The Florida Senate

403.7095  Solid waste management grant program.--

(1)  The department shall develop a competitive and innovative grant program for counties, municipalities, special districts, and nonprofit organizations that have legal responsibility for the provision of solid waste management services that:

(a)  Demonstrate technologies or processes that are not in common use in Florida, that represent a novel application of an existing technology or process, or that overcome obstacles to recycling and waste reduction in new or innovative ways;

(b)  Demonstrate innovative processes to collect and recycle or reduce materials targeted by the department and the recycling industry; or

(c)  Demonstrate effective solutions to solving solid waste problems resulting from waste tires, particularly in the areas of enforcement and abatement of illegal tire dumping and activities to promote market development of waste tire products.

Because the Legislature recognizes that input from the recycling industry is essential to the success of this grant program, the department shall cooperate with private sector entities to develop a process and define specific criteria for allowing their participation with grant recipients.

(2)  The department shall evaluate and prioritize the annual grant proposals and present the annual prioritized list of projects to be funded to the Governor and the Legislature as part of its annual budget request submitted pursuant to chapter 216, beginning with fiscal year 2003-2004. Potential grant recipients are encouraged to demonstrate local support for grant proposals by the commitment of cash or in-kind matching funds.

(3)  The department shall develop a consolidated grant program for small counties having populations fewer than 100,000, with grants to be distributed equally among eligible counties. Programs to be supported with the small-county consolidated grants include general solid waste management, litter prevention and control, and recycling and education programs.

(4)  The department shall develop a waste tire grant program making grants available to all counties. The department shall ensure that at least 25 percent of the funding available for waste tire grants is distributed equally to each county having a population fewer than 100,000. Of the remaining funds distributed to counties having a population of 100,000 or greater, the department shall distribute those funds on the basis of population.

(5)  From the funds made available pursuant to s. 403.709(5) for the grant program created by this section, the following distributions shall be made:

(a)  Up to 15 percent for the program described in subsection (1);

(b)  Up to 35 percent for the program described in subsection (3); and

(c)  Up to 50 percent for the program described in subsection (4).

(6)  The department may adopt rules necessary to administer this section, including, but not limited to, rules governing timeframes for submitting grant applications, criteria for prioritizing, matching criteria, maximum grant amounts, and allocation of appropriated funds based upon project and applicant size.

History.--s. 18, ch. 88-130; s. 21, ch. 93-207; s. 3, ch. 95-144; ss. 34, 35, ch. 97-153; s. 22, ch. 98-46; s. 17, ch. 98-258; s. 24, ch. 99-228; s. 57, ch. 2000-171; s. 38, ch. 2001-254; s. 8, ch. 2002-2; s. 8, ch. 2002-291; ss. 33, 34, ch. 2002-402; s. 11, ch. 2004-6.