Bill Text: FL S1030 | 2015 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Community Creative Grant Program

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2015-05-01 - Died in Community Affairs [S1030 Detail]

Download: Florida-2015-S1030-Introduced.html
       Florida Senate - 2015                                    SB 1030
       
       
        
       By Senator Detert
       
       
       
       
       
       28-00894A-15                                          20151030__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Community Creative Grant
    3         Program; creating s. 288.066, F.S.; creating the
    4         Community Creative Grant Program within the Department
    5         of Economic Opportunity; providing a purpose; defining
    6         terms; requiring the department to administer moneys
    7         appropriated by the Legislature for specified grants
    8         to projects; requiring that projects be vital and
    9         necessary to local economic development efforts and
   10         that other state economic incentives be unavailable;
   11         requiring the department to establish an application
   12         cycle at the beginning of each state fiscal year;
   13         requiring local governments applying for project
   14         funding to submit grant applications during a
   15         specified period; requiring the department to
   16         determine the grant awards within a specified time
   17         frame; prohibiting a grant award for a project from
   18         exceeding a specified portion of the total moneys
   19         appropriated in a fiscal year by the Legislature;
   20         authorizing a local government to apply to the
   21         department for grants to attract, facilitate,
   22         undertake, or encourage a project; limiting a local
   23         government to only one grant per project in an
   24         application cycle; providing that a project receiving
   25         a grant in one application cycle may be awarded
   26         another grant in a subsequent application cycle;
   27         providing that a project may be awarded grant moneys
   28         under a specified provision for a maximum specified
   29         period; requiring the application by the local
   30         government for grant moneys to contain specified
   31         information; requiring a project proposed by a local
   32         government to meet certain qualifications to qualify
   33         for a grant; requiring the department to consider the
   34         specified needs of a local government for grant
   35         assistance when evaluating grant requests; requiring
   36         the department to rank each application received
   37         during the application cycle according to certain
   38         criteria; requiring the ranking system to include a
   39         procedure to reduce or eliminate any specified bias
   40         that puts small communities at a disadvantage in
   41         competing for funds; prohibiting grant moneys from
   42         being used for a business or sports team that is
   43         relocating from one community to another community in
   44         this state; prohibiting grant funds from being used by
   45         the receiving local government to fulfill requirements
   46         to match funds pursuant to other state or federal
   47         incentive programs; requiring a grant allocation to be
   48         executed in a contract between the department and the
   49         local government; requiring the contract to specify
   50         the terms and conditions of the agreement; providing
   51         that grant allocations that are revoked or voluntarily
   52         surrendered are immediately available for
   53         reallocation; requiring recipients of grant
   54         allocations to promptly report certain information to
   55         the department; requiring the governing body of a
   56         local government sponsoring a project that receives a
   57         grant to submit to the department a written report
   58         with specified information; requiring a specified
   59         annual report to include an analysis of the Community
   60         Creative Grant Program; requiring the Office of
   61         Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
   62         and the Office of Economic and Demographic Research to
   63         conduct studies to evaluate the effectiveness of and
   64         return on investment for the Community Creative Grant
   65         Program; requiring the offices to submit a report to
   66         the Legislature by a specified date; providing for
   67         repeal of this act; amending s. 20.60, F.S.;
   68         conforming a provision to a change made by the act;
   69         providing an effective date.
   70          
   71  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   72  
   73         Section 1. Section 288.066, Florida Statutes, is created to
   74  read:
   75         288.066 Community Creative Grant Program.—
   76         (1)The Community Creative Grant Program is created within
   77  the department. The purpose of the program is to encourage
   78  investment in the state’s economy by providing grants to
   79  projects.
   80         (2)As used in this section, the term:
   81         (a)“Governing body” means the council or legislative body
   82  that governs the county or municipality.
   83         (b)“Local government” means a county or municipality in
   84  this state.
   85         (c)“Project” means a proposal submitted to the department
   86  by a local government which accomplishes a purpose under
   87  subsection (6).
   88         (3)The department shall administer moneys appropriated by
   89  the Legislature for grants to projects proposed by the governing
   90  body of a local government. The projects must be vital and
   91  necessary to local economic development efforts, and other state
   92  economic incentives must be unavailable.
   93         (a)The department shall establish an application cycle at
   94  the beginning of each state fiscal year, during which local
   95  governments applying for project funding must submit a grant
   96  application. The department shall determine the grant awards
   97  within 60 days after the closing of the application cycle.
   98         (b)A grant award for a project may not exceed 10 percent
   99  of the total moneys appropriated in a fiscal year by the
  100  Legislature for grants under this section.
  101         (4) A local government may apply to the department for
  102  grants to attract, facilitate, undertake, or encourage a
  103  project. A local government may apply for only one grant per
  104  project in an application cycle, but a project that has received
  105  a grant in one application cycle may apply for and be awarded
  106  another grant in a subsequent application cycle. A project may
  107  be awarded grant moneys under this section for a maximum of 5
  108  consecutive state fiscal years.
  109         (5) The application by the local government for grant
  110  moneys must contain the following:
  111         (a)A resolution or ordinance adopted by the governing body
  112  specifying the project for which grant funds are sought.
  113         (b)A detailed description of how the project meets the
  114  intended goals of this program.
  115         (c)An attestation that the project is not eligible for
  116  other state-funded economic or community development incentives,
  117  and that other state-funded economic or community development
  118  incentives are not being sought or used for the project.
  119         (d)A detailed description of all financial support
  120  committed to the project, including identification of all public
  121  and private entities that have committed funds to the project,
  122  and the amounts committed.
  123         (e) The ways in which the local government’s approach to
  124  job creation, economic development, and community development
  125  will be enhanced by the grant.
  126         (f)The unemployment rate for the area in which the project
  127  is undertaken.
  128         (g) Any other information or documentation that would aid
  129  the department in its review and evaluation of the application.
  130         (6)To qualify for a grant, the project proposed by a local
  131  government must:
  132         (a)Be a new or innovative enterprise to the area.
  133         (b)Offer tangible community benefits, which may include an
  134  increase in the average wage, an increase in the employment
  135  rate, or an increase in the property tax base for the area.
  136         (c)Promote a sense of community, create new jobs,
  137  encourage businesses to hire more employees, or assist in the
  138  creation, execution, or management of a venture of great
  139  importance to the local community.
  140         (7)In addition to the requirements contained in this
  141  section, the department shall review, evaluate, and rank all
  142  timely grant requests using the following evaluation criteria,
  143  with priority given in descending order:
  144         (a) The number of new or additional jobs created.
  145         (b) The unemployment rate in the project area, with
  146  priority given to locations with higher rates of unemployment.
  147         (c) The extent to which multiple local governments in an
  148  area commit financial resources to the project. Projects that
  149  are financially supported by multiple local governments shall
  150  receive higher priority.
  151         (d)The amount of funds provided by the private entities
  152  and local governments supporting the application, with priority
  153  given to projects with higher rates of local funding.
  154         (e) The permanency of any structures or outcomes from the
  155  project.
  156         (8) In the evaluation of grant requests, the department
  157  shall consider the need for grant assistance relating to the
  158  local government’s general fund balance, as well as local
  159  incentive programs that are already in existence.
  160         (9) The department shall rank each application received
  161  from local governments during the application cycle according to
  162  criteria established under subsection (7). The ranking system
  163  must include a procedure to reduce or eliminate any population
  164  related bias that puts small communities at a disadvantage in
  165  the competition for grants.
  166         (10) Grant moneys under this section may not be used for a
  167  business or sports team that relocates from one community to
  168  another community in this state. Grant funds under this section
  169  may not be used by the receiving local government to fulfill
  170  requirements to match funds pursuant to other state or federal
  171  incentive programs.
  172         (11) A grant award must be executed in a contract between
  173  the department and the local government. The contract must
  174  specify the terms and conditions of the agreement, including the
  175  timeframes within which the grant award will be disbursed.
  176         (a) Grant awards that are revoked or voluntarily
  177  surrendered are immediately available for reallocation.
  178         (b) Recipients of grant awards must promptly report to the
  179  department the dates on which the relevant project permitting
  180  and approval process is completed and the dates on which all
  181  funds committed by public and private supporters are received.
  182         (12)(a)Before October 1 of each year, the governing body
  183  of a local government which sponsors a project that receives a
  184  grant shall submit to the department, for inclusion in the
  185  annual report required under s. 20.60, a complete and detailed
  186  written report that provides all of the following:
  187         1.A description of the economic impact of projects that
  188  received grant funds.
  189         2.The number of jobs created.
  190         3.A description of the capital investment spurred by the
  191  grant.
  192         4.Any other information required by the department.
  193         (b)In addition, the annual report required under s. 20.60
  194  must include an analysis of the activities and accomplishments
  195  of the Community Creative Grant Program including the usage and
  196  revenue impact of state and local incentives granted to projects
  197  receiving grant funds during the calendar year.
  198         (13) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government
  199  Accountability shall conduct a study to evaluate the
  200  effectiveness of the Community Creative Grant Program. The
  201  Office of Economic and Demographic Research shall conduct a
  202  study to evaluate the return on investment for the Community
  203  Creative Grant Program. The offices shall each submit a report
  204  to the Legislature by January 15, 2019.
  205         (14)This section is repealed June 30, 2020.
  206         Section 2. Paragraph (b) of subsection (10) of section
  207  20.60, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  208         20.60 Department of Economic Opportunity; creation; powers
  209  and duties.—
  210         (10) The department, with assistance from Enterprise
  211  Florida, Inc., shall, by November 1 of each year, submit an
  212  annual report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and
  213  the Speaker of the House of Representatives on the condition of
  214  the business climate and economic development in the state.
  215         (b) The report must incorporate annual reports of other
  216  programs, including:
  217         1. The displaced homemaker program established under s.
  218  446.50.
  219         2. Information provided by the Department of Revenue under
  220  s. 290.014.
  221         3. Information provided by enterprise zone development
  222  agencies under s. 290.0056 and an analysis of the activities and
  223  accomplishments of each enterprise zone.
  224         4. The Economic Gardening Business Loan Pilot Program
  225  established under s. 288.1081 and the Economic Gardening
  226  Technical Assistance Pilot Program established under s.
  227  288.1082.
  228         5. A detailed report of the performance of the Black
  229  Business Loan Program and a cumulative summary of quarterly
  230  report data required under s. 288.714.
  231         6. The Rural Economic Development Initiative established
  232  under s. 288.0656.
  233         7. The Community Creative Grant Program established under
  234  s. 288.066.
  235         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.

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