(1) The Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development is directed to identify communities suffering adverse impacts from the adoption of the constitutional amendment limiting the use of nets to harvest marine species.

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   (2)(a) Such communities having a population of fewer than 7,500 persons and such communities in rural and coastal counties with a county population of fewer than 25,000 may apply to the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development by August 15, 1996, for the designation of an area as an enterprise zone. The community must comply with the requirements of s. 290.0055, except that, for a community having a total population of 7,500 persons or more but fewer than 20,000 persons, the selected area may not exceed 5 square miles. Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 290.0065, limiting the total number of enterprise zones designated and the number of enterprise zones within a population category, the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development may designate an enterprise zone in eight of the identified communities. The governing body having jurisdiction over such area shall create an enterprise zone development agency pursuant to s. 290.0056 and submit a strategic plan pursuant to s. 290.0057. Enterprise zones designated pursuant to this section shall be effective January 1, 1997. Any enterprise zone designated under this paragraph having an effective date on or before January 1, 2005, shall continue to exist until December 31, 2005, but shall cease to exist on December 31, 2005. Any enterprise zone redesignated on or after January 1, 2006, must do so in accordance with the Florida Enterprise Zone Act.

   (b)() Notwithstanding any provisions of this section to the contrary, communities in coastal counties with a county population greater than 20,000, which can demonstrate that the community has historically been a fishing community and has therefore had a direct adverse impact from the adoption of the constitutional amendment limiting the use of nets, shall also be eligible to apply for designation of an area as an enterprise zone. The community must comply with the requirements of s. 290.0055, except s. 290.0055(3). Such communities shall apply to the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development by August 15, 1996. The office may designate one enterprise zone under this paragraph, which shall be effective January 1, 1997, and which shall be in addition to the eight zones authorized under paragraph (a). Any enterprise zone designated under this paragraph having an effective date on or before January 1, 2005, shall continue to exist until December 31, 2005, but shall cease to exist on that date. Any enterprise zone redesignated on or after January 1, 2006, must do so in accordance with the Florida Enterprise Zone Act. The governing body having jurisdiction over such area shall create an enterprise zone development agency pursuant to s. 290.0056 and submit a strategic plan pursuant to s. 290.0057.

   (3) For the purpose of nominating and designating areas pursuant to subsection (2), the requirements set out in s. 290.0058(2) shall not apply.

   (4) Notwithstanding the time limitations contained in chapters 212 and 220, a business eligible to receive tax credits under this section from January 1, 1997, to June 1, 1998, must submit an application for the tax credits by December 1, 1998. All other requirements of the enterprise zone program apply to such a business.

s. 6, ch. 95-414; s. 140, ch. 96-320; s. 3, ch. 98-220;