Rep. Harrison and Sen. Abruzzo File Bill to Spur Economic Development

Contact:

Elizabeth Ray
FRLA Communications Director
850.224.2250 x255
[email protected]

(Tallahassee, FL) – The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) is proud to support House Bill 739 filed by Representative Shawn Harrison (R-Tampa) and Senate Bill 900 filed by Senator Joseph Abruzzo (D-Wellington) that will spur the growth of Florida’s hospitality and tourism industry. This legislation will spark private capital investment, revitalize our industry’s assets, create jobs and encourage significant long-term economic revitalization to the state. Despite representing the state’s #1 industry, hospitality and tourism has historically been excluded from harnessing Florida’s tax incentives. The bill will provide a balanced approach that allows restaurateurs and hoteliers to renovate their properties, thereby improving the surrounding communities and drawing more visitors in the process.

“Here in Florida, the hospitality and tourism industry represents 23% of the state’s economy and it is imperative we continue to spark development that will allow the industry to thrive. By incentivizing capital improvements for one of the state’s biggest revenue generators we can help continue to ensure families across Florida succeed and our tourism industry continues to thrive,” said Harrison.

“We want Florida to remain a world-class destination by giving restaurants and hotels greater opportunities to invest in their properties that employ more than one million Floridians,” said Abruzzo. “Many of these businesses, especially restaurants, are small ‘Mom and Pop’ family-run operations that don’t have the deep pockets or resources to improve or expand. Senate Bill 900 will help reduce some of the barriers these owners face, clearing the way for our small businesses and neighborhoods to flourish.”

“On behalf of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, we thank Representative Harrison and Senator Abruzzo for crafting a bill that will help keep the hospitality and tourism industry on pace for another record year. This legislation will help assure that Florida will continue to provide memorable experiences for the millions of visitors that expect outstanding accommodations and who in turn help boost the state’s economy by generating tax revenue,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association.

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About the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association
FRLA is Florida’s premier non-profit hospitality industry trade association. Our mission is to ‘Protect, Educate and Promote’ Florida’s $76.1 billion hospitality industry which represents 23% of Florida’s economy, $4.6 billion in sales tax revenue, and nearly 1.1 million employees – making it the state’s number one industry. We offer regulatory compliance and food safety training needs (RCS and SafeStaff®); industry developed career-building high school programs (FRLAEF); sponsor the only event in Florida exclusively serving the restaurant and foodservice industry (FR&L Show, October 6-8, 2015 in Orlando); and we safeguard the needs of the hospitality industry by providing legislative advocacy. We represent and serve more than 10,000 independent and household name members, suppliers, and theme parks. For more information, go to www.FRLA.org and find us on Twitter @FRLAnews, Facebook and YouTube.