HB 499 2022
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hb0499-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to agreements with professional sports 2
teams; creating s. 286.31, F.S.; providing 3
definitions; prohibiting a governmental entity from 4
entering into certain agreements with a professional 5
sports team unless the agreement includes certain 6
provisions; requiring a governmental entity that 7
enters into such an agreement to strictly adhere to 8
certain provisions; providing that the attorney 9
general may intervene to enforce certain provisions in 10
certain circumstances; providing an effective date. 11
12
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 13
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Section 1. Section 286.31, Florida Statutes, is created to 15
read: 16
286.31 Agreements with prof essional sports teams. — 17
(1) DEFINITIONS.— 18
(a) "Professional sports team" means: 19
1. A team organized in this state that is a member of the 20
National League or the American League of Major League Baseball, 21
the National Basketball Association, the Nation al Football 22
League, the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, the 23
American Hockey League, the East Coast Hockey League, the 24
American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, the 25
HB 499 2022
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hb0499-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, Minor League Basebal l, 26
the National Basketball Association Development League, the 27
National Women's Soccer League, the Major Arena Soccer League, 28
the United Soccer League, or the Women's National Basketball 29
Association; 30
2. A person hosting a motorsports racing team event 31
sanctioned by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing 32
(NASCAR), INDYCAR, or another nationally recognized motorsports 33
racing association at a venue in this state with a permanent 34
seating capacity of at least 75,000; or 35
3. An organization hosting a Professional Golf Association 36
event. 37
(b) "Sporting event" means any preseason, regular season, 38
or postseason game of a professional sports team. 39
(2) PROVISIONS REQUIRED IN CERTAIN AGREEMENTS. —Beginning 40
July 1, 2022, a governmental entity may not ent er into an 41
agreement with a professional sports team that requires a 42
financial commitment by the state or a governmental entity 43
unless the agreement includes: 44
(a) A written verification that the professional sports 45
team will play the United States nation al anthem at the 46
beginning of each team sporting event held at the team's home 47
venue or other facility controlled by the team for the event. 48
(b) A provision providing that any failure to comply with 49
the written verification required by paragraph (a): 50
HB 499 2022
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0499-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
1. Constitutes a default of the agreement. 51
2. Immediately subjects the team to any penalty the 52
agreement authorizes for default, which may include requiring 53
the team to repay any money paid to the team by the state or any 54
governmental entity or classifying the team as ineligible to 55
receive further money under the agreement. 56
3. May subject the team to a prohibition on contracting 57
with the state. 58
(3) STRICT ADHERENCE TO DEFAULT PROVISION. — 59
(a) A governmental entity that enters into an agreeme nt 60
with a professional sports team shall strictly enforce the 61
provision required under subparagraph (2)(b). 62
(b) If a governmental entity fails to timely enforce the 63
provision required under subparagraph (2)(b), the attorney 64
general may intervene to enfor ce the provision. 65
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 66