Title: Minority Business Status for Disabled Persons

Summary: Revising the definition of the term "minority person" to include disabled persons for purposes of the Florida Small and Minority Business Assistance Act, etc.

Full Text:
An act relating to minority business status for disabled persons; amending s. 288.703, F.S.; revising the definition of the term  minority person  to include disabled persons for purposes of the Florida Small and Minority Business Assistance Act; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Paragraph (f) is added to subsection (4) of section 288.703, Florida Statutes, to read: 288.703 Definitions. As used in ss. 288.702-288.706, the term: (4) Minority person  means a lawful, permanent resident of Florida who is: (f) A disabled person. For purposes of this paragraph, the term  disabled  means having a severe physical or mental disability that: 1. Is a result of amputation, arthritis, autism, blindness, burn injury, cancer, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, deafness, head injury, heart disease, hemiplegia, hemophilia, respiratory or pulmonary dysfunction, mental retardation, mental illness, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, musculoskeletal disorder, neurological disorder, including stroke and epilepsy, paraplegia, quadriplegia, and other spinal cord injuries, sickle cell anemia, specific learning disabilities, or end stage renal disease; and 2. Substantially limits one or more of the person s major life activities. Another disability or combination of disabilities may be considered a severe physical or mental disability for purposes of this paragraph if the disability or combination of disabilities causes a comparable degree of substantial limitation similar to the list of disabilities provided in subparagraph 1. Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.