CS/HB 663 Summary

• Expands the Economic Gardening Technical Assistance Pilot Program from a pilot into a statewide program administered by the Department of Economic Opportunity in contract with the Florida Economic Gardening Institute at the University of Central Florida.

• Revises business eligibility requirements, changing employee count limits from 10-99 to 10-50 persons and annual revenue limits from $1-50 million to $1-25 million in the preceding fiscal year.

• Adds new eligibility criteria requiring businesses to either generate 51% of revenue outside the state, be located in a rural community, or be classified within specified NAICS codes in manufacturing, wholesale trade, information, finance, professional services, management, and administrative support sectors.

• Requires participating businesses to enter into agreements establishing attendance at meetings, job creation reporting, and financial data submission to track program progress and business outcomes.

• Takes effect July 1, 2013, and conformingly amends the Economic Gardening Business Loan Pilot Program to reference the revised technical assistance program eligibility requirements.