Florida Senate - 2015                      CS for CS for SB 1538
       
       
        
       By the Committees on Appropriations; and Communications, Energy,
       and Public Utilities; and Senator Simpson
       
       
       
       
       576-04500-15                                          20151538c2
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to a natural gas rebate program;
    3         amending s. 377.810, F.S.; authorizing the Department
    4         of Agriculture and Consumer Services to receive
    5         additional applications from certain applicants;
    6         authorizing any remaining unencumbered funds to be
    7         used by the department to award additional rebates;
    8         providing an effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Subsection (3) of section 377.810, Florida
   13  Statutes, is amended to read:
   14         377.810 Natural gas fuel fleet vehicle rebate program.—
   15         (3) NATURAL GAS FUEL FLEET VEHICLE REBATE.—The department
   16  shall award rebates for eligible costs as defined in this
   17  section. Forty percent of the annual allocation shall be
   18  reserved for governmental applicants, with the remaining funds
   19  allocated for commercial applicants. A rebate may not exceed 50
   20  percent of the eligible costs of a natural gas fuel fleet
   21  vehicle with a dedicated or bi-fuel natural gas fuel operating
   22  system placed into service on or after July 1, 2013. An
   23  applicant is eligible to receive a maximum rebate of $25,000 per
   24  vehicle up to a total of $250,000 per fiscal year. Between June
   25  1 and June 30 of each fiscal year, the department may receive
   26  additional applications from applicants that have met the
   27  program maximum of $250,000 per fiscal year. Those applicants
   28  may apply for additional funds for vehicles that have not
   29  received a rebate, a maximum rebate of $25,000 per vehicle up to
   30  a total of $250,000. Any unencumbered funds remaining after June
   31  30 of each fiscal year may be used by the department to award
   32  the additional rebates. Governmental applicants shall have
   33  preference and all remaining unencumbered funds may be used by
   34  commercial applicants. Rebates shall be allocated to eligible
   35  applicants on a first-come, first-served basis, determined by
   36  the date the application is received, until all appropriated
   37  funds for the fiscal year are expended or the program ends,
   38  whichever comes first. All natural gas fuel fleet vehicles
   39  eligible for the rebate must comply with applicable United
   40  States Environmental Protection Agency emission standards.
   41         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.