Florida Senate - 2012                                    SB 1864
       
       
       
       By Senator Bennett
       
       
       
       
       21-01336-12                                           20121864__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to solar energy system rebates;
    3         authorizing the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
    4         Services to pay certain rebate amounts pursuant to the
    5         Solar Energy System Incentives Program; providing
    6         construction; providing an appropriation; providing
    7         that obtaining additional rebate funds based on the
    8         submission of information the applicant knows to be
    9         false constitutes theft and is subject to specified
   10         penalties; providing an effective date.
   11  
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. (1) As provided in this section, the total
   15  amount appropriated in this act shall be used by the Department
   16  of Agriculture and Consumer Services to pay the difference
   17  between the rebate amount authorized by the Solar Energy System
   18  Incentives Program established in s. 377.806, Florida Statutes,
   19  and the rebate amount previously approved and paid to eligible
   20  applicants by the former Florida Energy and Climate Commission
   21  or the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services pursuant
   22  to section 1, chapter 2010-282, Laws of Florida, as amended by
   23  section 525, chapter 2011-142, Laws of Florida.
   24         (2) The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
   25  shall determine the amount to be paid to eligible applicants
   26  pursuant to this section. Receipt of a payment pursuant to this
   27  section does not require a supplemental application process.
   28         (3) This section does not reconstitute the expired Solar
   29  Energy System Incentives Program established in s. 377.806,
   30  Florida Statutes.
   31         Section 2. For the 2012-2013 fiscal year, and to
   32  exclusively implement section 1, the sum of $26 million in
   33  nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund
   34  to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
   35         Section 3. An applicant who obtains additional rebate funds
   36  pursuant to this act based on the submission of information that
   37  the applicant knows to be false commits theft, punishable as
   38  provided in s. 812.014, Florida Statutes.
   39         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.