Bill Text: FL S0612 | 2012 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Job Incentives
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2012-03-09 - Died in Commerce and Tourism [S0612 Detail]
Download: Florida-2012-S0612-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2012 SB 612 By Senator Ring 32-00419-12 2012612__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to job incentives; providing a short 3 title; specifying purpose; creating the Floridians 4 Back to Work Program within the Division of Workforce 5 Services of the Department of Economic Opportunity; 6 providing duties of the division; requiring the 7 division to adopt rules to implement the program and 8 administer funding; authorizing wage subsidies of 9 specified amounts for employers that hire job 10 applicants meeting certain conditions for specified 11 lengths of time; conditioning implementation of the 12 program upon an appropriation in the General 13 Appropriations Act; providing an effective date. 14 15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 16 17 Section 1. Floridians Back to Work Program.— 18 (1) This section may be cited as the “Floridians Back to 19 Work Program.” 20 (2) The purpose of the program is to offset the cost of 21 hiring new workers and to encourage employers to create long 22 term, private-sector employment for Floridians. 23 (3) To accomplish the purpose of this program, the 24 Floridians Back to Work Program is created within the Division 25 of Workforce Services of the Department of Economic Opportunity. 26 The division shall carry out its responsibility to achieve the 27 duties, responsibilities, and goals of the department to manage 28 the activities of public-private partnerships as provided in s. 29 20.60(4)(e), Florida Statutes, by promoting the establishment of 30 public-private partnerships with employers for the purpose of 31 transitioning residents of this state from receiving 32 unemployment compensation to becoming employed as members of the 33 workforce. 34 (4) The division, in consultation with Workforce Florida, 35 Inc., and its board, shall adopt rules that implement the 36 Floridians Back to Work Program and appropriately administer 37 federal and state workforce funding for implementation of the 38 program through the communication of program and fiscal 39 instructions to regional workforce boards throughout the state. 40 (5) The program shall authorize a participating employer to 41 receive a wage subsidy of up to $2,000 for the hiring of each 42 qualified job applicant. A participating employer must retain a 43 newly hired applicant for at least the following lengths of time 44 in order to receive a wage subsidy: 45 (a) Thirty days to receive a subsidy of $500. 46 (b) Sixty days to receive a subsidy of $1,000. 47 (c) Ninety days to receive a subsidy of $1,500. 48 (d) One hundred twenty days to receive a full subsidy of 49 $2,000. 50 51 An employer may not receive a wage subsidy calculated on a pro 52 rata basis in any amount other than as provided in paragraphs 53 (a)-(d). 54 (6) For purposes of the program, a “qualified job 55 applicant” means a person who: 56 (a) Is unemployed at the time of hire. 57 (b) Is currently receiving unemployment compensation or has 58 received unemployment compensation at any time within 12 months 59 before the time of hire. 60 (c) Is hired for at least 30 hours per week. 61 (d) Made less than $15 per hour at his or her last 62 employment before becoming unemployed. 63 (7) The implementation of the Floridians Back to Work 64 Program as created under this section is subject to an 65 appropriation in the General Appropriations Act. 66 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.