Bill Text: FL S0426 | 2020 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Economic Development

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2020-06-19 - Chapter No. 2020-30 [S0426 Detail]

Download: Florida-2020-S0426-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2020                                     SB 426
       
       
        
       By Senator Montford
       
       
       
       
       
       3-00491A-20                                            2020426__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Regional Rural Development
    3         Grants Program; amending s. 288.018, F.S.; defining
    4         the term “regional economic development organization”;
    5         specifying that the concept of building the
    6         professional capacity of a regional economic
    7         development organization includes the hiring of
    8         professional staff to perform specified services;
    9         providing that matching grants may be used to provide
   10         technical assistance to local governments and economic
   11         development organizations and to existing and
   12         prospective businesses; specifying that a regional
   13         economic development organization that provides
   14         taxpayer-funded incentives is not eligible to
   15         participate in the matching grant program; increasing
   16         the maximum amount of annual grant funding that
   17         specified economic development organizations may
   18         receive; revising the required amount of nonstate
   19         matching funds; requiring that certain information be
   20         included in a contract or agreement involving the
   21         expenditure of grant funds; requiring that contracts
   22         or agreements involving the expenditure of grant
   23         funds, and a plain-language version of certain
   24         contracts or agreements, be placed on the contracting
   25         regional economic development organization’s website
   26         for a specified period before execution; deleting an
   27         obsolete provision; increasing the amount of funds the
   28         Department of Economic Opportunity may expend each
   29         fiscal year for certain purposes; providing an
   30         effective date.
   31          
   32  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   33  
   34         Section 1. Subsections (1), (3), and (4) of section
   35  288.018, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   36         288.018 Regional Rural Development Grants Program.—
   37         (1)(a) For the purposes of this section, a “regional
   38  economic development organization” means an economic development
   39  organization located in or contracted to serve a rural area of
   40  opportunity, as defined in s. 288.0656.
   41         (b) The department shall establish a matching grant program
   42  to provide funding to regional regionally based economic
   43  development organizations representing rural counties and
   44  communities to build for the purpose of building the
   45  professional capacity of those their organizations. Efforts to
   46  build the professional capacity of regional economic development
   47  organizations include the hiring of professional staff to
   48  develop, facilitate the delivery of, and directly provide needed
   49  economic development professional services, including technical
   50  assistance, education and leadership development, marketing, and
   51  project recruitment. Such Matching grants may also be used by a
   52  regional an economic development organization to provide
   53  technical assistance to local governments, local economic
   54  development organizations, and existing and prospective
   55  businesses within the rural counties and communities that it
   56  serves. A regional economic development organization that
   57  provides taxpayer-funded incentives to existing or prospective
   58  businesses is not eligible to participate in the matching grant
   59  program.
   60         (c) A regional economic development organization may apply
   61  annually to the department for a matching grant. The department
   62  is authorized to approve an application for a grant of:, on an
   63  annual basis, grants
   64         1. Up to $150,000 to an organization located to such
   65  regionally based economic development organizations. The maximum
   66  amount an organization may receive in any year will be $50,000,
   67  or $150,000 in or contracted to serve a rural area of
   68  opportunity designated pursuant to s. 288.0656(7).
   69         2. Up to $250,000 to any of the three regional economic
   70  development organizations that serve an entire region of a rural
   71  area of opportunity designated pursuant to s. 288.0656(7) and
   72  that are recognized by the department as serving such a region.
   73         (d) Grant funds received by a regional economic development
   74  organization recommended by the Rural Economic Development
   75  Initiative and designated by the Governor, and must be matched
   76  each year by an equivalent amount of nonstate resources in an
   77  amount equal to 25 percent of the state contribution.
   78         (3)(a) A contract or agreement that involves the
   79  expenditure of grant funds provided under this section,
   80  including a contract or agreement entered into between another
   81  entity and a regional economic development organization, a unit
   82  of local government, or an economic development organization
   83  substantially underwritten by a unit of local government, must
   84  include:
   85         1. The purpose of the contract or agreement.
   86         2. Specific performance standards and responsibilities for
   87  each entity.
   88         3. A detailed project or contract budget, if applicable.
   89         4. The value of any services provided.
   90         5. The projected travel expenses for employees and board
   91  members, if applicable.
   92         (b) At least 14 days before execution, the contracting
   93  regional economic development organization shall post on its
   94  website:
   95         1. Any contract or agreement that involves the expenditure
   96  of grant funds provided under this section.
   97         2. A plain-language version of a contract or agreement with
   98  a private entity, a municipality, or a vendor of services,
   99  supplies, or programs, including marketing, or for the purchase
  100  or lease or use of lands, facilities, or properties which
  101  involves the expenditure of grant funds provided under this
  102  section and which is estimated to exceed $35,000 The department
  103  may also contract for the development of an enterprise zone web
  104  portal or websites for each enterprise zone which will be used
  105  to market the program for job creation in disadvantaged urban
  106  and rural enterprise zones. Each enterprise zone web page should
  107  include downloadable links to state forms and information, as
  108  well as local message boards that help businesses and residents
  109  receive information concerning zone boundaries, job openings,
  110  zone programs, and neighborhood improvement activities.
  111         (4) The department may expend up to $1 million $750,000
  112  each fiscal year from funds appropriated to the Rural Community
  113  Development Revolving Loan Fund for the purposes outlined in
  114  this section. The department may contract with Enterprise
  115  Florida, Inc., for the administration of the purposes specified
  116  in this section. Funds released to Enterprise Florida, Inc., for
  117  this purpose shall be released quarterly and shall be calculated
  118  based on the applications in process.
  119         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.