Senate Bill sb2284

    Florida Senate - 2005                                  SB 2284

    By Senator Bennett





    21-1614-05

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to Small Cities Community

  3         Development Block Grants; amending s. 290.0411,

  4         F.S.; stating legislative intent regarding the

  5         Small Cities Community Development Block Grant

  6         Program; amending s. 290.044, F.S.; removing

  7         requirement that the Department of Community

  8         Affairs provide recommendations to the

  9         Legislature as to distribution of federal funds

10         relating to Small Cities Community Development

11         Block Grant Program Fund; authorizing the

12         department to set aside federal funds for a

13         local government for disaster relief; removing

14         provisions limiting a set-aside to certain

15         federal funds; providing an effective date.

16  

17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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19         Section 1.  Section 290.0411, Florida Statutes, is

20  amended to read:

21         290.0411  Legislative intent and purpose of ss.

22  290.0401-290.049.--It is The intent of the Legislature intends

23  to provide the necessary means to develop, preserve,

24  redevelop, and revitalize Florida communities exhibiting signs

25  of decline or distress by enabling local governments to

26  undertake the necessary community development programs.  The

27  overall objective is to create viable communities by

28  eliminating slums and blight; fortifying communities in urgent

29  need; and by providing decent housing and suitable living

30  environments and expanding economic opportunities, principally

31  for persons of low or moderate income.  The purpose of ss.

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                  SB 2284
    21-1614-05




 1  290.0401-290.049 is to assist local governments in carrying

 2  out effective community development and project planning

 3  activities to arrest and reverse community decline and restore

 4  community vitality. Community development activities to

 5  maintain viable communities, revitalize existing communities,

 6  expand economic development and employment opportunities, and

 7  improve housing conditions and expand housing opportunities,

 8  providing direct benefit to persons of low or moderate income,

 9  are the primary purposes of ss. 290.0401-290.049. The

10  Legislature, therefore, declares that the development,

11  redevelopment, preservation, and revitalization of communities

12  in this state and all the purposes of ss. 290.0401-290.049 are

13  public purposes for which public money may be borrowed,

14  expended, loaned, pledged to guarantee loans, and granted.

15         Section 2.  Subsection (4) of section 290.044, Florida

16  Statutes, is amended to read:

17         290.044  Florida Small Cities Community Development

18  Block Grant Program Fund; administration; distribution.--

19         (4)  The percentage of funds distributed in each of the

20  grant program categories from federal funds for federal fiscal

21  year 1985 shall be established by the Legislature in the

22  appropriation process for the 1984 regular session and shall

23  be established annually thereafter in the same manner.  The

24  department shall submit its recommendation on the distribution

25  percentages to the Governor and Legislature as part of its

26  regular budget proposals. The department may set aside shall

27  provide for the set-aside of an amount of up to 5 10 percent

28  of the federal funds for each fiscal year allocated to the

29  neighborhood revitalization category in its distribution

30  percentages for use in any eligible local government

31  jurisdiction for which an emergency or natural disaster has

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                  SB 2284
    21-1614-05




 1  been declared by executive order.  Such funds may only be

 2  provided only to a local government to fund eligible

 3  emergency-related activities for which no other source of

 4  federal, state, or local disaster funds is available.  The

 5  department shall provide for such set-aside by rule.  In the

 6  last quarter of the state fiscal year, any funds not allocated

 7  under the emergency-related set-aside must shall be used to

 8  fully fund any applications that which were partially funded

 9  due to inadequate funds in the most recently completed

10  neighborhood revitalization category funding cycle, and then

11  any remaining funds must shall be distributed to the next

12  unfunded applications.

13         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.

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16                          SENATE SUMMARY

17    States legislative intent regarding the Small Cities
      Community Development Block Grant Program. Removes
18    requirement that the Department of Community Affairs
      provide recommendations to the Legislature as to
19    distribution of federal funds relating to that program.
      Authorizes the set-aside of federal funds for a local
20    government for disaster relief and deletes provisions
      limiting the set-aside to certain federal funds.
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