Florida Senate - 2025 CS for SB 600
By the Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and
Economic Development; and Senator Truenow
606-02273-25 2025600c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to manufacturing; amending s. 20.60,
3 F.S.; revising the duties of the Department of
4 Commerce; creating s. 20.601, F.S.; establishing the
5 Chief Manufacturing Officer among the senior
6 leadership of the department; providing that the Chief
7 Manufacturing Officer is appointed by and serves at
8 the pleasure of the Secretary of Commerce; providing
9 responsibilities for the Chief Manufacturing Officer;
10 directing all state and local governmental entities to
11 assist the Chief Manufacturing Officer; requiring the
12 department to prepare a report regarding manufacturing
13 efforts in this state; requiring the department to
14 submit its report on a specified date and biennially
15 thereafter to the Governor and the Legislature;
16 requiring that the report include certain information;
17 creating s. 288.103, F.S.; creating the Florida
18 Manufacturers’ Workforce Development Grant Program;
19 providing that the grant program is created within the
20 department and under the direction of the Chief
21 Manufacturing Officer in consultation with the state
22 Manufacturer Extension Partnership; providing a
23 specified purpose for the grant program; requiring the
24 department, in coordination with the Chief
25 Manufacturing Officer and the state Manufacturing
26 Extension Partnership, to review applications
27 submitted and to select specified projects; providing
28 that the department has sole discretion in final grant
29 awards; requiring that priority be given to projects
30 that meet certain criteria; authorizing applicants to
31 seek funding for a specified purpose; requiring the
32 department to administer the grant awards from the
33 Economic Development Trust Fund; requiring the
34 department to include certain information in its
35 annual incentives report; authorizing the department
36 to adopt rules; creating s. 288.1031, F.S.; providing
37 legislative findings; creating s. 288.1032, F.S.;
38 defining terms; creating s. 288.1033, F.S.; creating
39 the Florida Manufacturing Promotional Campaign within
40 the department; providing the purpose of the campaign;
41 requiring the department to take certain actions in
42 promoting the campaign; creating s. 288.1034, F.S.;
43 requiring persons that participate in the campaign to
44 register annually with the department; creating s.
45 288.1036, F.S.; authorizing the department to adopt
46 rules; authorizing the department to establish by rule
47 the logos or product identifiers to be depicted for
48 use in the campaign; providing an effective date.
49
50 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
51
52 Section 1. Paragraph (m) is added to subsection (4) of
53 section 20.60, Florida Statutes, to read:
54 20.60 Department of Commerce; creation; powers and duties.—
55 (4) The purpose of the department is to assist the Governor
56 in working with the Legislature, state agencies, business
57 leaders, and economic development professionals to formulate and
58 implement coherent and consistent policies and strategies
59 designed to promote economic opportunities for all Floridians.
60 The department is the state’s chief agency for business
61 recruitment and expansion and economic development. To
62 accomplish such purposes, the department shall:
63 (m) Encourage and oversee manufacturing in this state in
64 coordination with the Chief Manufacturing Officer.
65 Section 2. Section 20.601, Florida Statutes, is created to
66 read:
67 20.601 Chief Manufacturing Officer.—
68 (1) There shall be designated among the senior leadership
69 of the Department of Commerce a Chief Manufacturing Officer for
70 the purpose of supporting the manufacturing ecosystem statewide.
71 The Chief Manufacturing Officer is appointed by and serves at
72 the pleasure of the Secretary of Commerce.
73 (2) The Chief Manufacturing Officer shall:
74 (a) Serve as a subject-matter expert for the state on
75 issues related to manufacturing.
76 (b) Be responsible for promoting and coordinating
77 manufacturing efforts in this state and identifying gaps across
78 state-supported activities.
79 (c) Provide strategic direction for interagency and cross
80 disciplinary initiatives to promote and support manufacturing in
81 this state.
82 (d) Work with federal, state, regional, and local
83 governmental entities and nongovernmental entities to align
84 manufacturing priorities.
85 (e) Engage with state agencies and water management
86 districts to innovate processes, programs, decision frameworks,
87 and reporting mechanisms intended to support manufacturing in
88 this state.
89 (3) All state and local governmental entities shall assist
90 the Chief Manufacturing Officer to the extent such assistance is
91 consistent with law and with budgetary constraints.
92 (4) The department shall prepare a report, in consultation
93 with the Chief Manufacturing Officer and the state Manufacturing
94 Extension Partnership, regarding manufacturing efforts in this
95 state. The department shall submit the report to the Governor,
96 the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
97 Representatives by December 15, 2026, and every 2 years
98 thereafter. The report must include information regarding the
99 strength and economic importance of the manufacturing industry
100 in this state.
101 Section 3. Section 288.103, Florida Statutes, is created to
102 read:
103 288.103 Florida Manufacturers’ Workforce Development Grant
104 Program.—
105 (1) The Florida Manufacturers’ Workforce Development Grant
106 Program is created within the Department of Commerce, under the
107 direction of the Chief Manufacturing Officer and in consultation
108 with the state Manufacturing Extension Partnership, to fund
109 proposed projects, subject to appropriation by the Legislature,
110 which support small manufacturers in this state with the
111 deployment of new technologies or cybersecurity infrastructure
112 and to provide training support to the workforce.
113 (2) The department, in coordination with the Chief
114 Manufacturing Officer and the state Manufacturing Extension
115 Partnership, shall review applications submitted and select
116 projects for awards which create strategic investments in
117 workforce training to facilitate the deployment of new
118 technologies or cybersecurity infrastructure. Final grant awards
119 are made at the sole discretion of the department.
120 (3) Priority must be given to projects with innovative
121 plans, advanced technologies, and development strategies that
122 focus on workforce development for small manufacturers across
123 this state.
124 (4) Applicants may seek funding for workforce development
125 and operations, but grant funding awarded under this section may
126 not be used to pay salary and benefits or general business or
127 office expenses. Grants awarded under the program shall be
128 administered by the department from the Economic Development
129 Trust Fund established in s. 288.095.
130 (5) The department shall annually provide a list to the
131 public of each project awarded a grant, the benefit of each
132 project in meeting the goals and objectives of the program, and
133 the current status of each project. The department shall include
134 such information in its annual incentives report required under
135 s. 288.0065.
136 (6) The department may adopt rules to implement this
137 section.
138 Section 4. Section 288.1031, Florida Statutes, is created
139 to read:
140 288.1031 Legislative findings.—The Legislature finds that
141 there is a need for the Florida Manufacturing Promotional
142 Campaign, as established in s. 288.1033, to increase consumer
143 awareness of manufacturing activities in this state, to expand
144 market exposure for manufactured products and goods in this
145 state, and to inspire future generations of entrepreneurs,
146 fabricators, and skilled workers to build and grow domestic
147 businesses and manufacturing operations in this state. The
148 Legislature further finds that a campaign that creates a
149 partnership between industry and the state is necessary to
150 promote and advertise such products efficiently.
151 Section 5. Section 288.1032, Florida Statutes, is created
152 to read:
153 288.1032 Definitions.—As used in ss. 288.1031-288.1036, the
154 term:
155 (1) “Campaign” means the Florida Manufacturing Promotional
156 Campaign.
157 (2) “Department” means the Department of Commerce.
158 (3) “Manufactured product” means any tangible personal
159 property that has been fabricated or produced, often through
160 industrial or mechanical processes. The term includes items sold
161 or leased to consumers.
162 (4) “Person” means an individual, a firm, a partnership, a
163 corporation, an association, a business, a trust, a legal
164 representative, or any other business unit.
165 Section 6. Section 288.1033, Florida Statutes, is created
166 to read:
167 288.1033 Florida Manufacturing Promotional Campaign;
168 purpose; duties of the department.—There is created within the
169 department, under the supervision of the Chief Manufacturing
170 Officer and in coordination with the state Manufacturing
171 Extension Partnership, the Florida Manufacturing Promotional
172 Campaign. The purpose of the campaign is to serve as a voluntary
173 marketing program to promote manufacturing products and
174 businesses in this state. In promoting the campaign, the
175 department shall do all of the following:
176 (1) Develop logos for the campaign and authorize the use of
177 such logos as provided by rule.
178 (2) Register campaign participants.
179 (3) Collect rental receipts for industry promotions.
180 (4) Develop in-kind advertising programs.
181 (5) Contract with media representatives for the purpose of
182 dispersing promotional materials.
183 Section 7. Section 288.1034, Florida Statutes, is created
184 to read:
185 288.1034 Registration.—A person that participates in the
186 Florida Manufacturing Promotional Campaign must register
187 annually with the department in a form and manner as prescribed
188 by the department.
189 Section 8. Section 288.1036, Florida Statutes, is created
190 to read:
191 288.1036 Rulemaking authority.—The department may adopt
192 rules to implement and administer the Florida Manufacturing
193 Promotional Campaign. By rule, the department may establish the
194 logos or product identifiers to be depicted for use in the
195 campaign for advertising, publicizing, and promoting the sale of
196 manufactured products in this state. The department may also
197 adopt any other rules as deemed necessary to ensure compliance
198 with the Florida Manufacturing Promotional Campaign, including,
199 but not limited to, rules governing participant registration,
200 renewal of registration, classes of membership, application
201 forms, and other forms and enforcement measures.
202 Section 9. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.