Title: Florida Working Families Tax Rebate Program

Summary: Creating the Florida Working Families Tax Rebate Program within the Department of Revenue for a certain purpose; granting specified people and households certain state funds if they received a tax credit under the federal Earned Income Tax Credit program and meet certain criteria; specifying the calculation of the rebate and procedures for disbursing funds, etc.

Full Text:
An act relating to the Florida Working Families Tax Rebate Program; creating the Florida Working Families Tax Rebate Program within the Department of Revenue for a certain purpose; granting specified people and households certain state funds if they received a tax credit under the federal Earned Income Tax Credit program and meet certain criteria; specifying the calculation of the rebate and procedures for disbursing funds; requiring the department to provide to the Governor, the Cabinet, and the Legislature a certain report by a specified date; authorizing the department to adopt emergency rules; providing an appropriation; providing applicability; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1.  Florida Working Families Tax Rebate Program.  (1)   The Florida Working Families Tax Rebate Program is created within the Department of Revenue to provide low-income working Floridians relief on sales taxes, fuel taxes, property taxes,or other taxes and fees paid in this state during the year,consistent with the goals of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit program.(2)   Each person or household who qualified and received a tax credit under the federal Earned Income Tax Credit program in a specific year may receive funds from the state if the person or household: (a)   Maintains a Florida residence on the person s or household s federal income tax return during the tax year in which the person or household is applying for the Florida Working Families Tax Rebate Program;(b)   Applies to the department, using a form developed by the department, no later than June of the year in which the federal earned income tax credit was received; and (c)   Provides the department with documentation verifying the receipt of and specific value of the federal earned income tax credit. (3)   Within days after receiving a completed application and verifying the information required under subsection (2), the department shall issue a check or remit funds using direct deposit to the person or household in an amount equal to percent of the amount of the federal earned income tax credit received by the person or household. (4)   The Department of Revenue shall prepare and submit a report by December 31, 2020, to the Governor and Cabinet, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Senate Minority Leader, and the House of Representatives Minority Leader which addresses the feasibility of creating and implementing an automatic Florida Working Families Tax Rebate program using data provided by the Internal Revenue Service or another federal agency so that a person or household may receive funds from the state without having to complete an annual application and provide documentation as set forth in subsection (2). (a)   If the department determines that an automatic program is not feasible, the report must identify specific barriers to the creation of such a program and provide proposed solutions to remove the barriers. (b)   If the department determines that an automatic program is feasible, the report must include a legislative proposal to implement the automatic program. Section 2.  (1)   The Department of Revenue is authorized, and all conditions are deemed to be met, to adopt emergency rules pursuant to s. 120.54(4), Florida Statutes, for the purpose of implementing the provisions of this act. (2)   Notwithstanding any other provision of law, emergency rules adopted pursuant to subsection (1) are effective for months after adoption and may be renewed during the pendency of procedures to adopt permanent rules addressing the subject of the emergency rules. Section 3.  For the 2020-2021 fiscal year, the sum of $510 million is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Revenue to implement this act. Section 4.  This act applies to federal earned income tax credits granted beginning on or after January 1, 2021. Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.