The Florida Senate

288.905  Duties of the board of directors of Enterprise Florida, Inc.--

(1)  In the performance of its functions and duties, the board of directors may establish, implement, and manage policies, strategies, and programs for Enterprise Florida, Inc., and its boards. These policies, strategies, and programs shall promote business formation, expansion, recruitment, and retention through aggressive marketing and international development and export assistance, which together lead to more and better jobs with higher wages for all geographic regions and communities of the state, including rural areas and urban core areas, and for all residents, including minorities. In developing such policies, strategies, and programs, the board of directors shall solicit advice from and consider the recommendations of its boards, any advisory committees or similar groups created by Enterprise Florida, Inc., and local and regional partners.

(2)  The board of directors shall, in conjunction with the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development, the Office of Urban Opportunities, and local and regional economic development partners, develop a strategic plan for economic development for the State of Florida. Such plan shall be submitted to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Senate Minority Leader, and the House Minority Leader and shall be updated or modified before January 1 of each year. The plan must be approved by the board of directors prior to submission to the Governor and Legislature.

(3)(a)  The strategic plan required under this section shall include, but is not limited to, strategies for the promotion of business formation, expansion, recruitment, and retention through aggressive marketing, international development, and export assistance, which lead to more and better jobs and higher wages for all geographic regions and disadvantaged communities and populations of the state, including rural areas, minority businesses, and urban core areas. Further, the strategic plan shall give consideration to the economic diversity of the state and its regions and their associated industrial clusters and develop realistic policies and programs to further their development.

(b)1.  The strategic plan required under this section shall include specific provisions for the stimulation of economic development and job creation in rural areas and midsize cities and counties of the state.

2.  Enterprise Florida, Inc., shall involve local governments, local and regional economic development organizations, and other local, state, and federal economic, international, and workforce development entities, both public and private, in developing and carrying out policies, strategies, and programs, seeking to partner and collaborate to produce enhanced public benefit at a lesser cost.

3.  Enterprise Florida, Inc., shall involve rural, urban, small-business, and minority-business development agencies and organizations, both public and private, in developing and carrying out policies, strategies, and programs.

4.  Enterprise Florida, Inc., shall develop a comprehensive marketing plan for redevelopment of brownfield areas designated pursuant to s. 376.80. The plan must include, but is not limited to, strategies to distribute information about current designated brownfield areas and the available economic incentives for redevelopment of brownfield areas. Such strategies are to be used in the promotion of business formation, expansion, recruitment, retention, and workforce development programs.

(c)  The strategic plan required under this section shall include the promotion of the successful long-term economic development of the state with increased emphasis in market research and information to local economic development entities and generation of foreign investment in the state that creates jobs with above-average wages, internationalization of this state, with strong emphasis in reverse investment that creates high wage jobs for the state and its many regions, including programs that establish viable overseas markets, generate foreign investment, assist in meeting the financing requirements of export-ready firms, broaden opportunities for international joint venture relationships, use the resources of academic and other institutions, coordinate trade assistance and facilitation services, and facilitate availability of and access to education and training programs which will assure requisite skills and competencies necessary to compete successfully in the global marketplace.

(d)  The strategic plan required under this section shall include the identification of business sectors that are of current or future importance to the state's economy and to the state's worldwide business image, and development of specific strategies to promote the development of such sectors.

(4)(a)  The strategic plan shall also include recommendations regarding specific performance standards and measurable outcomes. Enterprise Florida, Inc., in consultation with the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development and the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, shall establish performance-measure outcomes for Enterprise Florida, Inc., and its boards and advisory committees. Enterprise Florida, Inc., in consultation with the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development and the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, shall develop a plan for monitoring its operations to ensure that performance data are maintained and supported by records of the organization. On a biennial basis, Enterprise Florida, Inc., in consultation with the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development and the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, shall review the performance-measure outcomes for Enterprise Florida, Inc., and its boards, and make any appropriate modifications to them. In developing measurable objectives and performance outcomes, Enterprise Florida, Inc., shall consider the effect of its programs, activities, and services on its client population. Enterprise Florida, Inc., shall establish standards such as job growth among client firms, growth in the number and strength of businesses within targeted sectors, client satisfaction, including the satisfaction of its local and regional economic development partners, businesses retained and recruited statewide and within rural and urban core communities, employer wage growth, and increased export sales among client companies to use in evaluating performance toward accomplishing the mission of Enterprise Florida, Inc.

(b)  The performance standards and measurable outcomes established and regularly reviewed by Enterprise Florida, Inc., under this subsection must also include benchmarks and goals to measure the impact of state economic development policies and programs. Such benchmarks and goals may include, but are not limited to:

1.  Net annual job growth rate in this state compared to neighboring southern states and the United States as a whole.

2.  Unemployment rate in this state compared to neighboring southern states and the United States as a whole.

3.  Wage distribution based on the percentage of people working in this state who earned 15 percent below the state average, within 15 percent of the state average, and 15 percent or more above the state average.

4.  Annual percentage of growth in the production of goods and services within Florida compared to neighboring southern states and the United States as a whole.

5.  Changes in jobs in this state by major industry based on the percentage of growth or decline in the number of full-time or part-time jobs in this state.

6.  Number of new business startups in this state.

7.  Goods produced in this state that are exported to other countries.

8.  Capital investment for commercial and industrial purposes, agricultural production and processing, and international trade.

(c)  Prior to the 2002 Regular Session of the Legislature, the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability shall conduct a review of Enterprise Florida, Inc., and its boards and shall submit a report by January 1, 2002, to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Senate Minority Leader, and the House Minority Leader. The review shall be comprehensive in its scope, but, at a minimum, must be conducted in such a manner as to specifically determine:

1.  The progress towards achieving the established outcomes.

2.  The circumstances contributing to the organization's ability to achieve, not achieve, or exceed its established outcomes.

3.  Whether it would be sound public policy to continue or discontinue funding the organization, and the consequences of discontinuing the organization.

(5)  The board of directors shall coordinate and collaborate with local and regional economic development organizations, which shall be the state's primary agents for the direct delivery of economic development and international development services.

(6)  Any employee leased by Enterprise Florida, Inc., from the state, or any employee who derives his or her salary from funds appropriated by the Legislature, may not receive a pay raise or bonus in excess of a pay raise or bonus that is received by similarly situated state employees. However, this subsection does not prohibit the payment of a pay raise or bonus from funds received from sources other than the Florida Legislature.

History.--s. 6, ch. 92-277; s. 85, ch. 96-320; s. 42, ch. 97-100; s. 32, ch. 97-278; s. 71, ch. 99-13; s. 32, ch. 99-251; s. 82, ch. 2000-165; s. 5, ch. 2000-317.