Bill Text: FL S0476 | 2023 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Florida First Production Partnership Pilot Program

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 4-1)

Status: (Failed) 2023-05-05 - Died in Commerce and Tourism [S0476 Detail]

Download: Florida-2023-S0476-Introduced.html
       Florida Senate - 2023                                     SB 476
       
       
        
       By Senator Gruters
       
       
       
       
       
       22-00546-23                                            2023476__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Florida First Production
    3         Partnership Pilot Program; creating the program within
    4         the Department of Economic Opportunity; providing a
    5         purpose for the program; defining terms; requiring
    6         that film, television, and digital media projects
    7         being produced in this state meet specified criteria
    8         to be eligible for rebates; authorizing applicants to
    9         receive rebates up to a specified amount; requiring a
   10         certified project to make a good faith effort to use
   11         existing providers of infrastructure or equipment in
   12         this state and to employ Florida residents; requiring
   13         the Commissioner of Film and Entertainment to set
   14         application windows; providing requirements for the
   15         department relating to earmarking and setting aside
   16         rebate funds; requiring applicants to either accept a
   17         partial rebate or reject the partial rebate and drop
   18         out of the program under certain circumstances;
   19         providing procedures and requirements for applicants;
   20         requiring the commissioner to take specified actions
   21         within a reasonable period of time; requiring the
   22         Florida Film and Entertainment Advisory Council to
   23         determine a score for each qualified project using
   24         specified criteria; requiring the commissioner to
   25         determine the priority order and scoring system of the
   26         specified criteria with assistance from the council
   27         and certain other persons; requiring the council to
   28         use specified criteria; requiring the commissioner to
   29         take specified actions in a timely manner relating to
   30         the certification or rejection of qualified projects;
   31         requiring the department to set aside the amount
   32         necessary to fund the rebates, if funds are available;
   33         requiring the commissioner to develop a process to
   34         verify the actual qualified expenditures and bonus
   35         eligibility of a certified project after the project’s
   36         work in this state is complete; providing requirements
   37         for the verification process; requiring that the
   38         rebate be issued within a reasonable period of time
   39         upon approval of the final rebate amount; requiring
   40         that certain marketing be included with a project;
   41         requiring certified projects to allow certain persons
   42         to visit the production site upon request of the
   43         commissioner and after providing the commissioner with
   44         reasonable notice; specifying that the commissioner or
   45         his or her affiliate is not required to visit the
   46         production site; requiring the department to
   47         disqualify a project under certain circumstances;
   48         providing for liability and imposing civil penalties
   49         for an applicant that submits fraudulent information;
   50         requiring the department to adopt rules; requiring the
   51         commissioner to provide an annual report to the
   52         Governor and the Legislature on a specified date;
   53         providing appropriations; providing that certain
   54         appropriated funds are not subject to reversion;
   55         providing for the expiration of the program; providing
   56         an effective date.
   57          
   58  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   59  
   60         Section 1. The Florida First Production Partnership Pilot
   61  Program.—
   62         (1) CREATION AND PURPOSE OF PROGRAM.—The Florida First
   63  Production Partnership Pilot Program is created within the
   64  Department of Economic Opportunity.
   65         (a)The purpose of the program is to boost this state’s
   66  economic prosperity by doing all of the following:
   67         1.Encouraging growth of production across this state by
   68  requiring the economic participation of local governments,
   69  businesses, or entities in production site areas.
   70         2.Using a scoring process to determine the best return on
   71  investment and economic benefit to the state to certify
   72  applicants.
   73         3.Creating high-paying jobs in an industry with an average
   74  salary at least 50 percent higher than the state average.
   75         4.Enhancing tourism by choosing projects that encourage
   76  tourists to visit this state.
   77         5.Broadening the film, television, and digital media
   78  industry’s impact on the state by offering a modest bonus for
   79  projects that take place in underutilized areas.
   80         6.Encouraging more family-friendly projects in this state.
   81         7.Requiring at least 60 percent of the employees hired for
   82  any project in this state to be Florida residents.
   83         (b)This purpose must be accomplished by providing a
   84  limited rebate to projects in areas where local governments,
   85  businesses, or entities are offering a local rebate, thereby
   86  providing the highest return on investment and economic benefit
   87  to the state.
   88         (c)To protect program funds, such rebate may not be issued
   89  until after a certified project has made all of its expenditures
   90  in this state and the expenditures have been verified through a
   91  compliance audit.
   92         (2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, unless the
   93  context otherwise requires, the term:
   94         (a) “Certified project” means a qualified project that has
   95  been scored by the council, has been determined by the
   96  commissioner to meet or exceed the desired economic impact and
   97  other criteria of the program, and has rebate funds allocated to
   98  it based on the project’s estimated qualified expenditures. The
   99  term does not include a project that may be considered obscene
  100  as defined in s. 847.001(12), Florida Statutes.
  101         (b) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Film and
  102  Entertainment as described in s. 288.1251(1)(b), Florida
  103  Statutes.
  104         (c)“Council” means the Florida Film and Entertainment
  105  Advisory Council created under s. 288.1252, Florida Statutes.
  106         (d) “Department” means the Department of Economic
  107  Opportunity.
  108         (e) “Digital media project” means a commercial video game,
  109  including an educational video game, which includes at least 30
  110  minutes of game play time.
  111         (f) “Family-friendly” means having cross-generational
  112  appeal; being appropriate in theme, content, and language for a
  113  broad family audience including children as young as 5 years of
  114  age; embodying a responsible resolution of issues; not
  115  containing any gratuitous act of drunkenness or violence, or any
  116  illicit drug use, sex, nudity, or vulgar or profane language;
  117  and not portraying the smoking of any substance in a positive
  118  light.
  119         (g) “Film project” means a theatrical, direct-to-video,
  120  television, cable, Internet, streaming service, or animated
  121  narrative motion picture at least 75 minutes in length.
  122         (h) “Florida resident” means a person who has a valid
  123  Florida driver license or a Florida identification card issued
  124  under s. 322.051, Florida Statutes, and has signed an affidavit
  125  confirming residency.
  126         (i)“Local rebate” means a cash or goods-and-services
  127  equivalent offered by a local government, entity, or business in
  128  a production area which has a value of no less than 1 percent of
  129  the actual state rebate earned.
  130         (j) “Office” means the Office of Film and Entertainment
  131  within the department.
  132         (k) “Principal photography” means, for a film project or
  133  television project, the filming of major or significant
  134  components of the project which involve lead actors, or, for a
  135  digital media project, the period of time during which the work
  136  of the majority of the crew is dedicated solely to the project.
  137         (l) “Production start date” means:
  138         1. For film and television projects, the start date of
  139  principal photography, as listed in the project’s application.
  140         2. For digital media projects, the start date of work on
  141  final storyboards or a later date as specified in the project’s
  142  application.
  143         (m) “Qualified expenditures” means:
  144         1.Expenditures made in this state and paid to Florida
  145  residents or to businesses registered in this state and made
  146  solely for preproduction, production, or postproduction of the
  147  qualified project, including the following:
  148         a. Rented or leased goods or services provided by a vendor
  149  or supplier in this state which is registered with the
  150  Department of State or the Department of Revenue; which has a
  151  physical address in this state other than a post office box; and
  152  which employs one or more Florida residents on a full-time
  153  basis. The term does not include rebilled goods or services
  154  provided by an in-state company from out-of-state vendors or
  155  suppliers. When services provided by the vendor or supplier
  156  include personal services or labor, only personal services or
  157  labor provided by Florida residents qualifies.
  158         b. Payments to Florida residents in the form of salary or
  159  wages up to a maximum of $200,000 per resident, including
  160  amounts paid per diem to a worker who is a Florida resident and
  161  amounts paid through payroll service companies, and benefits,
  162  such as pension, health, and welfare payments, for technical and
  163  production crews, directors, producers, and performers. For
  164  purposes of this sub-subparagraph, qualified expenditures do not
  165  include wages for executives, legal staff, or other corporate
  166  staff who are not employed to work solely on the project.
  167         c.Rented or leased cars, trucks, and trailers, if the
  168  vehicles or trailers are registered with the Florida Department
  169  of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
  170         d.Purchases of catered meals and on-set craft service
  171  supplies.
  172         e.Rented hotel rooms or other accommodations for cast or
  173  crew.
  174         2. The term does not include expenditures not expressly
  175  identified in subparagraph 1., expenditures made before
  176  qualification for the program, expenditures made via Internet
  177  transactions, expenditures for airfare, or any costs associated
  178  with development, marketing, or distribution.
  179         3.For the purposes of a digital media project, the term
  180  includes only those qualified expenditures made within 9 months
  181  after the project’s first qualified expenditure.
  182         (n) “Qualified project” means a film project, television
  183  project, or digital media project that meets the application
  184  requirements and for which a complete application for the
  185  program has been submitted to the commissioner and accepted for
  186  consideration by the office. The term does not include a weather
  187  or market program; a sporting event or a sporting event
  188  broadcast; a gala; an awards show; a production that solicits
  189  funds; a home shopping program; a political program; a gambling
  190  related project or production; a concert production; a news or
  191  current events show; a sports or sports recap show; a
  192  pornographic production; or any project or production deemed to
  193  have content that is obscene as defined in s. 847.001(12),
  194  Florida Statutes.
  195         (o) “Television project” means a television pilot program
  196  or a television series that:
  197         1. Is a scripted drama, comedy, animation, or reality show;
  198         2. Has a runtime to fit, at minimum, a 30-minute program
  199  slot, but no longer than required to fit a 60-minute program
  200  slot; and
  201         3. If the television project is a television series, has a
  202  minimum of 7 episodes, or, if the television project is a
  203  reality program or series, has a minimum of 10 episodes.
  204         (p) “Underutilized area” means any county in this state
  205  other than Broward County, Hillsborough County, Miami-Dade
  206  County, Orange County, Pinellas County, or Seminole County.
  207         (3) REBATE ELIGIBILITY.—
  208         (a) To be eligible for a rebate, an applicant must be
  209  registered to do business in this state and must be producing a
  210  project that:
  211         1. Received a local rebate;
  212         2.Has projected qualified expenditures of:
  213         a. For a film project, at least $1.5 million;
  214         b. For a television project, at least $500,000 per episode;
  215  or
  216         c. For a digital media project, at least $1.5 million;
  217         3. Is projected to employ a crew of which at least 60
  218  percent will be Florida residents, including cast and stand-ins,
  219  but not including extras, also known as background performers,
  220  and at least one military veteran who is a Florida resident;
  221         4. Is projected to spend at least 70 percent of its total
  222  production days in this state; and
  223         5. Will not receive a sales tax certificate of exemption
  224  pursuant to s. 288.1258, Florida Statutes, for the project.
  225         (b) A certified project may receive a rebate in the amount
  226  of up to 15 percent of its verified qualified expenditures.
  227  Additionally, one additional rebate of 5 percent bonus may be
  228  earned if either:
  229         1.Sixty percent of the project’s production in this state
  230  will take place in an underutilized area; or
  231         2.The project’s content is deemed family-friendly.
  232         (c)A certified project may not receive more than one
  233  bonus. The total that may be awarded under any rebate may not
  234  exceed 20 percent of its verified qualified expenditures or $2
  235  million, whichever is less.
  236         (d) A certified project must make a good faith effort to
  237  use existing providers of infrastructure or equipment in this
  238  state, when available, including providers of camera gear, grip
  239  and lighting equipment, vehicles, and postproduction services,
  240  and to employ cast and crew members who are Florida residents.
  241         (4)APPLICATION WINDOWS.—Applications must be accepted for
  242  the program during two application windows each fiscal year. The
  243  commissioner shall set a start date for both application
  244  windows. The first application window may begin before the start
  245  of the fiscal year and must end no later than 5 business days
  246  after July 1, and the second application window must end no
  247  later than 5 business days after December 1.
  248         (a) The department may not earmark or set aside more than
  249  60 percent of any appropriated or rolled-over rebate funds for
  250  any given fiscal year for certified projects submitted during
  251  the first application window of each fiscal year. Rebate funds
  252  not earmarked and set aside for certified projects during one
  253  application window roll over for use in the next application
  254  window.
  255         (b) If all rebate funds are earmarked and set aside for
  256  certified projects, additional applications may not be accepted
  257  until more funds become available for the program.
  258         (c)If, in any application period, only a partial amount of
  259  rebate funds is available to certify to a project compared to
  260  what it would be eligible for, the applicant must elect to
  261  either accept the partial rebate as the maximum certified rebate
  262  it would be eligible for or reject it and drop out of the
  263  program. In either case, the applicant must notify the
  264  commissioner in writing of its decision before the application
  265  period ends. If additional rebate funds become available after
  266  accepting a partial certification, the certified project is not
  267  eligible for additional certification of funds.
  268         (5) APPLICATION PROCESS.—
  269         (a) A company that plans to produce a film, television, or
  270  digital project in this state may submit an application to the
  271  commissioner during one of the two application windows. Each
  272  fiscal year, a project must have a production start date that is
  273  within 6 months after July 1 if applying in the first window or
  274  within 6 months after January 1 if applying in the second
  275  window.
  276         (b)An applicant or its parent company may submit an
  277  application for no more than five projects in any single fiscal
  278  year. However, only one project per applicant may be certified
  279  within a fiscal year, except when a television pilot and its
  280  subsequent television series are certified within the same
  281  fiscal year.
  282         (c) The application must include all of the following:
  283         1. Proof of funding.
  284         2. Project-related employment information, including
  285  employment numbers for Florida residents.
  286         3. A full line-item budget and a detailed qualified
  287  expenditures budget.
  288         4. A detailed distribution plan to assist with determining
  289  the potential economic impact of the project to this state.
  290         5. The applicant’s expected total qualified expenditures
  291  for wages paid to Florida residents.
  292         6. The applicant’s expected total qualified expenditures
  293  and nonqualified expenditures in this state.
  294         7. For a film project, the latest script, a production
  295  schedule, a Day Out of Days report, and a list of the expected
  296  shooting locations.
  297         8. For a digital media project, a detailed game design
  298  document, including a production schedule.
  299         9.For a television project that is a pilot, a final
  300  script, a production schedule, a Day Out of Days report, and a
  301  list of the expected shooting locations.
  302         10.For a television project that is a series, the latest
  303  scripts for at least two episodes and a production schedule, a
  304  Day Out of Days report, and a list of the expected shooting
  305  locations for the first episode.
  306         11. An affirmation signed by the applicant that the
  307  information on the application is correct.
  308         12.The expected local rebate.
  309         13. The applicant’s Florida tax identification number.
  310         (d)Within a reasonable period of time after the last
  311  business day of each application window, the commissioner shall
  312  do all of the following:
  313         1. Review all applications submitted during the application
  314  window and determine the eligibility of each applicant.
  315         2. Determine each applicant’s expected qualified
  316  expenditures and verify that the applicant’s local rebate is
  317  greater than 1 percent of the state rebate the applicant applied
  318  for.
  319         3. Determine the maximum rebate amount that each eligible
  320  applicant may be awarded.
  321         4. Determine whether a qualified project is family
  322  friendly.
  323         5. Determine the percentage of the applicant’s project, if
  324  any, which is proposed to occur in an underutilized area.
  325         6. Determine whether each eligible applicant is a
  326  corporation registered in this state.
  327         7. Contact each applicant with any questions, as necessary.
  328         8. Gather any additional information needed to address the
  329  criteria specified under subsection (6).
  330         9. Assemble a package containing the details of each
  331  eligible applicant’s project and deliver it to each council
  332  member.
  333         10. Give notice to the council of the date and time when
  334  the council must convene to assess each qualified project. The
  335  council may meet in person or by conference call.
  336         (e) The council shall determine a score for each qualified
  337  project using the criteria specified under subsection (6), with
  338  the highest scores going to projects determined to provide the
  339  best economic impact and return on investment to this state.
  340         (6) CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING PROJECT SCORES.—
  341         (a)The priority order and scoring system of the criteria
  342  specified in paragraph (b) must be determined by the
  343  commissioner, with assistance from the council and other
  344  persons, as determined by the commissioner, before the first
  345  application window.
  346         (b)The council shall use, at a minimum, the following
  347  criteria in determining a qualified project’s score:
  348         1. The amount of the project’s overall qualified
  349  expenditures.
  350         2.The amount of the local rebate received by the project,
  351  giving more weight to cash than to goods and services.
  352         3. The amount of the project’s Florida-resident wages.
  353         4. The number of full-time-equivalent jobs created by the
  354  project.
  355         5. Whether the project provides pension, health, and
  356  welfare benefits to its workforce in this state.
  357         6.The estimated direct and indirect tourism benefit of the
  358  project, based on the submitted distribution plan.
  359         7. The duration of Florida-resident employment for the
  360  project.
  361         8.What percentage of the project, if any, is being made in
  362  an underutilized area.
  363         9. Whether the project is family-friendly.
  364         10. Whether the project has a Florida-resident writer,
  365  producer, or star.
  366         11. Whether a Florida film, television, or digital media
  367  school will assist with the production of the project.
  368         12. Whether the project leadership team has a successful
  369  track record.
  370         13. The number of Florida-resident veterans the project
  371  will hire.
  372         14. The number of Florida film school graduates the project
  373  will hire as cast or crew.
  374         (7) NOTIFICATION OF DECISION.—
  375         (a) After the council determines a qualified project’s
  376  score, the commissioner shall, in a timely manner, do all of the
  377  following:
  378         1.Make a final determination on certifying or rejecting
  379  each qualified project, giving substantial consideration to the
  380  council’s scoring.
  381         2.Provide a list of certified projects to the department
  382  which includes the maximum rebate amounts that each certified
  383  project may receive, not to exceed the amount of rebate funds
  384  available.
  385         3. Notify each certified project of the specified
  386  percentage of qualified expenditures for which it is eligible
  387  and the maximum rebate amount that it may receive.
  388         4. Provide a notice of rejection to each rejected qualified
  389  project; however, the failure to notify a qualified project of
  390  its rejection does not deem the qualified project a certified
  391  project.
  392         (b) Based on the final determination of the commissioner,
  393  the department shall earmark and set aside the amount necessary
  394  to fund the total maximum that may be awarded for the certified
  395  projects, if funds are available.
  396         (8)VERIFICATION PROCESS.—
  397         (a) The commissioner shall develop a process to verify the
  398  actual qualified expenditures and rebate bonus eligibility of a
  399  certified project after the project’s work in this state is
  400  complete. The process must require all of the following:
  401         1.Submission to the commissioner of at least all of the
  402  following information, electronically or in hard copy, or both,
  403  by each certified project:
  404         a. Data substantiating each qualified expenditure which has
  405  been audited by an independent certified public accountant
  406  licensed in this state at the certified project’s cost, as
  407  required under subparagraph 4.
  408         b. Copies of documents verifying residency of persons
  409  represented as being Florida residents.
  410         c. The final script.
  411         d. The most recent production board and shooting schedule.
  412         e. The most recent credit list showing where the credits
  413  required under subsection (9) will appear.
  414         f.A cast list and a final crew list, including contact
  415  information for the cast and crew who are Florida residents.
  416         g.A verifiable breakdown of the local rebate.
  417         h. For any veterans employed by the project, a copy of at
  418  least one of the veterans’ DD Form 214, as issued by the United
  419  States Department of Defense, or another acceptable form of
  420  identification as specified by the United States Department of
  421  Veterans Affairs.
  422         i.Any other information determined necessary by the
  423  commissioner.
  424         2.Submission to the commissioner of an affidavit or
  425  written declaration, signed by the lead producer or studio
  426  executive in charge of the certified project under penalty of
  427  perjury as specified in s. 92.525, Florida Statutes, stating
  428  that all salaries, wages, and other compensation submitted as
  429  qualified expenditures are in compliance with this section.
  430         3.A compliance audit conducted at the certified project’s
  431  expense by an independent certified public accountant who is a
  432  resident of this state to substantiate the qualified
  433  expenditures, and submission of a report of the audit findings,
  434  including substantiating data, to the commissioner within a
  435  reasonable period of time after the initial receipt of records
  436  from the certified project.
  437  
  438  The information and affidavit or written declaration required by
  439  subparagraphs 1. and 2., respectively, must be received by the
  440  commissioner within 120 days after the certified project has
  441  made its last qualified expenditure but no later than 1 year
  442  after its production start date. Pursuant to the rules adopted
  443  by the department, the commissioner may, upon a showing of good
  444  cause, grant a one-time limited extension of this deadline.
  445         (b) The commissioner shall review the report and data
  446  required under paragraph (a) within a reasonable period of time
  447  after it is received and shall report to the department the
  448  final verified amount of actual qualified expenditures the
  449  certified project made and the amount of the rebate, including
  450  any bonus, due the project.
  451         (c)Upon approval by the department of the final rebate
  452  amount to each certified project, which may not exceed the
  453  maximum specified in the notice provided under subparagraph
  454  (7)(a)3., the rebate must be issued within a reasonable period
  455  of time.
  456         (9) MARKETING AND TOURISM REQUIREMENT.—
  457         (a) The commissioner shall ensure, as a condition of
  458  receiving a rebate under this section, that a certified project
  459  includes marketing promoting this state as a tourist destination
  460  or film and entertainment production destination. At a minimum,
  461  the marketing must include placement in the end credits of a
  462  “Filmed in Florida” or “Produced in Florida” logo, with size and
  463  placement commensurate to other logos included in the end
  464  credits, or, if no logos are used, the statement “Filmed in
  465  Florida” or “Produced in Florida” or a similar statement
  466  approved by the commissioner, and the logo of the local film
  467  office, if applicable. A digital media project must also supply
  468  a 5-second or longer animated logo with Produced in Florida” or
  469  other text, including the logo of the local digital media
  470  office, if applicable, as preapproved by the commissioner, in a
  471  highly visible high-traffic area easily seen by a consumer of
  472  the digital media project. The commissioner shall provide the
  473  logos for the purposes specified in this paragraph, other than
  474  the logo for a local office, which must be provided by the
  475  applicable office.
  476         (b) A certified project must allow the commissioner, or his
  477  or her affiliate, and a minimum of two guests to visit the
  478  production site upon the request of the commissioner. Upon
  479  receipt of a request for a visit, the certified project must
  480  give the commissioner reasonable notice of a visit date and time
  481  that is acceptable to the project. The commissioner or his or
  482  her affiliate is not required to make a visit to the set.
  483         (c)A certified project must provide at least five
  484  preapproved photos of the project to the commissioner and grant
  485  the commissioner free use of the photos in promoting this state
  486  as a film, television, or digital media production location or
  487  tourist destination.
  488         (10) DISQUALIFICATION.—The department must disqualify a
  489  certified project and may not issue a rebate to the project if
  490  the project:
  491         (a) Does not begin principal photography in this state
  492  within the period beginning 30 days before and ending 90 days
  493  after the project’s listed production start date. Pursuant to
  494  department rule, the commissioner may, upon a showing of good
  495  cause, grant a one-time extension of this deadline;
  496         (b) Does not abide by the policies, procedures, deadlines,
  497  or requirements of the application verification process;
  498         (c) Does not notify the commissioner of any change in the
  499  production start date before commencing production;
  500         (d) Submits fraudulent information; or
  501         (e)Uses the state sales tax exemption established under s.
  502  288.1258, Florida Statutes.
  503         (11) FRAUD.—An applicant that submits fraudulent
  504  information under this section is liable for reimbursement of
  505  the reasonable costs and fees associated with the review,
  506  processing, investigation, and prosecution of the fraudulent
  507  submission. A certified project that obtains a rebate under this
  508  section through a claim that is fraudulent must reimburse the
  509  program for the rebate awarded and reasonable costs and fees
  510  associated with the review, processing, investigation, and
  511  prosecution of the fraudulent claim and must pay a civil penalty
  512  in an amount equal to double the rebate amount and any criminal
  513  penalty assessed against the certified project.
  514         (12) RULES; POLICIES; PROCEDURES.—The department shall
  515  adopt rules and develop policies and procedures to implement and
  516  administer this section, including, but not limited to, rules
  517  specifying requirements for the application and approval process
  518  and the determination of qualified expenditures, marketing
  519  requirements, and the examination and auditing procedures
  520  required to administer this section.
  521         (13) ANNUAL REPORT.—Each November 1, the commissioner shall
  522  provide an annual report on the program for the previous fiscal
  523  year to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
  524  Speaker of the House of Representatives. The report must
  525  identify the return on investment associated with, and economic
  526  benefits to this state attributable to, the program.
  527         (14)APPROPRIATIONS.—
  528         (a)For the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the sum of $20 million
  529  in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the General Revenue
  530  Fund to the department for the purposes of funding the program.
  531         (b)For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the sum of $20 million
  532  in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the General Revenue
  533  Fund to the department for the purposes of funding the program.
  534         (c)For the 2025-2026 fiscal year, the sum of $20 million
  535  in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the General Revenue
  536  Fund to the department for the purposes of funding the program.
  537         (d)For the 2026-2027 fiscal year, the sum of $20 million
  538  in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the General Revenue
  539  Fund to the department for the purposes of funding the program.
  540         (15)FUNDS NOT SUBJECT TO REVERSION.—Notwithstanding s.
  541  216.301, Florida Statutes, funds appropriated for this purpose
  542  are not subject to reversion.
  543         (16) EXPIRATION.— The Florida First Production Partnership
  544  Pilot Program expires June 30, 2027, at which point all
  545  remaining appropriated funds not earmarked and set aside for
  546  certified projects revert to the General Revenue Fund. All
  547  remaining appropriated funds must revert to the General Revenue
  548  Fund no later than October 31, 2028.
  549         Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.

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