Oil Spill Recovery Act On Fast Track in Senate

Legislation which would provide economic incentives to job creators in Northwest Florida passed its first test in the Florida Senate today.

The Senate Community Affairs Committee today unanimously passed five oil spill recovery bills sponsored by Senator Don Gaetz.   Four of the bills are requests to Congress that any insurance or loss payments be exempt from federal taxation and requires BP to pay for extended unemployment benefits caused by the oil spill.

The fifth bill, the Oil Spill Recovery Act, provides:

• A pro ration or credit program for submerged land leases which were due during the declaration of emergency related to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
• The tolling and extension of permits in affected counties during a declared state of emergency.
• Directs the State Board of Trustees to evaluate the need for establishing or modifying multi-state compacts in order to provide a more coordinated response to oil spills.
• The Office of Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development flexibility over a three year period to waive certain requirements and use state economic development incentives for businesses that relocate from other states to the Florida counties affected by the oil spill (Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf and Franklin).
• Promotes economic diversification of the oil affected counties through a $10 million appropriation.  
• Allocates three fourths of fines or settlements from BP to the seven counties of coastal Northwest Florida.

“Northwest Florida was seriously and disproportionately affected not only by the spill but also by perceptions created by the spill,” said Gaetz (R-Niceville).  “Evidence provided to the Senate indicates that sales and bed tax receipts were down by 40 percent or more in parts of our area and down by nearly a third overall in the seven coastal counties of Northwest Florida.”

“Northwest Florida should receive the bulk of any BP fines or settlements collected by the federal government because Northwest Florida suffered the majority of the harm,” Gaetz added.

The Oil Spill Recovery Act and memorials to Congress next is referred to the Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Trade, Tourism and Economic Development.  Gaetz chairs that panel and has placed the bills on the committee’s agenda for the third week in January.

“Getting this bill enacted into law will be a heavy lift,” said Gaetz.  “We’ll need the support of the full Senate and our partners in the House of Representatives.”

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