HB 7139 Summary

• Creates section 166.30 of Florida Statutes establishing municipal capital recovery procedures for collection of delinquent abatement fines, administrative fines, property fines, and utility charges.

• Requires municipalities to issue procurement requests to consumer collection agencies when delinquent revenues reach $10 million (90+ days delinquent), $5 million (180+ days delinquent), or $1 million (270+ days delinquent) beginning October 1, 2015.

• Procurement requests must be issued within 30 days of meeting threshold criteria, require upfront cash payments from bidders, and may include contingency fee portions; municipalities are not required to enter into contracts with responding agencies.

• Municipalities must submit copies of all bids received to the Department of Financial Services for retention of at least 5 years, and delinquent revenues contracted to collection agencies are excluded from future threshold calculations.

• Amends section 218.39 to require municipalities to include a discussion of delinquent designated revenues and collection efforts in the management letter accompanying their annual financial audit reports; effective July 1, 2015.