Florida Senate - 2015 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 292
Ì178142ÂÎ178142
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
02/03/2015 .
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The Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and
Domestic Security (Evers) recommended the following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Section 295.24, Florida Statutes, is created to
6 read:
7 295.24 Veterans Employment Small Business Grant Program.
8 The Veterans Employment Small Business Grant Program is created
9 within the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to be administered by
10 Florida Is For Veterans, Inc. The purpose of the program is to
11 stimulate investment in the state’s economy by providing grants
12 to small businesses that hire and employ honorably discharged
13 veterans or disabled veterans with a service-connected
14 disability.
15 (1) As used in this section, the term:
16 (a) “Corporation” means Florida Is For Veterans, Inc.
17 (b) “Small business” means an independently owned and
18 operated, for-profit, and privately held business that employs
19 200 or fewer persons; generates $2 million or less in annual
20 revenue; and has maintained its principal place of business in
21 this state for at least the previous 4 calendar years.
22 (2) The corporation may accept and administer moneys
23 appropriated to the corporation for providing grants to
24 encourage small businesses in this state to hire and employ
25 veterans.
26 (3) A small business that hires a veteran as an employee
27 may receive a one-time grant of:
28 (a) Three thousand dollars for each veteran, as defined in
29 s. 1.01(14).
30 (b) Five thousand dollars for each disabled veteran, as
31 described in s. 295.07(1)(a)1.
32 (c) One thousand dollars for each qualifying veteran whose
33 employment is continued beyond an initial 12-month period.
34 (4) The grants awarded to a given small business under
35 paragraphs (3)(a) and (b) may not exceed $25,000 per fiscal
36 year.
37 (5) A small business must apply to and enter into an
38 agreement with the corporation in order to participate in the
39 program. The agreement must require that the small business:
40 (a) Employ a qualifying veteran for at least 6 months in
41 order to become eligible for grants awarded under paragraphs
42 (3)(a) and (b).
43 (b) Upon the request of the corporation, report information
44 regarding the employment status of each qualifying veteran.
45 (c) Pay each qualifying veteran an amount equal to at least
46 80 percent of the annual median income for veterans in this
47 state based on the most recent federal census or the most recent
48 American Community Survey 5-year estimates published by the
49 United States Census Bureau.
50 (d) Reinvest any awarded grant moneys in the small business
51 to facilitate further job creation.
52 (e) Not receive an additional award for rehiring a veteran
53 previously claimed as an employee within the same small business
54 for purposes of obtaining funds under the program.
55 (6) The corporation may award a small business that uses
56 the services of a regional workforce board in hiring a veteran
57 an additional one-time grant of $1,000 for each qualifying
58 veteran.
59 (7) The corporation shall notify the regional small
60 business center serving the county in which a participating
61 small business is located of a small business’s participation in
62 the grant program in order to facilitate improved access to the
63 resources of the Florida Small Business Development Center
64 Network.
65 (8) The Department of Veterans’ Affairs may adopt rules to
66 implement and administer this section, including, but not
67 limited to, rules specifying requirements for the application
68 and approval process and the documentation necessary to claim
69 grant moneys awarded under this section.
70 Section 2. For the 2015-2016 fiscal year, the sum of $10
71 million in nonrecurring funds from the General Revenue Fund is
72 appropriated to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs for transfer
73 to Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., to implement and administer
74 this act. The corporation may award grant moneys up to a maximum
75 of $800,000 per fiscal year. The corporation may spend up to
76 $150,000 per fiscal year of funds transferred by the department
77 for staffing and administrative costs associated with
78 implementation and administration of the program. Upon
79 termination of the program, all remaining appropriated funds
80 shall revert to the General Revenue Fund.
81 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.
82
83 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
84 And the title is amended as follows:
85 Delete everything before the enacting clause
86 and insert:
87 A bill to be entitled
88 An act relating to small business financial
89 assistance; creating s. 295.24, F.S.; creating the
90 Veterans Employment Small Business Grant Program
91 within the Department of Veterans’ Affairs; directing
92 Florida Is For Veterans, Inc., to administer the
93 program; defining terms; authorizing the corporation
94 to accept and administer moneys appropriated for such
95 grants; specifying grant amounts; limiting the amount
96 that a small business may receive under the program;
97 requiring a small business to apply to and enter into
98 an agreement with the corporation to receive grants;
99 providing requirements for participation in the
100 program; providing that a small business may not
101 receive an additional award for rehiring a veteran
102 previously claimed as an employee for purposes of
103 obtaining funds under the program; authorizing the
104 corporation to award an additional grant to a small
105 business under specified circumstances; requiring the
106 corporation to notify the appropriate regional small
107 business center of a small business’s participation;
108 authorizing the department to adopt rules; providing
109 an appropriation; providing an effective date.