued on or before March 15, 1993, to be |
139 | nontaxable pursuant to rule 12A-1.070(19)(c), Florida |
140 | Administrative Code; provided that this subparagraph shall only |
141 | apply to property occupied by the same person before and after |
142 | the execution of the subject instrument and only to those |
143 | payments made pursuant to such instrument, exclusive of renewals |
144 | and extensions thereof occurring after March 15, 1993. |
145 | 12. Rented, leased, subleased, or licensed to a |
146 | concessionaire by a convention hall, exhibition hall, |
147 | auditorium, stadium, theater, arena, civic center, performing |
148 | arts center, or publicly owned recreational facility, during an |
149 | event at the facility, to be used by the concessionaire to sell |
150 | souvenirs, novelties, or other event-related products. This |
151 | subparagraph applies only to that portion of the rental, lease, |
152 | or license payment which is based on a percentage of sales and |
153 | not based on a fixed price. This subparagraph is repealed July |
154 | 1, 2009. |
155 | 13. Property used or occupied predominantly for space |
156 | flight business purposes. As used in this subparagraph, "space |
157 | flight business" means the manufacturing, processing, or |
158 | assembly of a space facility, space propulsion system, space |
159 | vehicle, satellite, or station of any kind possessing the |
160 | capacity for space flight, as defined by s. 212.02(23), or |
161 | components thereof, and also means the following activities |
162 | supporting space flight: vehicle launch activities, flight |
163 | operations, ground control or ground support, and all |
164 | administrative activities directly related thereto. Property |
165 | shall be deemed to be used or occupied predominantly for space |
166 | flight business purposes if more than 50 percent of the |
167 | property, or improvements thereon, is used for one or more space |
168 | flight business purposes. Possession by a landlord, lessor, or |
169 | licensor of a signed written statement from the tenant, lessee, |
170 | or licensee claiming the exemption shall relieve the landlord, |
171 | lessor, or licensor from the responsibility of collecting the |
172 | tax, and the department shall look solely to the tenant, lessee, |
173 | or licensee for recovery of such tax if it determines that the |
174 | exemption was not applicable. |
175 | 14. Rented, leased, subleased, or licensed to a person |
176 | providing telecommunications, data systems management, or |
177 | Internet services at a publicly or privately owned convention |
178 | hall, civic center, or meeting space at a public lodging |
179 | establishment as defined in s. 509.013. This subparagraph |
180 | applies only to that portion of the rental, lease, or license |
181 | payment that is based upon a percentage of sales, revenue |
182 | sharing, or royalty payments and not based upon a fixed price. |
183 | This subparagraph is intended to be clarifying and remedial in |
184 | nature and shall apply retroactively. This subparagraph does not |
185 | provide a basis for an assessment of any tax not paid, or create |
186 | a right to a refund of any tax paid, pursuant to this section |
187 | before July 1, 2010. |
188 | Section 2. Paragraphs (b) and (g) of subsection (5) of |
189 | section 212.08, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
190 | 212.08 Sales, rental, use, consumption, distribution, and |
191 | storage tax; specified exemptions.-The sale at retail, the |
192 | rental, the use, the consumption, the distribution, and the |
193 | storage to be used or consumed in this state of the following |
194 | are hereby specifically exempt from the tax imposed by this |
195 | chapter. |
196 | (5) EXEMPTIONS; ACCOUNT OF USE.- |
197 | (b) Machinery and equipment used to increase productive |
198 | output.- |
199 | 1. Industrial machinery and equipment purchased for |
200 | exclusive use by a new business in spaceport activities as |
201 | defined by s. 212.02 or for use in new businesses which |
202 | manufacture, process, compound, or produce for sale items of |
203 | tangible personal property at fixed locations are exempt from |
204 | the tax imposed by this chapter upon an affirmative showing by |
205 | the taxpayer to the satisfaction of the department that such |
206 | items are used in a new business in this state. Such purchases |
207 | must be made prior to the date the business first begins its |
208 | productive operations, and delivery of the purchased item must |
209 | be made within 12 months of that date. |
210 | 2. Industrial machinery and equipment purchased for |
211 | exclusive use by an expanding facility which is engaged in |
212 | spaceport activities as defined by s. 212.02 or for use in |
213 | expanding manufacturing facilities or plant units which |
214 | manufacture, process, compound, or produce for sale items of |
215 | tangible personal property at fixed locations in this state are |
216 | exempt from any amount of tax imposed by this chapter upon an |
217 | affirmative showing by the taxpayer to the satisfaction of the |
218 | department that such items are used to increase the productive |
219 | output of such expanded facility or business by not less than 10 |
220 | percent. |
221 | 3.a. To receive an exemption provided by subparagraph 1. |
222 | or subparagraph 2., a qualifying business entity shall apply to |
223 | the department for a temporary tax exemption permit. The |
224 | application shall state that a new business exemption or |
225 | expanded business exemption is being sought. Upon a tentative |
226 | affirmative determination by the department pursuant to |
227 | subparagraph 1. or subparagraph 2., the department shall issue |
228 | such permit. |
229 | b. The applicant shall be required to maintain all |
230 | necessary books and records to support the exemption. Upon |
231 | completion of purchases of qualified machinery and equipment |
232 | pursuant to subparagraph 1. or subparagraph 2., the temporary |
233 | tax permit shall be delivered to the department or returned to |
234 | the department by certified or registered mail. |
235 | c. If, in a subsequent audit conducted by the department, |
236 | it is determined that the machinery and equipment purchased as |
237 | exempt under subparagraph 1. or subparagraph 2. did not meet the |
238 | criteria mandated by this paragraph or if commencement of |
239 | production did not occur, the amount of taxes exempted at the |
240 | time of purchase shall immediately be due and payable to the |
241 | department by the business entity, together with the appropriate |
242 | interest and penalty, computed from the date of purchase, in the |
243 | manner prescribed by this chapter. |
244 | d. In the event a qualifying business entity fails to |
245 | apply for a temporary exemption permit or if the tentative |
246 | determination by the department required to obtain a temporary |
247 | exemption permit is negative, a qualifying business entity shall |
248 | receive the exemption provided in subparagraph 1. or |
249 | subparagraph 2. through a refund of previously paid taxes. No |
250 | refund may be made for such taxes unless the criteria mandated |
251 | by subparagraph 1. or subparagraph 2. have been met and |
252 | commencement of production has occurred. |
253 | 4. The department shall adopt rules governing applications |
254 | for, issuance of, and the form of temporary tax exemption |
255 | permits; provisions for recapture of taxes; and the manner and |
256 | form of refund applications and may establish guidelines as to |
257 | the requisites for an affirmative showing of increased |
258 | productive output, commencement of production, and qualification |
259 | for exemption. |
260 | 5. The exemptions provided in subparagraphs 1. and 2. do |
261 | not apply to machinery or equipment purchased or used by |
262 | electric utility companies, communications companies, oil or gas |
263 | exploration or production operations, publishing firms that do |
264 | not export at least 50 percent of their finished product out of |
265 | the state, any firm subject to regulation by the Division of |
266 | Hotels and Restaurants of the Department of Business and |
267 | Professional Regulation, or any firm which does not manufacture, |
268 | process, compound, or produce for sale items of tangible |
269 | personal property or which does not use such machinery and |
270 | equipment in spaceport activities as required by this paragraph. |
271 | The exemptions provided in subparagraphs 1. and 2. shall apply |
272 | to machinery and equipment purchased for use in phosphate or |
273 | other solid minerals severance, mining, or processing |
274 | operations. |
275 | 6. For the purposes of the exemptions provided in |
276 | subparagraphs 1. and 2., these terms have the following |
277 | meanings: |
278 | a. "Industrial machinery and equipment" means tangible |
279 | personal property or other property that has a depreciable life |
280 | of 3 years or more and that is used as an integral part in the |
281 | manufacturing, processing, compounding, or production of |
282 | tangible personal property for sale or is exclusively used in |
283 | spaceport activities. A building and its structural components |
284 | are not industrial machinery and equipment unless the building |
285 | or structural component is so closely related to the industrial |
286 | machinery and equipment that it houses or supports that the |
287 | building or structural component can be expected to be replaced |
288 | when the machinery and equipment are replaced. Heating and air- |
289 | conditioning systems are not industrial machinery and equipment |
290 | unless the sole justification for their installation is to meet |
291 | the requirements of the production process, even though the |
292 | system may provide incidental comfort to employees or serve, to |
293 | an insubstantial degree, nonproduction activities. The term |
294 | includes parts and accessories only to the extent that the |
295 | exemption thereof is consistent with the provisions of this |
296 | paragraph. |
297 | b. "Productive output" means the number of units actually |
298 | produced by a single plant, or operation, or product line in a |
299 | single continuous 12-month period, irrespective of sales. |
300 | Increases in productive output shall be measured by the output |
301 | for 12 continuous months selected by the expanding business |
302 | immediately following the completion of installation of such |
303 | machinery or equipment over the output for the 12 continuous |
304 | months immediately preceding such installation. However, if a |
305 | different 12-month continuous period of time would more |
306 | accurately reflect the increase in productive output of |
307 | machinery and equipment purchased to facilitate an expansion, |
308 | the increase in productive output may be measured during that |
309 | 12-month continuous period of time if such time period is |
310 | mutually agreed upon by the Department of Revenue and the |
311 | expanding business prior to the commencement of production; |
312 | provided, However, in no case may such time period begin later |
313 | than 2 years following the completion of installation of the new |
314 | machinery and equipment. The units used to measure productive |
315 | output shall be physically comparable between the two periods, |
316 | irrespective of sales. |
317 | (g) Building materials used in the rehabilitation of real |
318 | property located in an enterprise zone.- |
319 | 1. Building materials used in the rehabilitation of real |
320 | property located in an enterprise zone shall be exempt from the |
321 | tax imposed by this chapter upon an affirmative showing to the |
322 | satisfaction of the department that the items have been used for |
323 | the rehabilitation of real property located in an enterprise |
324 | zone. Except as provided in subparagraph 2., this exemption |
325 | inures to the owner, lessee, or lessor of the rehabilitated real |
326 | property located in an enterprise zone only through a refund of |
327 | previously paid taxes. To receive a refund pursuant to this |
328 | paragraph, the owner, lessee, or lessor of the rehabilitated |
329 | real property located in an enterprise zone must file an |
330 | application under oath with the governing body or enterprise |
331 | zone development agency having jurisdiction over the enterprise |
332 | zone where the business is located, as applicable, which |
333 | includes: |
334 | a. The name and address of the person claiming the refund. |
335 | b. An address and assessment roll parcel number of the |
336 | rehabilitated real property in an enterprise zone for which a |
337 | refund of previously paid taxes is being sought. |
338 | c. A description of the improvements made to accomplish |
339 | the rehabilitation of the real property. |
340 | d. A copy of the building permit issued for the |
341 | rehabilitation of the real property. |
342 | e. A sworn statement, under the penalty of perjury, from |
343 | the general contractor licensed in this state with whom the |
344 | applicant contracted to make the improvements necessary to |
345 | accomplish the rehabilitation of the real property, which |
346 | statement lists the building materials used in the |
347 | rehabilitation of the real property, the actual cost of the |
348 | building materials, and the amount of sales tax paid in this |
349 | state on the building materials. In the event that a general |
350 | contractor has not been used, the applicant shall provide this |
351 | information in a sworn statement, under the penalty of perjury. |
352 | Copies of the invoices which evidence the purchase of the |
353 | building materials used in such rehabilitation and the payment |
354 | of sales tax on the building materials shall be attached to the |
355 | sworn statement provided by the general contractor or by the |
356 | applicant. Unless the actual cost of building materials used in |
357 | the rehabilitation of real property and the payment of sales |
358 | taxes due thereon is documented by a general contractor or by |
359 | the applicant in this manner, the cost of such building |
360 | materials shall be an amount equal to 40 percent of the increase |
361 | in assessed value for ad valorem tax purposes. |
362 | f. The identifying number assigned pursuant to s. 290.0065 |
363 | to the enterprise zone in which the rehabilitated real property |
364 | is located. |
365 | g. A certification by the local building code inspector |
366 | that the improvements necessary to accomplish the rehabilitation |
367 | of the real property are substantially completed. |
368 | h. Whether the business is a small business as defined by |
369 | s. 288.703(1). |
370 | i. If applicable, the name and address of each permanent |
371 | employee of the business, including, for each employee who is a |
372 | resident of an enterprise zone, the identifying number assigned |
373 | pursuant to s. 290.0065 to the enterprise zone in which the |
374 | employee resides. |
375 | 2. This exemption inures to a city, county, other |
376 | governmental agency, or nonprofit community-based organization |
377 | through a refund of previously paid taxes if the building |
378 | materials used in the rehabilitation of real property located in |
379 | an enterprise zone are paid for from the funds of a community |
380 | development block grant, State Housing Initiatives Partnership |
381 | Program, or similar grant or loan program. To receive a refund |
382 | pursuant to this paragraph, a city, county, other governmental |
383 | agency, or nonprofit community-based organization must file an |
384 | application which includes the same information required to be |
385 | provided in subparagraph 1. by an owner, lessee, or lessor of |
386 | rehabilitated real property. In addition, the application must |
387 | include a sworn statement signed by the chief executive officer |
388 | of the city, county, other governmental agency, or nonprofit |
389 | community-based organization seeking a refund which states that |
390 | the building materials for which a refund is sought were paid |
391 | for from the funds of a community development block grant, State |
392 | Housing Initiatives Partnership Program, or similar grant or |
393 | loan program. |
394 | 3. Within 10 working days after receipt of an application, |
395 | the governing body or enterprise zone development agency shall |
396 | review the application to determine if it contains all the |
397 | information required pursuant to subparagraph 1. or subparagraph |
398 | 2. and meets the criteria set out in this paragraph. The |
399 | governing body or agency shall certify all applications that |
400 | contain the information required pursuant to subparagraph 1. or |
401 | subparagraph 2. and meet the criteria set out in this paragraph |
402 | as eligible to receive a refund. If applicable, the governing |
403 | body or agency shall also certify if 20 percent of the employees |
404 | of the business are residents of an enterprise zone, excluding |
405 | temporary and part-time employees. The certification shall be in |
406 | writing, and a copy of the certification shall be transmitted to |
407 | the executive director of the Department of Revenue. The |
408 | applicant shall be responsible for forwarding a certified |
409 | application to the department within the time specified in |
410 | subparagraph 4. |
411 | 4. An application for a refund pursuant to this paragraph |
412 | must be submitted to the department within 6 months after the |
413 | rehabilitation of the property is deemed to be substantially |
414 | completed by the local building code inspector or by September 1 |
415 | after the rehabilitated property is first subject to assessment. |
416 | 5. Not more than one exemption through a refund of |
417 | previously paid taxes for the rehabilitation of real property |
418 | shall be permitted for any single parcel of property unless |
419 | there is a change in ownership, a new lessor, or a new lessee of |
420 | the real property. No refund shall be granted pursuant to this |
421 | paragraph unless the amount to be refunded exceeds $500. No |
422 | refund granted pursuant to this paragraph shall exceed the |
423 | lesser of 97 percent of the Florida sales or use tax paid on the |
424 | cost of the building materials used in the rehabilitation of the |
425 | real property as determined pursuant to sub-subparagraph 1.e. or |
426 | $5,000, or, if no less than 20 percent of the employees of the |
427 | business are residents of an enterprise zone, excluding |
428 | temporary and part-time employees, the amount of refund granted |
429 | pursuant to this paragraph shall not exceed the lesser of 97 |
430 | percent of the sales tax paid on the cost of such building |
431 | materials or $10,000. A refund approved pursuant to this |
432 | paragraph shall be made within 30 days of formal approval by the |
433 | department of the application for the refund. This subparagraph |
434 | shall apply retroactively to July 1, 2005. |
435 | 6. The department shall adopt rules governing the manner |
436 | and form of refund applications and may establish guidelines as |
437 | to the requisites for an affirmative showing of qualification |
438 | for exemption under this paragraph. |
439 | 7. The department shall deduct an amount equal to 10 |
440 | percent of each refund granted under the provisions of this |
441 | paragraph from the amount transferred into the Local Government |
442 | Half-cent Sales Tax Clearing Trust Fund pursuant to s. 212.20 |
443 | for the county area in which the rehabilitated real property is |
444 | located and shall transfer that amount to the General Revenue |
445 | Fund. |
446 | 8. For the purposes of the exemption provided in this |
447 | paragraph: |
448 | a. "Building materials" means tangible personal property |
449 | which becomes a component part of improvements to real property. |
450 | b. "Real property" has the same meaning as provided in s. |
451 | 192.001(12), except that the term does not include a condominium |
452 | parcel or condominium property as defined in s. 718.103. |
453 | c. "Rehabilitation of real property" means the |
454 | reconstruction, renovation, restoration, rehabilitation, |
455 | construction, or expansion of improvements to real property. |
456 | d. "Substantially completed" has the same meaning as |
457 | provided in s. 192.042(1). |
458 | 9. This paragraph expires on the date specified in s. |
459 | 290.016 for the expiration of the Florida Enterprise Zone Act. |
460 | Section 3. Section 288.0659, Florida Statutes, is created |
461 | to read: |
462 | 288.0659 Local Government Distressed Area Matching Grant |
463 | Program.- |
464 | (1) The Local Government Distressed Area Matching Grant |
465 | Program is created within the Office of Tourism, Trade, and |
466 | Economic Development. The purpose of the program is to stimulate |
467 | investment in the state's economy by providing grants to match |
468 | demonstrated business assistance by local governments to attract |
469 | and retain businesses in this state. |
470 | (2) As used in this section, the term: |
471 | (a) "Local government" means a county or municipality. |
472 | (b) "Office" means the Office of Tourism, Trade, and |
473 | Economic Development. |
474 | (c) "Qualified business assistance" means economic |
475 | incentives provided by a local government for the purpose of |
476 | attracting or retaining a specific business, including, but not |
477 | limited to, suspensions, waivers, or reductions of impact fees |
478 | or permit fees; direct incentive payments; expenditures for |
479 | onsite or offsite improvements directly benefiting a specific |
480 | business; or construction or renovation of buildings for a |
481 | specific business. |
482 | (3) The office may accept and administer moneys |
483 | appropriated to the office for providing grants to match |
484 | expenditures by local governments to attract or retain |
485 | businesses in this state. |
486 | (4) A local government may apply for grants to match |
487 | qualified business assistance made by the local government for |
488 | the purpose of attracting or retaining a specific business. A |
489 | local government may apply for no more than one grant per |
490 | targeted business. A local government may only have one |
491 | application pending with the office. Additional applications may |
492 | be filed after a previous application has been approved or |
493 | denied. |
494 | (5) To qualify for a grant, the business being targeted by |
495 | a local government must create at least 15 full-time jobs, must |
496 | be new to this state, must be expanding its operations in this |
497 | state, or would otherwise leave the state absent state and local |
498 | assistance, and the local government applying for the grant must |
499 | expedite its permitting processes for the target business by |
500 | accelerating the normal review and approval timelines. In |
501 | addition to these requirements, the office shall review the |
502 | grant requests using the following evaluation criteria, with |
503 | priority given in descending order: |
504 | (a) The presence and degree of pervasive poverty, |
505 | unemployment, and general distress as determined pursuant to s. |
506 | 290.0058 in the area where the business will locate, with |
507 | priority given to locations with greater degrees of poverty, |
508 | unemployment, and general distress. |
509 | (b) The extent of reliance on the local government |
510 | expenditure as an inducement for the business's location |
511 | decision, with priority given to higher levels of local |
512 | government expenditure. |
513 | (c) The number of new full-time jobs created, with |
514 | priority given to higher numbers of jobs created. |
515 | (d) The average hourly rate of wages for jobs created, |
516 | with priority given to higher average wages. |
517 | (e) The amount of capital investment to be made by the |
518 | business, with priority given to higher amounts of capital |
519 | investment. |
520 | (6) In evaluating grant requests, the office shall take |
521 | into consideration the need for grant assistance as it relates |
522 | to the local government's general fund balance as well as local |
523 | incentive programs that are already in existence. |
524 | (7) Funds made available pursuant to this section may not |
525 | be expended in connection with the relocation of a business from |
526 | one community to another community in this state unless the |
527 | office determines that without such relocation the business will |
528 | move outside this state or determines that the business has a |
529 | compelling economic rationale for the relocation which creates |
530 | additional jobs. Funds made available pursuant to this section |
531 | may not be used by the receiving local government to supplant |
532 | matching commitments required of the local government pursuant |
533 | to other state or federal incentive programs. |
534 | (8) Within 30 days after the office receives an |
535 | application for a grant, the office shall approve a preliminary |
536 | grant allocation or disapprove the application. The preliminary |
537 | grant allocation shall be based on estimates of qualified |
538 | business assistance submitted by the local government and shall |
539 | equal 50 percent of the amount of the estimated qualified |
540 | business assistance or $50,000, whichever is less. The |
541 | preliminary grant allocation shall be executed by contract with |
542 | the local government. The contract shall set forth the terms and |
543 | conditions, including the timeframes within which the final |
544 | grant award will be disbursed. The final grant award may not |
545 | exceed the preliminary grant allocation. The office may approve |
546 | preliminary grant allocations only to the extent that funds are |
547 | appropriated for such grants by the Legislature. |
548 | (a) Preliminary grant allocations that are revoked or |
549 | voluntarily surrendered shall be immediately available for |
550 | reallocation. |
551 | (b) Recipients of preliminary grant allocations shall |
552 | promptly report to the office the date on which the local |
553 | government's permitting and approval process is completed and |
554 | the date on which all qualified business assistance are |
555 | completed. |
556 | (9) The office shall make a final grant award to a local |
557 | government within 30 days after receiving information from the |
558 | local government sufficient to demonstrate actual qualified |
559 | business assistance. An awarded grant amount shall equal 50 |
560 | percent of the amount of the qualified business assistance or |
561 | $50,000, whichever is less, and may not exceed the preliminary |
562 | grant allocation. The amount by which a preliminary grant |
563 | allocation exceeds a final grant award shall be immediately |
564 | available for reallocation. |
565 | (10) The office may retain funds, not to exceed 2 percent |
566 | of the funds made available pursuant to this section, for direct |
567 | administrative costs associated with this section. |
568 | Section 4. There is appropriated for the 2010-2011 state |
569 | fiscal year to the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic |
570 | Development within the Executive Office of the Governor: |
571 | (1) The sum of $5 million in nonrecurring general revenue |
572 | and $5 million in recurring general revenue for Space Florida to |
573 | address financing, business development, and infrastructure |
574 | needs to assist in the continued development of the aerospace |
575 | industry in this state and management of state-of-the-art |
576 | facilities for space businesses that will create high- |
577 | technology, high-wage-earning jobs. |
578 | (2) The sum of $3.2 million in nonrecurring general |
579 | revenue exclusively for Space Florida to retrain workers as the |
580 | result of the retirement of the Space Shuttle Program. |
581 | (3) The sum of $2 million in nonrecurring general revenue |
582 | to provide local government distressed area matching grants |
583 | pursuant to s. 288.0659, Florida Statutes. Notwithstanding s. |
584 | 216.301, Florida Statutes, and pursuant to s. 216.351, Florida |
585 | Statutes, any funds remaining from this appropriation as of June |
586 | 30, 2011, shall remain available for carrying out the purpose of |
587 | s. 288.0659, Florida Statutes. |
588 | Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010. |