MEMORANDUM: GOVERNOR CRIST'S BILL ACTIONS, JUNE 1, 2009
June 1, 2009
Contact:
GOVERNOR'S PRESS OFFICE
(850) 488-5394
MEMORANDUM
Governor Charlie Crist signed the following bill today, June 1, 2009:
SB 360 Growth Management
The Community Renewal Act was taken up as a means to stimulate Florida’s economy and create jobs for our people. The Community Renewal Act does the following:
1. The bill incentivizes entrepreneurs to undertake economic development projects in designated urban areas.
2. The bill directs a study of a mobility fee system to replace proportionate share payments paid by developers for transportation impacts.
3. The bill also allows economic development projects to stay “in the pipeline” by extending the validity of development permits for two years.
4. The bill makes changes to our affordable housing programs to ensure affordable homes are available for those in need, including young adults leaving the state foster care system.
5. Finally, the bill encourages green building and storm resistant construction.
Governor Crist also encouraged the Legislature to adopt a mobility fee system as a replacement to transportation concurrency during the next regular legislative session. We must remain committed to meeting our state’s transportation needs by investing in multi-modal options such as roads, transit and rail systems.
CS/CS/HB 453 Tax Credits for Contributions to Nonprofit Scholarship-funding Organizations
HB 453, renames the “Corporate Income Tax Credit Scholarship” the “Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program” and expands public school choice for parents and students. The bill expands the program to include insurance premium taxes as a contribution for funding Florida tax credit scholarships. A maximum of $118 million is available for low-income children to attend a school participating in the program. The legislation broadens the base of companies likely to participate and increases the likelihood that the maximum value of the tax credits will be used.
Background
The Corporate Income Tax Credit Scholarship Program (CITC Program), a Florida school choice program created in 2001, was established to encourage taxpayers to make private, voluntary contributions to nonprofit scholarship-funding organizations (SFOs) that award scholarships to children from low-income families. Through CITC, eligible children in grades K-12 are provided an opportunity to attend private schools that meet state requirements.
A corporation is allowed a corporate income tax credit of 100 percent of its contribution; however, the credit is up to 75 percent of taxes owed during the year of the contribution. Currently, the maximum amount of tax credits that may be granted per state fiscal year under the CITC Program is $118 million. When the program began in 2002, $50 million was the maximum amount of tax credits that could be granted each fiscal year.
Scholarship funding organizations (SFO) are responsible for the receipt and distribution of the program funds. The annual scholarship provided to a student enrolled in an eligible private school is $3,950, or $500 for a transportation scholarship awarded to a student enrolled in a developmental research (lab) school or a Florida public school that is located outside the district in which the student resides.
SB 30 Relief of Sheila and John Forehand by the City of Jacksonville
CS SB 46 Relief of Raul Otero by the South Broward Hospital District
CS/CS SB 168 Human Trafficking
CS SB 522 Relief of Vincent Merriweather by the Palm Beach County School Board
SB 524 Relief of Joseph Fatta, Jr., and Josephine Fatta by the Broward County Sheriff’s OfficeCS SB 538 Publicly Funded Retirement Programs
CS/CS SB 762 State University Tuition and Fees
CS/CS SB 810 Unemployment Compensation
CS SB 858 Drivers Licenses
CS/CS SB 1062 Unemployment CompensationAct
CS/CS HB 57 Law Enforcement Explorers
HB 109 Clinical, Counseling, and Psychotherapy ServicesCS HB 135 Public Records
CS HB 169 Equine Activities
HB 255 Pest Control HB 387 Medical Faculty Certificates HB 393 Viera Stewardship District, Brevard County HB 509 Veterans HB 687 Motor Vehicle Registration Applications HB 877 City of Jacksonville, Duval County HB 967 Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District, Palm Beach CountyCS HB 1059 Central Broward Water Control District, Broward County
CS HB 1213 Jacksonville Transportation Authority
CS HB 1433 City of Orlando Firefighter Pension Fund, Orange County
CS HB 1541 Pine Tree Water Control District, Palm Beach County
HB 7001 Review of the Department of Citrus and Florida Citrus Commission under the Florida Government Accountability ActThe following bill was vetoed today:
CS/CS SB 714 Condominiums
Please see the attached transmittal, signing and veto letters.
Additionally, the following bills were received today:
CS/CS/CS HB 29 Unlawful use of Utility Services
CS HB 123 Human Smuggling
HB 331 Public Health InitiativesCS/CS HB 339 Secondhand Dealers and Secondary Metals Recyclers
CS/CS HB 375 Reimbursement of Federal Excise Taxes on Motor Fuel
CS HB 597 Homelessness
CS/CS HB 675 Medicare Supplement Policies
HB 701 Notices of Proposed Property Taxes HB 713 Lake Asbury Municipal Service Benefit District, Clay County HB 743 South Indian River Water Control District, Palm Beach CountyCS HB 853 Surplus Lines Insurers
HB 1063 Lake Worth Drainage District, Palm Beach CountyCS HB 1065 Aircraft Safety
CS HB 1113 East County Water Control District, Lee and Hendry Counties
CS/CS/CS HB 1147 Spring Hill Fire Rescue and Emergency Medical Services District, Hernando County
CS/CS HB 1209 Nursing Programs
CS HB 1435 Lee County Sheriff’s Office
HB 7037 Review Under the Open Sunset Review Act regarding Identification and Location Information of Federal Attorneys and Judges
The Governor has until June 15, 2009, to act on these bills.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please call Governor Crist’s press office at (850) 488-5394.
House Transmittal Letter
Senate Transmittal Letter
SB 360
SB 714