Bill Text: FL S1298 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Agreements with Professional Sports Teams

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2022-03-14 - Died in Community Affairs [S1298 Detail]

Download: Florida-2022-S1298-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2022                                    SB 1298
       
       
        
       By Senator Gruters
       
       
       
       
       
       23-01604-22                                           20221298__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to agreements with professional sports
    3         teams; creating s. 286.31, F.S.; defining the terms
    4         “professional sports team” and “sporting event”;
    5         prohibiting a governmental entity from entering into
    6         certain agreements with a professional sports team
    7         unless the agreement includes specified provisions;
    8         requiring a governmental entity that enters into such
    9         an agreement to strictly enforce such provisions;
   10         authorizing the Attorney General to intervene to
   11         enforce such provisions under certain circumstances;
   12         providing an effective date.
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Section 286.31, Florida Statutes, is created to
   17  read:
   18         286.31 Agreements with professional sports teams.—
   19         (1) DEFINITIONS.—
   20         (a) “Professional sports team” means:
   21         1. A team organized in this state that is a member of the
   22  National League or the American League of Major League Baseball,
   23  the National Basketball Association, the National Football
   24  League, the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, the
   25  American Hockey League, the East Coast Hockey League, the
   26  American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, the
   27  Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, Minor League Baseball,
   28  the National Basketball Association G League, the National
   29  Women’s Soccer League, the Major Arena Soccer League, the United
   30  Soccer League, or the Women’s National Basketball Association;
   31         2. A person hosting a motorsports racing event sanctioned
   32  by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR),
   33  IndyCar, or another nationally recognized motorsports racing
   34  association at a venue in this state with a permanent seating
   35  capacity of at least 75,000; or
   36         3. An organization hosting a Professional Golfers’
   37  Association event.
   38         (b) “Sporting event” means any preseason, regular season,
   39  or postseason game or event of a professional sports team.
   40         (2) PROVISIONS REQUIRED IN CERTAIN AGREEMENTS.—Beginning
   41  July 1, 2022, a governmental entity may not enter into an
   42  agreement with a professional sports team that requires a
   43  financial commitment by the state or a governmental entity
   44  unless the agreement includes:
   45         (a) A written verification that the professional sports
   46  team will play the United States national anthem at the
   47  beginning of each sporting event held at the team’s home venue
   48  or other facility controlled by the team for the event.
   49         (b) A provision providing that any failure to comply with
   50  the written verification required by paragraph (a):
   51         1. Constitutes a default of the agreement.
   52         2. Immediately subjects the team to any penalty the
   53  agreement authorizes for default, which may include requiring
   54  the team to repay any money paid to the team by the state or any
   55  governmental entity or classifying the team as ineligible to
   56  receive further money under the agreement.
   57         3. May subject the team to a prohibition on contracting
   58  with the state.
   59         (3) STRICT ADHERENCE TO DEFAULT PROVISION.—
   60         (a) A governmental entity that enters into an agreement
   61  with a professional sports team shall strictly enforce the
   62  provision required under paragraph (2)(b).
   63         (b) If a governmental entity fails to timely enforce the
   64  provision required under paragraph (2)(b), the Attorney General
   65  may intervene to enforce the provision.
   66         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.