Week 3: Capital Corner with Carol Dover This week, our very own Richard Turner, General Counsel + VP of Government Relations joins President/CEO Carol Dover to provide an update on several pieces of legislation impacting the hospitality industry.

Week 2: Capital Corner with Carol Dover This week, the Partnership for Florida’s Tourism proudly celebrated Florida Tourism Day in Tallahassee. Hundreds of tourism and hospitality leaders from across the state spent the day educating the legislature, media and Floridians about the importance of our tourism industry. Watch the video.

Capital Corner with Carol Dover This week, lawmakers headed to Tallahassee to kick off the 2017 Legislative Session. Listen to the latest updates about potential impacts to our industry by tuning into FRLA President and CEO, Carol Dover on the very first edition of Capital Corner. This week, Ken Lawson, President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA joined the conversation. Watch the video.

Legislative Scorecard

Today marks the final day of the 2016 Legislative Session. To showcase how the hospitality industry fared this year, we crafted the 2016 FRLA Legislative Scorecard.

Click here to view.

Stay tuned, you will also soon receive our full and final Legislative report.

Business Damage Assessment Survey

Recently, the State Emergency Response Team through its Emergency Support Function-18, activated the Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center (FLVBEOC) to assist in assessing the impact severe weather events have had on local businesses. Affected businesses are asked to complete a “Business Damage Assessment Survey” which can be accessed here, then select “2016 February Severe Weather” event. The survey results will be shared with various state and local agencies to expedite implementation of appropriate disaster relief programs for affected businesses.

Tourist Development Tax

HB 7099, will allow the use of Tourist Development Tax revenue in Bay, Okaloosa and Walton counties, to reimburse expenses incurred providing public safety services, including emergency medical and law enforcement services. These revenues cannot be used to supplant the normal operating expenses of an emergency medical service, fire department, or law enforcement and must be approved by the board of county commissioners by a majority vote upon receipt of a recommendation from the tourist development council.

Business Rent Tax

The reduction of the business rent tax from 6% to 5% was removed from HB 7099, by the Senate Appropriations Committee. HB 7099 will still include the Back-To-School Sales Tax Holiday and the permanent elimination of the sales tax on machinery and manufacturing equipment. For more information please click here.

Alcohol Issues: Kegs

HB 1078 is a bill that will allow a distributor to implement an annual or semi-annual inventory and reconciliation process of kegs allowing the loss or variance to be paid by the vendor on a per-keg basis, requiring a food service establishment to meet at least 51% of its gross food and beverage revenue during the first 60 day operating period, prevents a municipality or county from requiring an additional license or tax for the privilege of selling alcoholic beverages in railroad stations and on passenger trains, and increases the number of temporary permits allowed for a charitable, or non-profit organization from 3 per year to 12 per year. Sponsored by Rep. Ray Wesley Rodrigues (R – Fort Myers) the bill was substituted for SB 698. SB 698, sponsored by Sen. Rob Bradley, (R – Orange Park), was read for the second time on the House floor.

Business Rent Tax

HB 7099 includes a reduction of the business rent tax from 6% to 5% in the upcoming fiscal year and from 5% to 4% the next year. Sponsored by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R – Shalimar), it is included in the $1 Billion Tax Cut package in the House. The Senate has not yet developed its tax package.

Tourist Development Tax

Three separate bills address the expanded use of TDT dollars. SB 1520, sponsored by Sen. Don Gaetz (R – Destin) and HB 1203 sponsored by Rep. Brad Drake (R – Marianna) will allow Walton, Okaloosa, and Bay Counties the ability to use up to 10% of TDT revenue to reimburse medical services and law enforcement.  Both bills still have remaining committee assignments with no committee meetings remaining on the calendar. HB 7099, sponsored by Rep. Matt Gaetz, (R – Shalimar) will require no less than 35% of tourist development tax funds to be used for promotions and allows coastal counties up to 10% of the revenues be used to provide emergency medical, or law enforcement services. The Senate has not yet developed its tax package addressing this issue.

Government Affairs

Bills We Are Tracking: Week Six

Tourist Development Tax
SB 1502 is a bill that would authorize Okaloosa, Bay and Walton Counties reimbursement, of up to 10%, of the tourist development tax revenue to provide public safety services, including emergency medical service and law enforcement services. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Don Gaetz (R – Destin) passed out of the Senate Community Affairs Committee on Tuesday.

Alcoholic Beverages: SRX Requirement Modification
HB 1433 is a bill that amends the local exception in Martin County, reducing the square foot requirement from 4,000 square feet to no less than 2,500 of overall floor capacity and to allow the sale of nonalcoholic beverages to be included with food from which the restaurant needs to derive at least 51% of its gross revenue. Sponsored by Rep. MaryLynn Magar (R – Hobe Sound), the bill was voted favorably in its final stop on Wednesday.

Alcoholic Beverages: Kegs
SB 698 is a bill that requires a distributor selling an alcoholic beverage in bulk to a vendor that uses a recyclable keg or other similar reusable container to charge the vendor a keg deposit, in an amount not less than the deposit that is charged to the distributor by the manufacturer. Sponsored by Sen. Rob Bradley, (R – Orange Park), the bill was temporarily postponed on the Senate floor.

Gaming
A Senate panel Wednesday approved a sweeping gambling deal with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, but the panel also voted 8-4 for a measure that would allow dog and horse tracks to add slot machines with the approval of local voters. Read more from the Associated Press.

For a full list of bills we are tracking statewide, please click here.

Bills We Are Tracking: Week Five

House Tax Package (Including Business Rent Tax/Tourist Development Tax Provisions)
HB 7099, sponsored by the House Finance & Tax Committee passed (96 Yeas + 17 Nays). Among several other tax cuts, HB 7099 would permanently reduce the business rent tax from 6% to 5%, beginning January 1, 2017, with an additional 1% point reduction (to 4%) in the calendar year 2018. HB 7099 would also require that a minimum of 35% of tourist development tax revenues would be used for promotion and advertising of tourism and allow up to 10% of remaining TDT revenues be used to fund additional emergency medical and law enforcement services in coastal counties. We urge all members to contact Senators on the Senate Appropriations Committee. Please click here for a sample letter.

Bills We Are Tracking: Week Four

Business Rent Tax
This week, the Finance & Tax Committee, chaired by Rep. Matt Gaetz, (R – Shalimar), unanimously passed FTC4 – Relating to Taxation. Among several other tax cuts, FTC4 would permanently reduce the business rent tax from 6% to 5%, beginning Jan. 1, 2017, with an additional one percentage point reduction (to 4%) in the calendar year 2018.

Tourist Development Tax
FTC4 would require that a minimum of 35% of tourist development tax revenues would be used for promotion and advertising of tourism. It would also allow up to 10% of remaining TDT revenues to be used to fund additional emergency medical and law enforcement services in coastal counties. Anyone that is negatively impacted by the 10% provision is encouraged to contact their local lawmakers. To identify your local legislators go here. We are currently drafting a sample template letter to help with this issue.

Vacation Rentals
HB 1287, sponsored by Rep. George Moraitis, (R – Fort Lauderdale) and Rep. Debbie Mayfield, (R – Vero Beach) would amends the required documentation and information that must be submitted to the division upon application for a vacation rental license and amends the types of licenses that the division may issue for vacation rentals. It was was temporarily postponed by the House Business & Professions Subcommittee. All five vacation rental bills, tracked by FRLA, have not gained traction this session.

Florida Tourism Day

This week, the Partnership for Florida’s Tourism proudly celebrated Florida Tourism Day in Tallahassee. Hundreds of tourism and hospitality leaders from across the state spent the day educating the legislature, media and Floridians about the importance of our tourism industry.

Click here to view the full photo album from the event.
Then, check out Florida Tourism Day media coverage on WCTV, WTXL and The Florida Channel (story begins at 25:45).