Florida Senate - 2013 CS for SB 442
By the Committee on Commerce and Tourism; and Senator Thompson
577-02203-13 2013442c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to relating to the Black Cultural
3 Tourism Enhancement Commission; creating the
4 commission within the Department of State; directing
5 the commission to independently exercise its powers
6 and duties; requiring the department to provide
7 administrative and staff support services to the
8 commission; providing the powers and duties of the
9 commission; providing for the appointment and terms of
10 commission members; providing for the reimbursement of
11 per diem and travel expenses for commission members;
12 authorizing the commission to establish or designate a
13 direct-support organization for specified purposes;
14 providing an effective date.
15
16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18 Section 1. Black Cultural Tourism Enhancement Commission.—
19 (1) There is created the Black Cultural Tourism Enhancement
20 Commission. The commission shall be administratively housed
21 within the Department of State but shall independently exercise
22 the powers and duties specified in this section. The department
23 staff shall provide administrative and staff support services to
24 the commission.
25 (2) The commission shall:
26 (a) Provide financial and technical assistance to
27 facilities and events that have the potential to expand tourism,
28 create jobs, and stimulate economic development in the state
29 through the marketing of the state’s black cultural sites.
30 (b) Provide training and technical assistance for staff
31 members of the state’s black cultural sites in order to develop
32 tour guides and tour operators for the sites.
33 (c) Provide resources and technical assistance for
34 educators of the state related to the teaching of black history,
35 promote the state’s black cultural sites as historical venues,
36 and support tourism in the state through student tours of the
37 sites.
38 (d) Serve as a resource for the Florida Tourism Industry
39 Marketing Corporation in order to expand cultural tourism in the
40 state.
41 (3)(a) The commission is composed of 13 members who are
42 appointed in the following manner:
43 1. Three members appointed by the Governor.
44 2. Two members appointed by the President of the Senate.
45 3. Two members appointed by the Speaker of the House of
46 Representatives.
47 4. Two members appointed by the Secretary of State.
48 5. Two members appointed by the Commissioner of Education.
49 6. Two members appointed by the Florida Conference of Black
50 State Legislators.
51 (b) A member of the commission shall be appointed for a
52 term of 4 years, except that at the time of the initial
53 appointment, two members appointed by the Governor, one member
54 appointed by the President of the Senate, one member appointed
55 by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one member
56 appointed by the Secretary of State, and one member appointed by
57 the Commissioner of Education shall be appointed for a term of 2
58 years. A member may be appointed to a subsequent term.
59 (4) Members of the commission shall serve without
60 compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem and
61 travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061, Florida Statutes.
62 (5) The commission may establish or designate a direct
63 support organization that may receive grants, bequests, and
64 other resources to support the state’s black cultural sites and
65 the functions of the commission.
66 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.