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Legislative Updates, Alerts and Reports

Periodically throughout the year - especially during Florida Legislative Session - members receive important communications from the FAA regarding issues involving the tourism industry. Please remember that if you receive a LEGISLATIVE ALERT, timing is critical and minutes matter - read it and take immediate action on behalf of the FAA.

2024 Bill Tracker

Legislative Update is a summary of recent activity in the Florida State Legislature.

LEGISLATIVE ALERT is an immediate call to action on behalf of the tourism industry.

Legislative Report is information provided by Liberty Partners of Tallahassee on important industry issues.

Latest Updates, Alerts and Reports

  • January 09, 2024 9:00 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    We believe Tourism Development Taxes (Bed Taxes) must be preserved for their original statutory purpose – to promote tourism and develop visitor demand in the county where they are collected. These visitors also pay nearly a quarter of all sales tax collected in the state. Expansion of uses will reduce a destination’s ability to attract visitors to their county.

    We support Governor DeSantis’ proposed budget for VISIT FLORIDA of $110 million for 2024-25. VISIT FLORIDA continues to provide a strong ROI for Florida taxpayers as its 12,000 tourism industry partners create jobs and remains the foundation for Florida’s robust economy.

    We oppose government mandates requiring our members to accept cash payments. The safety, security, and simplicity of non-cash transactions is a foundational business decision established by business owners.  Nearly 40% of FAA member attractions are either partially or totally cashless.

    FAA members include a variety of zoos, aquariums and marine mammal facilities dedicated to the welfare of the animals in their attractions and to the research, conservation, and protection of wildlife. These facilities inspire millions of visitors each year through their education programs to help protect the natural wonders of our planet. We support our members in this commitment and oppose any legislation that would restrict the responsible stewardship of animals in human care.

    Florida is recognized around the world as a destination with bountiful water resources. The balance of our ecosystems is fragile and the state must act to protect and restore this precious resource to ensure the availability of potable water in our aquifers and in lakes, rivers, springs, swamps and beaches for recreational use. Blue-green algae bloom and red tide both create disruption of our state’s economy.  

    The FAA supports our members engaged in agritourism and Legislative efforts to protect their businesses from the interference of local governments.

    We support fully funding grant programs for historic, natural, and cultural resources including attraction and museum related appropriations. We also support the continued preservation of Florida’s historic, natural, and cultural artifacts and sites to protect our state’s heritage.


  • March 29, 2023 6:13 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    March 29, 2023


    Yesterday, the Florida House Regulatory Reform & Economic Development Subcommittee passed a Proposed Committee Bill that would, if implemented, defund VISIT FLORIDA and produce the implosion of our county’s TDCs.  


    This bill is not a new tourism marketing funding model as it was characterized to the subcommittee – this bill is an intentional, systematic scheme to dismantle our state’s tourism marketing infrastructure – both VISIT FLORIDA and your county’s TDC.


    Governor DeSantis and the Florida Senate have demonstrated their support of our state’s tourism industry and the continuation of our work to create jobs and generate tax revenues for the state while creating lifelong memories and contributing to the quality of life for Floridians and our state’s tourists. They have proposed funding VISIT FLORIDA with $100 million and $80 million respectively for the fiscal year 2023-24.


    This is week 4 of the 9 week Legislative Session so there’s still a lot of time for your voice to be heard. Moving the Florida House into a position of reason will require the voices of our industry and every Floridian who benefits from our state’s strong tourism base to be heard.


    Please thank Governor DeSantis and your Senator for their support of VISIT FLORIDA. Contact your Representative and share with them the impact of defunding VISIT FLORIDA and destroying your county’s tourism marketing organization will have on your business. Demand that they be accountable to their constituents and not to political forces in Tallahassee. 


    Thank you,


    Bill

    Bill Lupfer

    President & CEO

    Florida Attractions Association

    PS- If you’re in the district of a member of the Regulatory Reform & Economic Development Subcommittee, please refer to their vote on the Florida Tourism bill and communicate with them accordingly.


    PCB RRS 23-02 Florida Tourism by Regulatory Reform & Economic Development Subcommittee

    Voting in Favor of the Bill & Against Tourism Marketing


    Rep Tyler I. Sirois (Republican) Merritt Island Email  Twitter

    Rep Lauren Melo (Republican) Naples Email  Twitter

    Rep Carolina Amesty (Republican) Orlando Email  Twitter

    Rep Peggy Gossett-Seidman (Republican) Boca Raton Email  

    Rep Jeff Holcomb (Republican) Spring Hill Email

    Rep Randy'' Scott Maggard (Republican) Zephyrhills Email Twitter

    Rep Patt Maney (Republican) Ft. Walton Beach Email

    Rep Fiona McFarland (Republican) Sarasota Email Twitter

    Rep Will Robinson Jr. (Republican) Bradenton Email Twitter

    Rep Jason Shoaf (Republican) Live Oak Email Twitter

    Rep David Silvers (Democrat) West Palm Beach Email Twitter

    Rep 'Brad' Yeager (Republican) New Port Richey Email Twitter

    Voting Against the Bill & In Favor of Tourism Marketing


    Rep Joe Casello (Democrat) Boynton Beach Email  Twitter

    Rep Angie Nixon (Democrat) Jacksonville Email Twitter

    Rep Susan L. Valdes (Democrat) Tampa Email Twitter

  • March 27, 2023 10:30 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)
    FAA_alert-header.png

    Dear Florida Attraction Association Member,


    This is very important and will take a few minutes of your valuable time to absorb. 

    A bill was filed last Friday afternoon that would destroy the funding model for both VISIT FLORIDA and your county TDC and leave our state’s tourism industry in peril.


    My colleague, Robert Skrob of Destinations Florida (the association of our state’s county DMOs) has written a masterful summary of the bill which I am sharing with you below. But I do want to communicate three “asks” of you first -


    1. Share this within your tourism industry, county leadership and other Tourist Development Council stakeholders. 
    2.  Ask anyone concerned with this bill to contact members of the committee to ask them to Vote Against PCB RRS2. 
    3. Plan to be at the committee meeting at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, March 28th. Bring members of your industry negatively impacted by this proposal. If you are able to come to Tallahassee this Tuesday, March 28 and perhaps even speak to the Committee in opposition of this bill and share how VISIT FLORIDA and/or your county’s TDC/CVB benefits your business, please contact me Lupfer@FloridaAttractions.org or (850) 222-2885. We’ll make sure you’re properly prepared and equipped.


    Thank you for your immediate action.


    Bill

    Bill Lupfer

    President & CEO

    Florida Attractions Association

    This is the biggest attack on the tourism industry ever proposed. 


    The Regulatory Reform & Economic Development Subcommittee agenda for Tuesday, March 28th at 2:00 pm includes the following bill:


    PCB Bill by Regulatory Reform & Economic Development Subcommittee:


    Link to bill text.


    In summary, this bill:


    • Rural counties are required to pay 2% of Tourist Development Tax (TDT) collections and non-rural counties 5% of TDT to fund Visit Florida, approximately $70 million for 2023-26, then becomes voluntary via vote of governing body.
    • Requires all Tourist Development Tax levied to be reauthorized by referendum every 6-years exempting TDT collected to cover county bond obligations.
    • Eliminates proceeds from rental car surcharge to Visit Florida.
    • Prohibits any state appropriations to Visit Florida.
    • Requires Visit Florida to ensure that 75 percent of all expenditures go towards activities, services, functions and programs that directly assist state parks, state forests and rural counties.
    • Require VF to match monies from each county on a one-to-one basis while prohibiting any proceeds from TDT to be counted towards the match. Any co-op marketing or local DMO program participation cannot count. 
    • Expands the ability for counties to use TDT for tourism infrastructure for transportation, sanitary sewer, solid waste, drainage, potable water, and pedestrian facilities by removing the requirements to use at least 40% of TDT for marketing as well as removing the independent professional analysis demonstrating the positive impact to tourist-related businesses in the county.
    • Based on our calculations, the definition of rural counties within this bill includes: Baker, Bradford, Calhoun, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Okeechobee, Putnam, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Wakulla, Walton and Washington.


    Since this bill was published at 4:30 pm Friday, March 24, the following organizations have already joined us in opposing this bill:


    • Florida Association of Counties
    • Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association 
    • Florida Attractions Association 


    List committee members. Name/party/county delegations.


    Rep Tyler I. Sirois (Republican) Merritt Island Email  Twitter

    Rep Lauren Melo (Republican) Naples Email  Twitter

    Rep Joe Casello (Democrat) Boynton Beach Email  Twitter

    Rep Carolina Amesty (Republican) Orlando Email  Twitter

    Rep Peggy Gossett-Seidman (Republican) Boca Raton Email  

    Representative Jeff Holcomb (Republican) Spring Hill Email

    Rep Randy'' Scott Maggard (Republican) Zephyrhills Email Twitter

    Rep Patt Maney (Republican) Ft. Walton Beach Email

    Rep Fiona McFarland (Republican) Sarasota Email Twitter

    Rep Angie Nixon (Democrat) Jacksonville Email Twitter

    Rep Will Robinson Jr. (Republican) Bradenton Email Twitter

    Rep Jason Shoaf (Republican) Live Oak Email Twitter

    Rep David Silvers (Democrat) West Palm Beach Email Twitter

    Rep Susan L. Valdes (Democrat) Tampa Email Twitter

    Rep 'Brad' Yeager (Republican) New Port Richey Email Twitter


    Here are our first draft talking points after a first reading of the bill:  


    • A newly filed Proposed Committee Bill (PCB) from the House Regulatory Reform & Economic Development Subcommittee would severely harm Florida’s tourism industry by stripping away the state’s and local communities’ ability to effectively promote its tourist destinations.
    • Tourism is the lifeblood of Florida’s economy and was the key to vitalizing the free State of Florida’s economy following the pandemic bringing in a surplus of revenue to the state. 



    Hurting Tourism Promotion at the State and Local Levels


    • Florida has no state income tax and residents save $1,500 annually in taxes thanks to the local and state revenue generated by tourism promotion driven visitation. 
    • Visit Florida generates a return on investment of $3.27 in taxes for each dollar invested by the State of Florida. 
    • The new PCB would effectively destroy Visit Florida by reducing it to a shell of its current form, which has been highly successful.
    • New match requirements contained in this bill stipulate on a “by county” basis, which will make it impossible for Visit Florida to meet match requirements. 
    • Visit Florida would be limited in serving as the statewide brand as only 29 of Florida’s counties would be in the pool of counties eligible to receive the benefit of 75 percent of Visit Florida’s expenditures. This leaves very little for the remainder of Florida’s counties. 
    • Industry members in non-rural counties are not going to participate in Visit Florida if they cannot benefit from its programming.
    • More than 90 percent of all tourism businesses in the state would be served by less than 25 percent of Visit Florida’s budget - thousands of small businesses are negatively impacted by virtual of their location outside of a rural county. 
    • The state lodging industry agreed to levy the Tourist Development Taxes to fund local tourism promotion and this bill is a massive breach of that agreement. 
    • The bill also puts all entities that rely on Tourist Development Tax collections into jeopardy by mandating local referendums every six years.
    • This bill kills local tourism promotion by making retaining staff and vendors impossible. Who will take a job that could be sunset every six years?   


    Thank you for your efforts to oppose this terrible bill.

Strategic Partners


1114 N Gadsden Street
Tallahassee, FL 32303
(850) 222-2885
info@floridaattractions.org

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