Bill Text: FL S1592 | 2020 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Florida Working Families Tax Rebate Program

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Failed) 2020-03-14 - Died in Commerce and Tourism [S1592 Detail]

Download: Florida-2020-S1592-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2020                                    SB 1592
       
       
        
       By Senator Rodriguez
       
       
       
       
       
       37-01836A-20                                          20201592__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Florida Working Families Tax
    3         Rebate Program; creating the Florida Working Families
    4         Tax Rebate Program within the Department of Revenue
    5         for a certain purpose; granting specified people and
    6         households certain state funds if they received a tax
    7         credit under the federal Earned Income Tax Credit
    8         program and meet certain criteria; specifying the
    9         calculation of the rebate and procedures for
   10         disbursing funds; requiring the department to provide
   11         to the Governor, the Cabinet, and the Legislature a
   12         certain report by a specified date; authorizing the
   13         department to adopt emergency rules; providing an
   14         appropriation; providing applicability; providing an
   15         effective date.
   16          
   17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   18  
   19         Section 1. Florida Working Families Tax Rebate Program.—
   20         (1) The Florida Working Families Tax Rebate Program is
   21  created within the Department of Revenue to provide low-income
   22  working Floridians relief on sales taxes, fuel taxes, property
   23  taxes, or other taxes and fees paid in this state during the
   24  year, consistent with the goals of the federal Earned Income Tax
   25  Credit program.
   26         (2) Each person or household who qualified and received a
   27  tax credit under the federal Earned Income Tax Credit program in
   28  a specific year may receive funds from the state if the person
   29  or household:
   30         (a) Maintains a Florida residence on the person’s or
   31  household’s federal income tax return during the tax year in
   32  which the person or household is applying for the Florida
   33  Working Families Tax Rebate Program;
   34         (b) Applies to the department, using a form developed by
   35  the department, no later than June 30 of the year in which the
   36  federal earned income tax credit was received; and
   37         (c) Provides the department with documentation verifying
   38  the receipt of and specific value of the federal earned income
   39  tax credit.
   40         (3) Within 30 days after receiving a completed application
   41  and verifying the information required under subsection (2), the
   42  department shall issue a check or remit funds using direct
   43  deposit to the person or household in an amount equal to 10
   44  percent of the amount of the federal earned income tax credit
   45  received by the person or household.
   46         (4) The Department of Revenue shall prepare and submit a
   47  report by December 31, 2020, to the Governor and Cabinet, the
   48  President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
   49  Representatives, the Senate Minority Leader, and the House of
   50  Representatives Minority Leader which addresses the feasibility
   51  of creating and implementing an automatic Florida Working
   52  Families Tax Rebate program using data provided by the Internal
   53  Revenue Service or another federal agency so that a person or
   54  household may receive funds from the state without having to
   55  complete an annual application and provide documentation as set
   56  forth in subsection (2).
   57         (a) If the department determines that an automatic program
   58  is not feasible, the report must identify specific barriers to
   59  the creation of such a program and provide proposed solutions to
   60  remove the barriers.
   61         (b) If the department determines that an automatic program
   62  is feasible, the report must include a legislative proposal to
   63  implement the automatic program.
   64         Section 2. (1) The Department of Revenue is authorized, and
   65  all conditions are deemed to be met, to adopt emergency rules
   66  pursuant to s. 120.54(4), Florida Statutes, for the purpose of
   67  implementing the provisions of this act.
   68         (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, emergency
   69  rules adopted pursuant to subsection (1) are effective for 6
   70  months after adoption and may be renewed during the pendency of
   71  procedures to adopt permanent rules addressing the subject of
   72  the emergency rules.
   73         Section 3. For the 2020-2021 fiscal year, the sum of $510
   74  million is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the
   75  Department of Revenue to implement this act.
   76         Section 4. This act applies to federal earned income tax
   77  credits granted beginning on or after January 1, 2021.
   78         Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.