Florida Senate - 2013 SB 224
By Senator Detert
28-00427-13 2013224__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Florida Small Business
3 Development Center Network; amending s. 288.001, F.S.;
4 providing that the network’s statewide director is
5 subject to the approval of the Board of Governors of
6 the State University System; providing for removal for
7 cause; requiring the statewide director to regularly
8 update the Board of Governors and the Department of
9 Economic Opportunity with certain information;
10 providing that the Board of Governors, the department,
11 and the network’s statewide advisory board are jointly
12 responsible for establishing certain policies and
13 goals; providing for advisory board membership;
14 providing for terms of membership; providing for
15 certain member reimbursement; requiring the statewide
16 director to work with regional small business
17 development centers to establish and approve budgets;
18 requiring the statewide director to establish certain
19 accountability measures; requiring the statewide
20 director to coordinate with the Board of Governors to
21 establish an innovative incentive program; providing
22 for funds to be disbursed to regional small business
23 development centers that meet certain standards;
24 providing that match funding may not be reduced for
25 regional small business development centers receiving
26 funds from the innovative incentive program; requiring
27 the statewide director and the network to operate the
28 program in compliance with federal laws and
29 regulations; amending s. 1001.706, F.S.; providing the
30 Board of Governors with certain powers and duties
31 relating to the network; providing an effective date.
32
33 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
34
35 Section 1. Section 288.001, Florida Statutes, is amended to
36 read:
37 288.001 The Florida Small Business Development Center
38 Network; purpose.—The Florida Small Business Development Center
39 Network is the principal business assistance organization for
40 small businesses in the state.
41 (1) As used in this section, the term:
42 (a) “Network” means the Florida Small Business Development
43 Center Network.
44 (b) “Board of Governors” is the Board of Governors of the
45 State University System.
46 (2)(a) The network’s statewide director is subject to the
47 approval of and may be removed for cause by the Board of
48 Governors.
49 (b) The statewide director shall regularly update the Board
50 of Governors and the department on the network’s progress and
51 outcomes, including information on businesses and entrepreneurs
52 assisted by the network and the network’s economic return to the
53 state.
54 (3) The Board of Governors, the department, and the
55 network’s statewide advisory board are jointly responsible for
56 establishing the network’s statewide policies and goals to
57 ensure that the network’s policies and programs align with the
58 statewide goals of the State University System and the statewide
59 strategic economic development plan pursuant to s. 20.60.
60 (4)(a) The network’s statewide advisory board shall consist
61 of 17 members from across the state. At least 10 members must be
62 representatives of the private sector who are knowledgeable of
63 and sympathetic to the needs and challenges of small businesses.
64 The members must represent various segments and industries of
65 the Florida economy and must bring knowledge and skills to the
66 statewide advisory board that would enhance the statewide
67 advisory board’s collective knowledge of small business
68 assistance needs and challenges. The statewide advisory board
69 must include the following members:
70 1. Three members appointed from the private sector by the
71 President of the Senate.
72 2. Three members appointed from the private sector by the
73 Speaker of the House of Representatives.
74 3. Three members appointed from the private sector by the
75 Governor.
76 4. One member appointed by the statewide director from the
77 private sector.
78 5. One member appointed by the host institution.
79 6. The President of Enterprise Florida, Inc., or his or her
80 designee.
81 7. The Chief Financial Officer or his or her designee.
82 8. The President of the Florida Chamber of Commerce or his
83 or her designee.
84 9. The Small Business Development Center Project Officer
85 from the U.S. Small Business Administration at the South Florida
86 District Office or his or her designee.
87 10. The President of the National Federation of Independent
88 Businesses, Florida, or his or her designee.
89 11. The Executive Director of the Florida United Business
90 Association or his or her designee.
91 (b) An appointed member shall serve a 4-year term beginning
92 August 1, 2013, except that initially 2 members appointed by the
93 Governor, 1 member appointed by the President of the Senate, 1
94 member appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
95 and the member appointed by the statewide director shall serve a
96 term of 2 years. An appointed member may be reappointed to a
97 subsequent term. Members of the statewide advisory board may not
98 receive compensation but may be reimbursed for per diem and
99 travel expenses pursuant to s. 112.061.
100 (5) The statewide director shall work with regional small
101 business development centers that are part of the network to
102 establish and approve the regional small business development
103 center budgets and to ensure the budgets align with the
104 network’s statewide policy and goals. The statewide director
105 shall also establish accountability measures to ensure the
106 proper expenditure of funds and alignment with the network’s
107 statewide policy and goals. Accountability measures must include
108 performance-based metrics for contractual agreements.
109 (6) The statewide director shall coordinate with the Board
110 of Governors to establish an innovative incentive program for
111 regional small business development centers to encourage
112 adoption of small business assistance best practices by regional
113 small business development centers.
114 (a) A resource or fund dedicated to the innovative
115 incentive program shall be disbursed only to regional small
116 business development centers that demonstrate best practices, as
117 determined by performance-based metrics developed by the
118 statewide director.
119 (b) Regional small business development centers receiving
120 additional funds as a result of the innovative incentive program
121 may not reduce matching funds dedicated to the small business
122 development center program.
123 (7) The network and the statewide director must operate the
124 program in compliance with federal laws and regulations,
125 including terminating or suspending a regional director or other
126 employee for actions that cause harm to the program or that
127 cause the public to question the integrity of the program.
128 Section 2. Present subsections (8) through (11) of section
129 1001.706, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (9)
130 through (12), respectively, and a new subsection (8) is added to
131 that section, to read:
132 1001.706 Powers and duties of the Board of Governors.—
133 (8) POWERS AND DUTIES RELATING TO THE FLORIDA SMALL
134 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER NETWORK.—The Board of Governors has
135 the powers and duties set forth in s. 288.001 to implement the
136 Florida Small Business Development Center Network.
137 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.