(1) This section may be cited as the “Florida Green Government Grants Act.”
(2) The department shall use funds specifically appropriated to award grants under this section to assist local governments, including municipalities, counties, and school districts, in the development and implementation of programs that achieve green standards. Green standards shall be determined by the department and shall provide for cost-efficient solutions, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving quality of life, and strengthening the state’s economy.
(3) The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 120 to administer the grants provided for in this section. In accordance with the rules adopted by the department under this section, the department may provide grants from funds specifically appropriated for this purpose to local governments for the costs of achieving green standards, including necessary administrative expenses. The rules of the department shall:(a) Designate one or more suitable green government standards frameworks from which local governments may develop a greening government initiative and from which projects may be eligible for funding pursuant to this section.
(b) Require that projects that plan, design, construct, upgrade, or replace facilities reduce greenhouse gas emissions and be cost-effective, environmentally sound, permittable, and implementable.
(c) Require local governments to match state funds with direct project cost sharing or in-kind services.
(d) Provide for a scale of matching requirements for local governments on the basis of population in order to assist rural and undeveloped areas of the state with any financial burden of addressing climate change impacts.
(e) Require grant applications to be submitted on appropriate forms developed and adopted by the department with appropriate supporting documentation and require records to be maintained.
(f) Establish a system to determine the relative priority of grant applications. The system shall consider greenhouse gas reductions, energy savings and efficiencies, and proven technologies.
(g) Establish requirements for competitive procurement of engineering and construction services, materials, and equipment.
(h) Provide for termination of grants when program requirements are not met.
(4) Each local government is limited to not more than two grant applications during each application period announced by the department. However, a local government may not have more than three active projects expending grant funds during any state fiscal year.
(5) The department shall perform an adequate overview of each grant, which may include technical review, site inspections, disbursement approvals, and auditing to successfully implement this section.
