Florida Senate - 2018                                    SB 1446
       
       
        
       By Senator Powell
       
       
       
       
       
       30-01506-18                                           20181446__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Emergency Power Systems
    3         Matching Grant Program; providing a short title;
    4         providing legislative intent; defining the term
    5         “emergency power system”; requiring the Department of
    6         Health to establish and administer the Emergency Power
    7         Systems Matching Grant Program to provide state
    8         matching funds to certain public and private health
    9         care facilities for specified years on a first-come,
   10         first-served basis; prohibiting a public or private
   11         health care facility from receiving more than one
   12         grant per county per year; requiring the department to
   13         adopt rules; providing an appropriation; providing an
   14         effective date.
   15          
   16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   17  
   18         Section 1. (1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as
   19  the “Emergency Power Systems Matching Grant Program.”
   20         (2) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.—The Legislature recognizes the
   21  importance of public and private health care facilities in
   22  providing emergency health services and understands that by
   23  having power readily available, the professionals, staff, and
   24  patients will experience less stress during power outages and
   25  electric service interruptions that occur during major natural
   26  disasters. The Legislature understands the fiscal constraints
   27  which many public and private health care facilities operate
   28  within in order to provide a safe and comfortable atmosphere
   29  while providing essential medical services. The Legislature
   30  intends to offset fiscal difficulties by creating a 5-year
   31  matching grant program to assist public and private health care
   32  facilities that were constructed and operational before July
   33  2018 in acquiring emergency power systems.
   34         (3) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term
   35  “emergency power system” means a system that provides an
   36  independent source of electric power during the loss of power
   37  supply and includes a supply of fuel sufficient to sustain the
   38  emergency power source for at least 7 days during a power
   39  outage. An emergency power system may include a generator,
   40  batteries, and other accessories needed to power such emergency
   41  power system.
   42         (4) ADMINISTRATION.—The Department of Health shall
   43  establish and administer the Emergency Power Systems Matching
   44  Grant Program. The program shall:
   45         (a) Provide state matching funds on a first-come, first
   46  served basis to public or private health care facilities that
   47  apply for funds with the department.
   48         (b) Prohibit a public or private health care facility from
   49  receiving more than one grant per county per year under this
   50  program.
   51         (5) RULEMAKING AUTHORITY.—The department shall adopt rules
   52  to implement this section.
   53         Section 2. For the 2018-2019 fiscal year, and each fiscal
   54  year through the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the sum of $5 million in
   55  nonrecurring funds is appropriated to the Department of Health
   56  to implement the Emergency Power Systems Matching Grant Program.
   57         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.