| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to economic recovery from the Deepwater |
| 3 | Horizon disaster; amending s. 288.0656, F.S.; designating |
| 4 | the Counties of Bay, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Okaloosa, |
| 5 | Santa Rosa, Wakulla, and Walton, and the municipalities |
| 6 | within those counties, as a rural area of critical |
| 7 | economic concern for purposes of the Rural Economic |
| 8 | Development Initiative; providing that the area is a |
| 9 | priority assignment, eligible for certain waivers, and |
| 10 | exempt from specified requirements; providing for a |
| 11 | qualified target industry business that relocates all or a |
| 12 | portion of its business to the area from another state to |
| 13 | receive tax refund payments; providing an appropriation; |
| 14 | requiring the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic |
| 15 | Development to consult with certain entities to create a |
| 16 | framework and strategy for the use of funds to promote |
| 17 | research and development, commercialization of research, |
| 18 | economic diversification, and job creation in the Counties |
| 19 | of Bay, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, |
| 20 | Wakulla, and Walton; providing criteria for such use; |
| 21 | providing for expiration; providing an effective date. |
| 22 |
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| 23 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 24 |
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| 25 | Section 1. Subsections (3) and (4) and paragraph (c) of |
| 26 | subsection (6) of section 288.0656, Florida Statutes, are |
| 27 | amended, and subsection (9) is added to that section, to read: |
| 28 | 288.0656 Rural Economic Development Initiative.- |
| 29 | (3) REDI shall be responsible for coordinating and |
| 30 | focusing the efforts and resources of state and regional |
| 31 | agencies on the problems which affect the fiscal, economic, and |
| 32 | community viability of Florida's economically distressed rural |
| 33 | communities and rural areas of critical economic concern, |
| 34 | working with local governments, community-based organizations, |
| 35 | and private organizations that have an interest in the growth |
| 36 | and development of these communities to find ways to balance |
| 37 | environmental and growth management issues with local needs. |
| 38 | (4) REDI shall review and evaluate the impact of statutes |
| 39 | and rules on rural communities and rural areas of critical |
| 40 | economic concern and shall work to minimize any adverse impact |
| 41 | and undertake outreach and capacity-building efforts. |
| 42 | (6) |
| 43 | (c) The REDI representatives shall work with REDI in the |
| 44 | review and evaluation of statutes and rules for adverse impact |
| 45 | on rural communities and rural areas of critical economic |
| 46 | concern and the development of alternative proposals to mitigate |
| 47 | that impact. |
| 48 | (9)(a) For purposes of this section, the Counties of Bay, |
| 49 | Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Wakulla, and |
| 50 | Walton, and the municipalities within those counties, are |
| 51 | designated as a rural area of critical economic concern. |
| 52 | (b) The area is a priority assignment for REDI and |
| 53 | eligible for waiver of criteria, requirements, or similar |
| 54 | provisions of any economic development incentive pursuant to |
| 55 | paragraph (7)(a), except for the Rural Job Tax Credit Program |
| 56 | under ss. 212.098 and 220.1895, and is exempt from the |
| 57 | requirements of paragraph (7)(b). |
| 58 | (c) Between July 1, 2011, and June 29, 2014, if the Office |
| 59 | of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development determines it is in |
| 60 | the best interest of the public for reasons of facilitating |
| 61 | economic development, growth, or new employment in the area |
| 62 | designated under this subsection, the office may allow a |
| 63 | qualified target industry business that relocates all or a |
| 64 | portion of its business to the area from another state to |
| 65 | receive a tax refund payment of up to $6,000 multiplied by the |
| 66 | number of jobs specified in the tax refund agreement pursuant to |
| 67 | s. 288.106(5)(a)1. The business is eligible for an additional |
| 68 | tax refund payment pursuant to s. 288.106(3)(b)4. if the |
| 69 | business meets the criteria provided in that subparagraph. A |
| 70 | project pursuant to this paragraph must meet all of the criteria |
| 71 | provided in s. 288.106 unless such requirement is expressly |
| 72 | waived by the Governor. |
| 73 | (d) This subsection expires on June 30, 2014. |
| 74 | Section 2. (1) For fiscal year 2011-2012, the sum of $10 |
| 75 | million in nonrecurring funds from the General Revenue Fund is |
| 76 | appropriated to the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic |
| 77 | Development to assist in diversifying the regional economy for |
| 78 | the Counties of Bay, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Okaloosa, Santa |
| 79 | Rosa, Wakulla, and Walton. The funds may be used to recruit or |
| 80 | expand targeted industries or businesses in the region, promote |
| 81 | research and development, promote commercialization of research, |
| 82 | support job creation, and provide funding for matching grant |
| 83 | opportunities with federal and private grants. The funds may not |
| 84 | be used to pay for administrative costs. |
| 85 | (2) The Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development |
| 86 | shall consult with local educational entities, economic |
| 87 | development organizations, local governments, and Florida's |
| 88 | Great Northwest, Inc., to create a framework and strategy for |
| 89 | the use of funds and shall consider local support from these |
| 90 | entities before approving any project. In order to promote |
| 91 | research and development, commercialization of research, |
| 92 | economic diversification, and job creation in the Counties of |
| 93 | Bay, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Wakulla, |
| 94 | and Walton, the criteria for the use of funds shall, at a |
| 95 | minimum, require local match, job creation, return on |
| 96 | investment, or capital investment, and shall require expedited |
| 97 | permitting when appropriate and possible by the local |
| 98 | governments required to issue permits. Funds may be used, on a |
| 99 | case-by-case basis, for: |
| 100 | (a) Universities and other institutions to conduct |
| 101 | research for existing and prospective businesses, particularly |
| 102 | in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and |
| 103 | mathematics, and to provide funding for the commercialization of |
| 104 | research that will result in the creation of new jobs. |
| 105 | (b) Direct recruiting of new businesses to Northwest |
| 106 | Florida, including prospect visits, the development of economic |
| 107 | development information and materials needed to compete with |
| 108 | other states, and events that showcase the region to prospective |
| 109 | industry sectors. |
| 110 | (c) Supplementing existing state and local incentives for |
| 111 | the direct recruitment and expansion of companies in Northwest |
| 112 | Florida, including funding for bridging the gap between |
| 113 | incentives available in this state and incentives available in |
| 114 | competing jurisdictions. |
| 115 | (d) Matching grant opportunities for job creation, job |
| 116 | training, or university research needed to develop new products. |
| 117 | (3) This section expires on June 30, 2014. |
| 118 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011. |