| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to the use of public moneys and property; |
| 3 | providing definitions; prohibiting the use of public funds |
| 4 | for certain purposes benefiting a professional sports |
| 5 | team; providing exceptions; amending s. 196.199, F.S.; |
| 6 | providing for the ad valorem taxation of property owned by |
| 7 | a governmental entity if the property is used by a private |
| 8 | entity for a nonexempt purpose; providing effective dates. |
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| 10 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 11 |
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| 12 | Section 1. (1) As used in this section, the term: |
| 13 | (a) "Governmental entity" means the state, a county, a |
| 14 | municipality, or an entity created by and acting on behalf of |
| 15 | the state, a county, or a municipality. |
| 16 | (b) "Professional sports team" means a professional sports |
| 17 | franchise that exists within the National League or the American |
| 18 | League of Major League Baseball, the National Basketball |
| 19 | Association, the National Football League, or the National |
| 20 | Hockey League. |
| 21 | (c) "Public funds" means any moneys held by a governmental |
| 22 | entity. |
| 23 | (2) Notwithstanding any other law and except as provided |
| 24 | in subsection (3), a governmental entity may not spend public |
| 25 | funds in aid of a professional sports team, to pay for a |
| 26 | facility used or intended to be used for such a team, or for a |
| 27 | sporting event of such a team unless the expenditure has been |
| 28 | approved by a majority vote of the registered electors residing |
| 29 | within the jurisdictional boundaries of the governmental entity. |
| 30 | (3) This section does not prohibit the expenditure of |
| 31 | funds to meet a legally binding obligation of a governmental |
| 32 | entity which was created before July 1, 2007, or to compensate |
| 33 | an employee of a governmental entity for an activity that is |
| 34 | within the scope of his or her employment which assists a |
| 35 | professional sports team in an incidental manner, such as |
| 36 | advising a professional sports team of applicable regulatory |
| 37 | requirements. |
| 38 | Section 2. Effective January 1, 2008, subsection (11) is |
| 39 | added to section 196.199, Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 40 | 196.199 Government property exemption.-- |
| 41 | (11) Property that is owned by a governmental entity and |
| 42 | is otherwise exempt or immune from taxation is taxable if the |
| 43 | property is used by a private entity in any manner other than |
| 44 | predominantly for a governmental, charitable, literary, |
| 45 | religious, scientific, or educational purpose. |
| 46 | Section 3. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this |
| 47 | act, this act shall take effect July 1, 2007. |