Florida Senate - 2014                                     SB 618
       
       
        
       By Senator Simmons
       
       
       
       
       
       10-00594-14                                            2014618__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to professional sports franchises;
    3         amending s. 288.1162, F.S.; redefining the term
    4         “league” to include Major League Soccer; providing
    5         that a previously certified applicant is not eligible
    6         for an additional certification under certain
    7         circumstances; requiring the Department of Economic
    8         Opportunity to reserve two facility certifications for
    9         new Major League Soccer franchises; providing an
   10         effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Subsection (3), paragraphs (c) and (h) of
   15  subsection (4), and subsection (6) of section 288.1162, Florida
   16  Statutes, are amended to read:
   17         288.1162 Professional sports franchises; duties.—
   18         (3) As used in this section, the term:
   19         (a) “League” means Major League Soccer, the National League
   20  or the American League of Major League Baseball, the National
   21  Basketball Association, the National Football League, or the
   22  National Hockey League.
   23         (b)(a) “New professional sports franchise” means a
   24  professional sports franchise that was not based in this state
   25  before April 1, 1987.
   26         (c)(b) “Retained professional sports franchise” means a
   27  professional sports franchise that has had a league-authorized
   28  location in this state on or before December 31, 1976, and has
   29  continuously remained at that location, and has never been
   30  located at a facility that has been previously certified under
   31  any provision of this section.
   32         (4) Before certifying an applicant as a facility for a new
   33  or retained professional sports franchise, the department must
   34  determine that:
   35         (c) The applicant has a verified copy of the approval from
   36  the governing authority of the league in which the new
   37  professional sports franchise exists authorizing the location of
   38  the professional sports franchise in this state after April 1,
   39  1987, or in the case of a retained professional sports
   40  franchise, verified evidence that it has had a league-authorized
   41  location in this state on or before December 31, 1976. As used
   42  in this section, the term “league” means the National League or
   43  the American League of Major League Baseball, the National
   44  Basketball Association, the National Football League, or the
   45  National Hockey League.
   46         (h) An applicant previously certified under any provision
   47  of this section who has received funding under such
   48  certification is not eligible for an additional certification
   49  for a franchise or facility that has already served as the basis
   50  for a previous certification.
   51         (6)(a) The department shall notify the Department of
   52  Revenue of any facility certified as a facility for a new or
   53  retained professional sports franchise.
   54         (b) The department may not shall certify no more than 10
   55  eight facilities as facilities for a new professional sports
   56  franchise or as facilities for a retained professional sports
   57  franchise, including in the total any facilities certified by
   58  the former Department of Commerce before July 1, 1996. The
   59  department shall reserve two facility certifications for new
   60  professional sports franchises in Major League Soccer. The
   61  department may make no more than one certification for any
   62  facility.
   63         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.