SB 178 – Relating to Florida Tourism Marketing

On Wednesday, April 17, 2019, SB 178 by Senator Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota) was read on the Senate floor and passed with a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays.

This bill removes the scheduled repeal date for the Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation, doing business as VISIT FLORIDA, and the scheduled repeal date for Division of Tourism Marketing within Enterprise Florida, Inc. VISIT FLORIDA is the name for the Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation, a non-profit corporation that serves as Florida’s statewide destination marketing organization, and represents the state’s tourism industry. Without the bill, the statutory authorizations for these entities would be repealed on October 1, 2019.

SB 178 is now in House messages.

AIF supports investment in building a world-class marketing engine with top talent, analytics, and funding that develops and executes data-driven branding strategies.

SB 596 – Relating to Regional Rural Development Grants

On Wednesday, April 17, SB 596 by Senator Ben Albritton (R-Bartow) was read on the Senate floor and passed with a vote of 38 yeas and 0 nays.

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 is now in House messages.

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

SB 770 – Relating to Workforce Education

On Thursday, April 18, SB 770 by Senator Travis Hutson (R-Palm Coast) was heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee and was reported favorably with 17 yeas and 0 nays. AIF’s Senior Vice President of State and Federal Affairs, Brewster Bevis, stood in support of this legislation.

This bill promotes career education and readiness opportunities for students in public schools by creating an alternative pathway, namely the career and technical education (CTE) graduation pathway option, for students to earn a standard high school diploma, and specifies related requirements. Specifically, the bill: 

• Requires students to successfully complete at least 18 credits to receive a standard high school diploma under the CTE graduation pathway option;
• Modifies the 24-credit pathway for earning a standard high school diploma by revising computer science credit substitution for mathematics or science credits;
• Revises the acceleration mechanism component for the school grade calculation for high schools by specifying that dual enrollment courses include career clock-hour dual enrollment courses;
• Creates the Florida Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant Program to enable high school and Florida College System institutions to offer applied learning opportunities for students in high-demand career pathways linked to occupations that will provide students with mid-level and high-level wages; 
• Requires district school boards to declare a “College and Career Decision Day” to recognize high school seniors and encourage them to prepare for college and pursue advanced career pathways. 
  
  

SB 770 will now move to the Senate floor.

AIF supports efforts to grow the talent pipeline to maintain the competitive edge Florida businesses have come to expect in the state.