Title: Membership Associations that Receive Public Funds

Summary: Requiring a membership association that receives a specified percentage of its budget from public funds to file an annual report with the Legislature; prohibiting a membership association from expending public funds on litigation against the state, etc.

Full Text:
An act relating to membership associations that receive public funds; creating s. 617.221, F.S.; defining the term  membership association ; requiring a membership association that receives a specified percentage of its budget from public funds to file an annual report with the Legislature; requiring that such a report provide specified information; prohibiting a membership association from expending public funds on litigation against the state; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Section 617.221, Florida Statutes, is created to read: 617.221 Membership associations that receive public funds; reporting requirements; restriction on use of funds.   (1)   As used in this section, the term  membership association  means a corporation not for profit, including a department or division of such corporation, whose membership includes a majority of elected or appointed public officers, as defined in s. 112.313(1), and which receives percent or more of its annual revenue from public funds, as defined in s. 215.85(3). The term does not include a labor organization as defined in s. 447.02. (2)   A membership association shall file a report with the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by January of each year. The report must include:(a)   The name and address of the membership association and any parent membership association or any state, national, or international membership associa tion affiliate.(b)   The names, titles, telephone numbers, and addresses of the principal officers and all representatives of the membership association. (c)   The fee required to become a member of the membership association, if any, and the annual dues that each member must pay. (d)   The latest annual financial statements of the membership association as described in s. 617.1605. (e)   A copy of the current constitution and bylaws of the membership association. (f)   The assets and liabilities of the membership association at the beginning and end of the preceding fiscal year. (g)   The salary, allowances, and other direct or indirect disbursements, including reimbursed expenses, to each officer and to each employee who, during the preceding fiscal year, received more than $10,000 total from the membership association and any other state, national, or international membership association affiliate. (h)   The annual dollar amount of the following benefit packages paid to each of the principal officers of the membership association: 1.   Health, major medical, vision, dental, and life insurance. 2.   Retirement plans. 3.   Automobile allowances. (i)   The amount of annual dues for each member sent from the membership association to each state, national, or international affiliate. (j)   The total amount of direct or indirect disbursements for lobbying activity at the federal, state, or local level incurred by the membership association, listed by the full name and address of each person who received a disbursement. (k)   The total amount of direct or indirect disbursements for litigation expenses incurred by the membership association, listed by case citation. (3)   A membership association may not expend moneys received from public funds on litigation against the state. Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.