The Florida Space Caucus will be supporting the following bills in the 2010 Legislative Session and we appreciate your interest in Florida's space industry.

• Space Florida budget
  
  • Continue to fund Space Florida at the Governor's budget request level.
    
  • This is critical for ability tattract and interact with key aerospace businesses in Florida
    
  • Space Florida was funded with $31.1 million in 2010
    
    
• Space Business Incentives Act – This package of incentives is created to drive the aerospace industry to Florida.
  • Sponsored by Senator Altman and Representative Crisafulli
    
  • Specifically the bill creates a corporate income tax credit and a fully transferrable netoperating loss tax credit.
    
  • The bill requires the creation of 35 new jobs and $15 million in infrastructure investment tqualify for the twseparate incentives.
    
  • This bill takes good elements from SB1188 from 2010 which was sponsored by Senator Altman.
    
  • That bill passed twcommittees last year.
    
  • Supported by Associated Industries of Florida & The Florida Chamber
    
    
• Research & Development Tax Credit – This legislation would create a corporate tax credit for research and development work.
  
  • Sponsored by Senator Bogdanoff and Representative Workman
    
  • This incentive would significantly benefit the space industry.
    
  • 37 states already have this tax credit in place.
    
  • This bill was SB 1184 & HB 607 in 2010
    
  • Supported by Enterprise Florida, Florida Chamber, Associated Industries of Florida
    
    
• Aerospace Jobs Retention Tax Credit HB 143 - Creates a tax incentive for job creation in the aerospace sector. The bill alsprovides for a tax credit for tuition reimbursement in order tstimulate the creation of highwage jobs in the aerospace industry.
  
  • Sponsored by Senator Altman and Representative Workman
    
  • This legislation is modeled after a very successful Oklahoma model.
    
  • Sponsored in 2010 by Senator Altman as SB 2572 and passed twcommittees
    
  • Supported by Associated Industries of Florida and the Florida Chamber
    
    
• Spaceflight Informed Consent – Remove the 2018 Sunset provision currently in statute.
  • Sponsored by Senator Simmons and Representative Goodson
    
  • Virginia removed the Sunset provision in their law in 2010
    
  • Original bill passed intlaw in 2008 by then Senator Posey and Rep. Simmons

Supported Initiatives

The Florida Space Caucus supports the Aerospace Workforce Transition Program and will continue to push for funding to help ease the changeover of Brevard's employees from the aerospace industry to the new careers both within their field and those newly emerging.

In addition to the Aerospace Workforce Transition Program funding, the Florida Space Caucus will be supporting Office of Tourism and Economic Development financing for infrastructure improvements and access at the Life Sciences facility on NASA proper.