HB 739 – Relating to Rural Communities

On Tuesday, March 26, HB 739 by Representative Mike Hill (R-Pensacola) was heard in the House Workforce Development and Tourism Subcommittee and was reported favorably with 12 yeas and 0 nays. AIF stood in support of this legislation.

Florida imposes an annual tax on premiums collected by insurance companies doing business in the state. This tax applies to life, health, property and casualty, title insurance, and most other types of policies at a rate of 1.75%. This bill creates s. 288.062, F.S., the “Florida Rural Jobs and Business Recovery Act,” which offers incentives in the form of tax credits against the state insurance premium tax. The Program prohibits more than $5 million in tax credits to be taken annually.

HB 739 will now move to the House Ways and Means Committee.

AIF supports this bill which updates and improves Florida’s Rural Economic Development programs which allows rural communities to get assistance for economic development projects designed to create jobs and improve our rural communities.

HB 73 – Relating to High School Graduation Requirements

On Tuesday, March 26, HB 73 by Representative Elizabeth Fetterhoff (R-DeLand) was heard in the House PreK-12 Quality Subcommittee and was reported favorably with 14 yeas and 0 nays. AIF’s Senior Vice President of State and Federal Affairs, Brewster Bevis, stood in support of this legislation.

Current law requires financial literacy to be taught as a part of a one-half credit economics course, which falls under the three required social studies credits a student must achieve to earn a standard high school diploma. The bill increases the number of social studies credits needed to earn a standard high school diploma to three and one-half credits to include one-half-credit in financial literacy as a separate course.

HB 73 will now move to the PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee.

AIF supports legislation that gives students tools to learn about relevant, and real life subjects that will prepare them for the workforce in the future.  

SB 596 – Relating to Regional Rural Development Grants

On Wednesday, March 27, SB 596 by Senator Ben Albritton (R-Bartow) was heard before the Senate Appropriations Committee and was reported favorably with 21 yeas and 0 nays. AIF stood in support of this legislation.

The bill makes changes to how the Regional Rural Development Grant program and the Rural Infrastructure Fund operate. Specifically, the bill amends the Regional Rural Development Grant Program to:

• Increase the maximum annual grant amount to $250,000 from $150,000 that three regional economic development organizations that serve the entire region of a rural area of opportunity may receive;
• Increase the amount of funds the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) may expend for the program to up to $1 million annually (from up to $750,000 annually);
• Reduce the required match the regional economic development organizations must contribute in non-state resources from 100 percent to 25 percent of the state’s contribution; and
• Allow the use of grant funds to build the professional capacity of regional economic development organizations. The bill amends the Rural Infrastructure Fund program to:
• Increase the grant awards to 50 percent of infrastructure project costs (up from 30 percent);
• Clarify that eligible infrastructure projects include access to broadband Internet service, and projects that improve service and access must be through a partnership that was publicly noticed and competitively bid; and
• Require the DEO to review the grant program application and award procedures by September 1, 2020.

SB 596 will now move to the Senate floor.

AIF supports efforts to increase economic development in Florida’s rural areas by increasing job growth.