Florida Senate - 2022 SB 1098
By Senator Brodeur
9-00833A-22 20221098__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to smart region zones; creating s.
3 288.93, F.S.; authorizing a group of four or more
4 contiguous counties to apply to Enterprise Florida,
5 Inc., to receive designation as a smart region zone;
6 providing requirements for such designation;
7 authorizing the designated smart region zone centers
8 of excellence and certain projects within a smart
9 region zone to apply to Enterprise Florida, Inc., for
10 funding; requiring Enterprise Florida, Inc., to give
11 consideration to specified factors when determining
12 funding amounts; requiring smart region zone centers
13 of excellence to submit quarterly reports containing
14 specified information to Enterprise Florida, Inc.;
15 requiring smart region zone centers of excellence to
16 submit project reports containing specified
17 information to the Governor, the Legislature, and
18 Enterprise Florida, Inc., after the completion of each
19 project in a smart region zone; requiring smart region
20 zone centers of excellence to submit annual reports
21 containing specified information to the Governor, the
22 Legislature, and Enterprise Florida, Inc.; providing
23 an effective date.
24
25 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
26
27 Section 1. Section 288.93, Florida Statutes, is created and
28 incorporated into part VIII of chapter 288, Florida Statutes, to
29 read:
30 288.93 Smart Region Zones.—
31 (1) A group of four or more contiguous counties may apply
32 to Enterprise Florida, Inc., to receive designation as a smart
33 region zone. To receive this designation, the counties must do
34 all of the following:
35 (a) Submit a map depicting the geographic area or areas to
36 be designated as a smart region zone.
37 (b) Create or designate a smart region zone center of
38 excellence with the purpose of improving knowledge transfer
39 across this state, tracking measurable impact, and serving as a
40 clearinghouse for smart region zone projects and pilot projects.
41 A regional governmental entity or a not-for-profit corporation
42 under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code which
43 specializes in smart region planning may be designated as the
44 center of excellence. The center of excellence shall:
45 1. Designate or partner with an open-source data exchange
46 wherein public, private, and nonprofit data sources may be
47 collected and used to drive better insights for policymakers,
48 promote transparency, and track the progress of projects; and
49 2. Develop practices and strategies to assist other
50 counties with creating smart region zones.
51 (c) Develop a smart region strategic plan with the center
52 of excellence and submit the plan to Enterprise Florida, Inc.
53 The plan must specify how the smart region zone will:
54 1. Advance activities and infrastructure associated with
55 the Internet of Things technology, transportation, public
56 safety, health, education, and related services within the zone;
57 2. Allow for technology innovators to test new products and
58 services in a supervised and flexible regulatory ecosystem; and
59 3. Accelerate start-up companies’ technologies for the
60 purpose of economic development, job creation, and innovation of
61 public sector processes. Such companies may be located anywhere
62 in the United States.
63 (2) The designated smart region zone center of excellence
64 and any projects within a smart region zone which are consistent
65 with the zone’s smart region strategic plan may apply to
66 Enterprise Florida, Inc., to receive funding appropriated by the
67 Legislature to Enterprise Florida, Inc., for such purpose. For
68 purposes of determining funding amounts for projects applying
69 under this subsection, Enterprise Florida, Inc., shall give
70 consideration to all of the following:
71 (a) Whether the project uses smart technologies to enhance
72 components of the smart zone region’s infrastructure.
73 (b) Whether the project serves pilot start-up technologies
74 in the smart zone region.
75 (c) Whether the project serves the strategic interests of
76 the state.
77 (d) The extent to which the project contributes to economic
78 activity in this state, including job creation, increased wages,
79 and increased revenues.
80 (e) The amount of investments or commitments made by the
81 owner or developer of the project.
82 (3)(a) Each smart region zone center of excellence shall
83 submit a quarterly report to Enterprise Florida, Inc. The report
84 must provide details on projects within the smart region zone
85 relating to infrastructure, open data exchange, and start-up
86 piloting.
87 (b) After each project is completed in a smart region zone,
88 the smart region zone center of excellence must submit a project
89 report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker
90 of the House of Representatives, and Enterprise Florida, Inc.
91 The report must demonstrate the project’s impact on the smart
92 region zone, how the project is meeting the goals of the smart
93 region zone strategic plan, and the current or projected return
94 on investment of the project.
95 (c) At the end of each fiscal year, each smart region zone
96 center of excellence shall submit an annual report to the
97 Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House
98 of Representatives, and Enterprise Florida, Inc. The report must
99 list all of the projects completed within the smart region zone
100 over the previous fiscal year, the impact and return on
101 investment of such projects, the extent to which the center of
102 excellence met the goals of the smart region zone strategic
103 plan, and the center of excellence’s priorities for the upcoming
104 fiscal year.
105 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.