Florida Senate - 2018 SB 852
By Senator Brandes
24-00747B-18 2018852__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Florida Smart City Challenge
3 Grant Program; creating s. 316.0899, F.S.; creating
4 the program within the Department of Transportation;
5 providing program goals; providing grant eligibility
6 requirements; requiring the department to issue a
7 request for proposals by a specified date; providing
8 proposal requirements; providing requirements for
9 award of grants and use of grant funds; defining the
10 term “matching funds”; providing reporting
11 requirements; requiring administrative support by the
12 department; providing an appropriation; providing an
13 effective date.
14
15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
16
17 Section 1. Section 316.0899, Florida Statutes, is created
18 to read:
19 316.0899 Florida Smart City Challenge Grant Program.—
20 (1) CREATION; GOALS.—The Florida Smart City Challenge Grant
21 Program is created within the Department of Transportation. The
22 goals of the grant program include, but are not limited to:
23 (a) Providing opportunities to municipalities and other
24 regions of the state to develop innovative smart mobility
25 solutions to local transportation challenges.
26 (b) Deploying smart city technology that has an immediate
27 impact on the safe and efficient movement of people and goods
28 within municipalities and other regions of the state.
29 (c) Advancing autonomous, connected, and electric vehicle
30 readiness and deployment throughout the state.
31 (d) Providing enhanced education and workforce development
32 opportunities by deploying emerging technologies that support
33 the state’s future workforce.
34 (e) Meeting the mobility needs of residents of this state,
35 particularly transportation disadvantaged persons as defined in
36 s. 427.011, by increasing access to and convenience of
37 transportation within municipalities and other regions of the
38 state.
39 (f) Facilitating the efficient movement of freight within
40 the state, especially in and around airports and seaports.
41 (g) Supporting the reduction or elimination of fossil fuel
42 consumption by relying on renewable energy sources and electric
43 technologies.
44 (h) Creating a smart mobility demonstration community in
45 the state that serves as a model for municipalities and other
46 regions nationwide.
47 (2) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.—
48 (a) The following entities may apply to the Department of
49 Transportation for a grant to fund projects under the Florida
50 Smart City Challenge Grant Program:
51 1. A state, county, municipal, regional, or other agency
52 that is responsible for the movement of persons, goods, or
53 services within a defined geographical region, including an
54 entity created pursuant to chapter 343, chapter 348, or chapter
55 349.
56 2. A metropolitan planning organization or transportation
57 planning organization. Each entity responsible for deploying or
58 operating the project on behalf of a metropolitan planning
59 organization or transportation planning organization must submit
60 a letter to the department detailing its commitment to the
61 implementation, operation, and maintenance of the project.
62 3. A state university.
63 (b) An applicant for a Florida Smart City Challenge Grant
64 must have in place a plan or framework for the implementation of
65 the proposed project in at least one of the following
66 categories:
67 1. Autonomous vehicle deployment or demonstration.
68 2. Connected vehicle technology deployment.
69 3. Shared mobility services innovation and deployment.
70 4. Acceleration of the use of plug-in electric vehicles and
71 electric charging infrastructure.
72 (3) PROPOSALS.—By September 1, 2018, the Department of
73 Transportation shall issue a request for proposals for the award
74 of a Florida Smart City Challenge Grant. Each proposal submitted
75 to the department must include:
76 (a) A statement by the applicant certifying that the
77 project will be implemented and operational within 2 years after
78 receipt of the grant.
79 (b) A plan for fulfilling documentation requirements under
80 the department’s Statewide Systems Engineering Management Plan
81 within such 2-year period.
82 (c) A description of how operation and maintenance costs
83 for the project will be funded in order to ensure that the
84 department’s investment in the project is sustained.
85 (d) A plan for evaluation of the project and the methods by
86 which such evaluation will be shared with residents of the area
87 served by the project.
88 (e) The procedure for integrating the project’s
89 transportation-related data into the department’s Data
90 Integration and Video Aggregation System.
91 (4) AWARD OF GRANTS.—The Department of Transportation may
92 award a Florida Smart City Challenge Grant to a maximum of three
93 recipients. Each award may not exceed $6 million. The department
94 shall distribute the award to each recipient by January 1, 2019.
95 (a) The grant may fund up to 50 percent of project costs.
96 Grant funds must be used exclusively for costs associated with
97 implementation of the project and may not be used for costs
98 associated with operation, maintenance, or evaluation of the
99 project.
100 (b) In selecting grant recipients, the department shall
101 give priority to those proposals that demonstrate the
102 availability of matching funds from partner organizations to
103 fund the remaining 50 percent of project costs and that include
104 a plan for documenting the acquisition and expenditure of such
105 matching funds. For purposes of this paragraph, “matching funds”
106 includes in-kind services, goods, equipment, or other noncash
107 contributions calculated at fair market value.
108 1. The department shall give further priority to those
109 proposals that include matching funds from private-sector
110 partner organizations; however, local public funds may also be
111 used.
112 2. Matching funds may be used for costs associated with
113 operation, maintenance, and evaluation of the project.
114 3. A grant recipient that receives matching funds must
115 document the contribution of such funds in a quarterly report
116 that details the manner in which the value of such contribution
117 is calculated.
118 (5) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—
119 (a) Each recipient of a Florida Smart City Challenge Grant
120 must submit a quarterly report to the Department of
121 Transportation regarding the development, implementation, and
122 operation of the project. Such report must include information
123 documented pursuant to subparagraph (4)(b)3.
124 (b) The Department of Transportation must submit a
125 quarterly report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker
126 of the House of Representatives regarding the overall status of
127 the grant program.
128 (c) After implementation of the project is complete, each
129 recipient must submit an initial report to the President of the
130 Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives which
131 details the project’s impact on the transportation system within
132 the area served by the project, the extent to which the goals of
133 the grant program have been met, and recommendations for project
134 revisions or improvements to guide future deployment activities.
135 A final report must be submitted 2 years after submission of the
136 initial report.
137 (6) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.—The Department of
138 Transportation shall provide administrative support to the
139 Florida Smart City Challenge Grant Program in order to
140 facilitate the deployment of smart city technology within the
141 state, including, but not limited to, expedited review of
142 proposals submitted under subsection (3).
143 Section 2. For the 2018-2019 fiscal year, the sum of $15
144 million in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the State
145 Transportation Trust Fund to the Department of Transportation
146 for the purpose of implementing this act.
147 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.