Bill Text: FL S0358 | 2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Professional Sports Franchises
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Failed) 2013-05-03 - Died in Appropriations Subcommittee on Finance and Tax [S0358 Detail]
Download: Florida-2013-S0358-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2013 SB 358 By Senator Simmons 10-00293A-13 2013358__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to professional sports franchises; 3 amending s. 288.1162, F.S.; adding Major League Soccer 4 to the meaning of the term “league”; providing that a 5 previously certified applicant is not eligible for an 6 additional certification under certain circumstances; 7 requiring the Department of Economic Opportunity to 8 reserve two new facility certifications for new Major 9 League Soccer franchises; providing an effective date. 10 11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12 13 Section 1. Paragraphs (c) and (h) of subsection (4) and 14 subsection (6) of section 288.1162, Florida Statutes, are 15 amended to read: 16 288.1162 Professional sports franchises; duties.— 17 (4) Before certifying an applicant as a facility for a new 18 or retained professional sports franchise, the department must 19 determine that: 20 (c) The applicant has a verified copy of the approval from 21 the governing authority of the league in which the new 22 professional sports franchise exists authorizing the location of 23 the professional sports franchise in this state after April 1, 24 1987, or in the case of a retained professional sports 25 franchise, verified evidence that it has had a league-authorized 26 location in this state on or before December 31, 1976. As used 27 in this section, the term “league” means the National League or 28 the American League of Major League Baseball, the National 29 Basketball Association, the National Football League, Major 30 League Soccer, or the National Hockey League. 31 (h) An applicant previously certified under any provision 32 of this section who has received funding under such 33 certification is not eligible for an additional certification 34 for a franchise or facility that has already served as the basis 35 for a previous certification. 36 (6) The department shall notify the Department of Revenue 37 of any facility certified as a facility for a new or retained 38 professional sports franchise. The department shall certify no 39 more than 10eightfacilities as facilities for a new 40 professional sports franchise or as facilities for a retained 41 professional sports franchise, including in the total any 42 facilities certified by the former Department of Commerce before 43 July 1, 1996. The department shall reserve two facility 44 certifications for new professional sports franchises in Major 45 League Soccer. The department may make no more than one 46 certification for any facility. 47 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.