Bill Text: FL H0587 | 2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: New or Retained Professional Sports Franchises

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2012-03-09 - Died in Business and Consumer Affairs Subcommittee [H0587 Detail]

Download: Florida-2012-H0587-Introduced.html

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HB 587

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to new or retained professional sports
3	franchises; prohibiting a new or retained professional
4	sport franchise that uses a facility that receives
5	certain distributions of public funds or the
6	franchise's league from preventing television or radio
7	broadcasts of games in the facility due to
8	insufficient ticket sales; providing that the sports
9	franchise is subject to a fine by the county in which
10	the facility is located if broadcasts of a game are
11	prohibited; requiring that the proceeds of the fine be
12	used to purchase tickets to games of the sports
13	franchise at the publicly financed facility for
14	specified individuals and their families; providing an
15	effective date.
16
17	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19	Section 1.  Broadcast blackouts prohibited at publicly
20	financed facilities.-
21	(1)  A new or retained professional sports franchise using
22	a facility that receives public funding under s. 212.20(6)(d)6.,
23	Florida Statutes, or the franchise's league may not prohibit
24	television or radio broadcasts of a game played in the facility
25	in areas near the facility due to insufficient ticket sales.
26	(2)  If the professional sports franchise or its league
27	violates this section, the professional sports franchise is
28	subject to a fine by the county in which the facility is located
29	in the amount of $125,000 per violation. A fine assessed under
30	this section must be paid by the franchise before it plays the
31	first regular season game of the next season in the publicly
32	financed facility.
33	(3)  The proceeds of the fine shall be used by the county
34	or the public sports authority for the county exclusively to
35	purchase tickets to games of the professional sports franchise
36	at the facility for foster children and their foster families,
37	nonprofit youth organizations, and the United Service
38	Organization, Inc., which organization will provide the tickets
39	to servicemembers on leave from active duty in a combat zone and
40	their families.
41	Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.