Legislative Updates & Contacts

Early each year, members of PMA visit Tallahassee to participate in Manufacturing Days at the Capital with other representatives from manufacturing associations across the state.  The Manufacturers Association of Florida hosts the event. MAF lobbies and monitors a wide variety of legislations that affects manufacturers.  During Manufacturing Days, we visit our legislative delegation to talk about issues affecting us in Polk County as well as issues facing manufacturers on the state level. 

MAF 2011 Advocacy Agenda
The MAF Preliminary 2011 Advoacy Agenda was introduced at the Manufacturing Days at the Capital. Issues include Targeted Occupations List, utilization of Banner Center products, Race to the Top Funds for Advanced Manufacturing Career Academies,  R&D tax credits, assistance with commercialization, port funding and expansion, maintaining and expanding manufacturing sales tax exemptions, holding down workers comp rates and unemployment taxes, incentivizing capital investment by manufacturers, promoting exports, and minimizing the impact of federal numeric nutrient criteria.
2010 Legislative Report. MAF monitored 193 bills during the Session and claimed victory on the following issues: 
• Secured $3.3 million in Quick Response Training funds for 2010-2011 
• Helped designed a package of sales tax reforms for manufacturers worth $43 million in the next two years, with an application start date of July 1, 2010; 
• Revised the definition of “productive output” for ease of qualifying for sales tax exemption; 
• Prevented mandatory reporting of recycling by private businesses; 
• Assisted in having the Legislature express intent on state role in numeric nutrient criteria rulemaking; 
• Supported funding and programs for Space Florida; 
• Helped defeat onerous contaminated site notification provisions; 
• Encouraged more rigorous student course work and quality teaching; 
• Secured reduced consumptive water use permit reporting; and 
• Helped obtain dedicated funding for the Enterprise Florida International Division. 
The entire report is posted below.. Also posted is a summary of the provisions of the Sales Tax Refund program for the purchase of machinery and equipment. This is a first come first serve program with a July 1, 2010 start up date and as of January 1 2011, still had funds available.