Florida Senate - 2017                                     SB 332
       
       
        
       By Senator Steube
       
       23-00280-17                                            2017332__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to public-private partnerships;
    3         amending s. 255.065, F.S.; defining the terms
    4         “information technology” and “state agency”; revising
    5         the definition of the term “responsible public
    6         entity”; revising legislative findings to recognize
    7         the public need of pursuing information technology
    8         projects through the establishment of public-private
    9         partnerships; providing an effective date.
   10          
   11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12  
   13         Section 1. Present paragraphs (d) through (l) of subsection
   14  (1) of section 255.065, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
   15  paragraphs (e) through (m), respectively, present paragraph (j)
   16  is amended, a new paragraph (d) and paragraph (n) are added to
   17  that subsection, and paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of that
   18  section is amended, to read:
   19         255.065 Public-private partnerships; public records and
   20  public meetings exemptions.—
   21         (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
   22         (d) “Information technology” has the same meaning as
   23  provided in s. 282.0041.
   24         (k)(j) “Responsible public entity” means a county,
   25  municipality, school district, special district, state agency,
   26  or any other political subdivision of the state; a public body
   27  corporate and politic; or a regional entity that serves a public
   28  purpose and is authorized to develop or operate a qualifying
   29  project.
   30         (n) “State agency” has the same meaning as in s. 282.0041,
   31  except that the term includes the Department of Legal Affairs,
   32  the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the
   33  Department of Financial Services.
   34         (2) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.—The Legislature finds
   35  that there is a public need for the construction or upgrade of
   36  facilities that are used predominantly for public purposes and
   37  that it is in the public’s interest to provide for the
   38  construction or upgrade of such facilities.
   39         (a) The Legislature also finds that:
   40         1. There is a public need for timely and cost-effective
   41  acquisition, design, construction, improvement, renovation,
   42  expansion, equipping, maintenance, operation, implementation, or
   43  installation of projects serving a public purpose, including
   44  educational facilities, transportation facilities, water or
   45  wastewater management facilities and infrastructure, technology
   46  infrastructure, information technology, roads, highways,
   47  bridges, and other public infrastructure and government
   48  facilities within the state which serve a public need and
   49  purpose, and that such public need may not be wholly satisfied
   50  by existing procurement methods.
   51         2. There are inadequate resources to develop new
   52  educational facilities, transportation facilities, water or
   53  wastewater management facilities and infrastructure, technology
   54  infrastructure, roads, highways, bridges, and other public
   55  infrastructure and government facilities for the benefit of
   56  residents of this state, and that a public-private partnership
   57  has demonstrated that it can meet the needs by improving the
   58  schedule for delivery, lowering the cost, and providing other
   59  benefits to the public.
   60         3. There may be state and federal tax incentives that
   61  promote partnerships between public and private entities to
   62  develop and operate qualifying projects.
   63         4. A procurement under this section serves the public
   64  purpose of this section if such procurement facilitates the
   65  timely development or operation of a qualifying project.
   66         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.