Florida Senate - 2013                                     SB 442
       
       
       
       By Senator Thompson
       
       
       
       
       12-00378-13                                            2013442__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Black Cultural Tourism
    3         Enhancement Commission; creating the commission within
    4         the Department of State; directing the commission to
    5         independently exercise its powers and duties;
    6         requiring the department to provide administrative and
    7         staff support services to the commission; providing
    8         the powers and duties of the commission; providing for
    9         the appointment of commission members; providing for
   10         the reimbursement of per diem and travel expenses for
   11         commission members; authorizing the commission to
   12         establish or designate a direct-support organization
   13         for specified purposes; providing an effective date.
   14  
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Black Cultural Tourism Enhancement Commission.—
   18         (1) There is created the Black Cultural Tourism Enhancement
   19  Commission. The commission shall be administratively housed
   20  within the Department of State but shall independently exercise
   21  the powers and duties specified in this section. The department
   22  staff shall provide administrative and staff support services to
   23  the commission.
   24         (2) The commission shall:
   25         (a) Provide financial and technical assistance to
   26  facilities and events that have the potential to expand tourism,
   27  create jobs, and stimulate economic development in the state
   28  through the marketing of the state’s black cultural sites.
   29         (b) Provide training and technical assistance for staff
   30  members of the state’s black cultural sites in order to develop
   31  tour guides and tour operators for the sites.
   32         (c) Provide resources and technical assistance for
   33  educators of the state related to the teaching of black history,
   34  promote the state’s black cultural sites as historical venues,
   35  and support tourism in the state through student tours of the
   36  sites.
   37         (d) Serve as a resource for the Florida Tourism Industry
   38  Marketing Corporation in order to expand cultural tourism in the
   39  state.
   40         (3) The commission is composed of the following members:
   41         (a) Three members appointed by the Governor.
   42         (b) Two members appointed by the President of the Senate.
   43         (c) Two members appointed by the Speaker of the House of
   44  Representatives.
   45         (d) Two members appointed by the Secretary of State.
   46         (e) Two members appointed by the Commissioner of Education.
   47         (f) Two members appointed by the Florida Conference of
   48  Black State Legislators.
   49         (4) Members of the commission shall serve without
   50  compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem and
   51  travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061, Florida Statutes.
   52         (5) The commission may establish or designate a direct
   53  support organization that may receive grants, bequests, and
   54  other resources to support the state’s black cultural sites and
   55  the functions of the commission.
   56         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.