Bill Text: FL H0301 | 2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Seaport Employment Training Grant Program

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Failed) 2012-03-09 - Died in Business and Consumer Affairs Subcommittee [H0301 Detail]

Download: Florida-2012-H0301-Introduced.html

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HB 301

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to the Seaport Employment Training
3	Grant Program; reviving, reenacting, and amending s.
4	288.386, F.S.; requiring the Department of Economic
5	Opportunity under certain circumstances to establish
6	and administer the Florida-Caribbean Basin Trade
7	Initiative within the program; providing the purpose
8	of, and the department's responsibilities for, the
9	initiative; providing for coordination and alliances
10	with certain organizations and funding programs;
11	requiring the department to develop performance
12	measures for the initiative; providing an effective
13	date.
14
15	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
16
17	Section 1.  Notwithstanding the repeal of section 288.386,
18	Florida Statutes, by section 52 of chapter 2011-213, Laws of
19	Florida, section 288.386, Florida Statutes, is revived,
20	reenacted, and amended to read:
21	288.386  Florida-Caribbean Basin Trade Initiative.-
22	(1)  Contingent upon a specific appropriation, the
23	department shall, within the Seaport Employment Training Grant
24	Program, (STEP) shall establish and administer the Florida-
25	Caribbean Basin Trade Initiative for the purpose of assisting
26	small and medium-sized businesses to become involved in
27	international activities and helping them to identify markets
28	with product demand, identify strategic alliances in those
29	markets, and obtain the financing to effectuate trade
30	opportunities in the Caribbean Basin. The initiative must focus
31	assistance to businesses located in urban communities. The
32	initiative shall offer export readiness, assistance and referral
33	services, internships, seminars, workshops, conferences, and e-
34	commerce plus mentoring and matchmaking services, but shall
35	coordinate with and not duplicate those services provided by
36	Enterprise Florida, Inc.
37	(2)  To enhance initiative effectiveness and leverage
38	resources, the department STEP shall coordinate initiative
39	activities with Enterprise Florida, Inc., United States Export
40	Assistance Centers, the Florida Export Finance Corporation,
41	Florida Trade Data Center, Small Business Development Centers,
42	and any other organizations that the department STEP deems
43	appropriate. The coordination may encompass export assistance
44	and referral services, export financing, job-training programs,
45	educational programs, market research and development, market
46	promotion, trade missions, e-commerce, and mentoring and
47	matchmaking services relative to the expansion of trade between
48	this state Florida and the Caribbean Basin. The initiative shall
49	also form alliances with multilateral, international, and
50	domestic funding programs from this state Florida, the United
51	States, and the Caribbean Basin to coordinate systems and
52	programs for fundamental assistance in facilitating trade and
53	investment.
54	(3)  STEP shall administer the Florida-Caribbean Basin
55	Trade Initiative pursuant to a performance-based contract with
56	the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development. The
57	department Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development
58	shall develop performance measures, standards, and sanctions for
59	the initiative, which. Performance measures must include, but
60	are not limited to, the number of businesses assisted,; the
61	number of urban businesses assisted,; and the increase in value
62	of exports to the Caribbean which is attributable to the
63	initiative.
64	Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.