Florida Senate - 2025                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 324
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì615984PÎ615984                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  04/01/2025           .                                
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       The Committee on Commerce and Tourism (Smith) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete lines 68 - 104
    4  and insert:
    5         (5)“Program” means the Construction Impact Relief
    6  Revolving Loan Program established in s. 288.9995.
    7         Section 5. Section 288.9994, Florida Statutes, is created
    8  to read:
    9         288.9994Rulemaking authority.—By October 1, 2025, the
   10  department shall adopt rules to implement this part, including,
   11  but not limited to, developing guidelines for the award of loans
   12  under the program and creating application forms for the
   13  program.
   14         Section 6. Section 288.9995, Florida Statutes, is created
   15  to read:
   16         288.9995Construction Impact Relief Revolving Loan
   17  Program.—
   18         (1)The Construction Impact Relief Revolving Loan Program
   19  is created within the department. The program may be funded by
   20  the Legislature. Under the program, the department shall:
   21         (a)Provide financial assistance to eligible small
   22  businesses within construction zones, including low-interest
   23  loans of up to $100,000, with interest not to exceed the federal
   24  funds rate at the time the loan is issued, for the operational
   25  costs of eligible small businesses during construction
   26  disruptions.
   27         (b)Develop a public awareness and marketing campaign to
   28  promote the program in partnership with local chambers of
   29  commerce and other business organizations and to encourage
   30  customer support for small businesses adversely impacted by
   31  state and local government construction activities. Such
   32  marketing campaign efforts must include, but are not limited to,
   33  all of the following:
   34         1.Digital advertising campaigns.
   35         2.Signage and outreach.
   36         (2)An applicant seeking to obtain financial assistance
   37  under paragraph (1)(a) must submit an application to the
   38  department. The application must require documentation of
   39  demonstrable loss and a plan for the use of funds. Proof of
   40  demonstrable loss must include, but is not limited to, all of
   41  the following:
   42         (a) Documentation of reduction in revenue from the start
   43  date of the state or local government construction activities to
   44  the week before an application is submitted to the department.
   45  Such proof may be made by comparing the applicant’s average
   46  weekly or monthly revenue of the year before the state or local
   47  government construction activities began and the applicant’s
   48  current weekly or monthly revenue.
   49         (b) Photo or video evidence of the obstruction to the
   50  applicant due to the construction zone. Such obstruction may
   51  include, but is not limited to, any of the following:
   52         1. Restricting parking or primary entry access to the
   53  eligible small business.
   54         2. Blocking visibility of the applicant from all directions
   55  of traffic flow along the road and adjoining sidewalks in which
   56  the applicant is located, during each phase of construction.
   57         (3) An applicant must consult with the Florida Small
   58  Business Development Center Network created in s. 288.001 to
   59  confirm the applicant’s eligibility for the program. If an
   60  applicant is eligible for any other loan program, he or she is
   61  not eligible to participate in the program.
   62  
   63  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   64  And the title is amended as follows:
   65         Delete lines 10 - 19
   66  and insert:
   67         the Construction Impact Relief Revolving Loan Program
   68         within the Department of Commerce; authorizing the
   69         Legislature to fund the program; requiring the
   70         department to provide specified financial assistance
   71         to eligible small businesses within construction
   72         zones; requiring the department to develop a public
   73         awareness and marketing campaign to promote the
   74         program in partnership with specified entities;
   75         providing requirements for the campaign; requiring
   76         applicants to submit specified information with their
   77         applications; requiring an applicant to consult with
   78         the Florida Small Business Development Center Network
   79         to confirm the applicant’s eligibility for the
   80         program; prohibiting an applicant from participating
   81         in the program under certain circumstances; creating
   82         s.