CS/CS/CS/HB 13 - Community Redevelopment Agencies

• Requires counties and municipalities to petition the Legislature by resolution to create new community redevelopment agencies; prohibits creation of new agencies by special act only after October 1, 2017.

• Establishes mandatory ethics training for community redevelopment agency commissioners and requires agencies to use the same procurement procedures as their creating county or municipality.

• Creates comprehensive annual reporting requirements including financial audits, performance data on projects, property values, vacancy rates, and expenditures, with reports to be filed by March 31 and posted on agency websites by January 1, 2018.

• Requires the Department of Economic Opportunity to declare agencies inactive if they report no revenues, expenditures, or debt for 3 consecutive fiscal years; inactive agencies may only expend funds to service outstanding bond debt.

• Phases out existing community redevelopment agencies on October 1, 2017, unless the governing body approves continued existence by super majority vote; agencies terminate by September 30, 2037 or earlier expiration date unless bonds extend the timeline.