Florida Senate - 2020 SB 426
By Senator Montford
3-00491A-20 2020426__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Regional Rural Development
3 Grants Program; amending s. 288.018, F.S.; defining
4 the term “regional economic development organization”;
5 specifying that the concept of building the
6 professional capacity of a regional economic
7 development organization includes the hiring of
8 professional staff to perform specified services;
9 providing that matching grants may be used to provide
10 technical assistance to local governments and economic
11 development organizations and to existing and
12 prospective businesses; specifying that a regional
13 economic development organization that provides
14 taxpayer-funded incentives is not eligible to
15 participate in the matching grant program; increasing
16 the maximum amount of annual grant funding that
17 specified economic development organizations may
18 receive; revising the required amount of nonstate
19 matching funds; requiring that certain information be
20 included in a contract or agreement involving the
21 expenditure of grant funds; requiring that contracts
22 or agreements involving the expenditure of grant
23 funds, and a plain-language version of certain
24 contracts or agreements, be placed on the contracting
25 regional economic development organization’s website
26 for a specified period before execution; deleting an
27 obsolete provision; increasing the amount of funds the
28 Department of Economic Opportunity may expend each
29 fiscal year for certain purposes; providing an
30 effective date.
31
32 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
33
34 Section 1. Subsections (1), (3), and (4) of section
35 288.018, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
36 288.018 Regional Rural Development Grants Program.—
37 (1)(a) For the purposes of this section, a “regional
38 economic development organization” means an economic development
39 organization located in or contracted to serve a rural area of
40 opportunity, as defined in s. 288.0656.
41 (b) The department shall establish a matching grant program
42 to provide funding to regional regionally based economic
43 development organizations representing rural counties and
44 communities to build for the purpose of building the
45 professional capacity of those their organizations. Efforts to
46 build the professional capacity of regional economic development
47 organizations include the hiring of professional staff to
48 develop, facilitate the delivery of, and directly provide needed
49 economic development professional services, including technical
50 assistance, education and leadership development, marketing, and
51 project recruitment. Such Matching grants may also be used by a
52 regional an economic development organization to provide
53 technical assistance to local governments, local economic
54 development organizations, and existing and prospective
55 businesses within the rural counties and communities that it
56 serves. A regional economic development organization that
57 provides taxpayer-funded incentives to existing or prospective
58 businesses is not eligible to participate in the matching grant
59 program.
60 (c) A regional economic development organization may apply
61 annually to the department for a matching grant. The department
62 is authorized to approve an application for a grant of:, on an
63 annual basis, grants
64 1. Up to $150,000 to an organization located to such
65 regionally based economic development organizations. The maximum
66 amount an organization may receive in any year will be $50,000,
67 or $150,000 in or contracted to serve a rural area of
68 opportunity designated pursuant to s. 288.0656(7).
69 2. Up to $250,000 to any of the three regional economic
70 development organizations that serve an entire region of a rural
71 area of opportunity designated pursuant to s. 288.0656(7) and
72 that are recognized by the department as serving such a region.
73 (d) Grant funds received by a regional economic development
74 organization recommended by the Rural Economic Development
75 Initiative and designated by the Governor, and must be matched
76 each year by an equivalent amount of nonstate resources in an
77 amount equal to 25 percent of the state contribution.
78 (3)(a) A contract or agreement that involves the
79 expenditure of grant funds provided under this section,
80 including a contract or agreement entered into between another
81 entity and a regional economic development organization, a unit
82 of local government, or an economic development organization
83 substantially underwritten by a unit of local government, must
84 include:
85 1. The purpose of the contract or agreement.
86 2. Specific performance standards and responsibilities for
87 each entity.
88 3. A detailed project or contract budget, if applicable.
89 4. The value of any services provided.
90 5. The projected travel expenses for employees and board
91 members, if applicable.
92 (b) At least 14 days before execution, the contracting
93 regional economic development organization shall post on its
94 website:
95 1. Any contract or agreement that involves the expenditure
96 of grant funds provided under this section.
97 2. A plain-language version of a contract or agreement with
98 a private entity, a municipality, or a vendor of services,
99 supplies, or programs, including marketing, or for the purchase
100 or lease or use of lands, facilities, or properties which
101 involves the expenditure of grant funds provided under this
102 section and which is estimated to exceed $35,000 The department
103 may also contract for the development of an enterprise zone web
104 portal or websites for each enterprise zone which will be used
105 to market the program for job creation in disadvantaged urban
106 and rural enterprise zones. Each enterprise zone web page should
107 include downloadable links to state forms and information, as
108 well as local message boards that help businesses and residents
109 receive information concerning zone boundaries, job openings,
110 zone programs, and neighborhood improvement activities.
111 (4) The department may expend up to $1 million $750,000
112 each fiscal year from funds appropriated to the Rural Community
113 Development Revolving Loan Fund for the purposes outlined in
114 this section. The department may contract with Enterprise
115 Florida, Inc., for the administration of the purposes specified
116 in this section. Funds released to Enterprise Florida, Inc., for
117 this purpose shall be released quarterly and shall be calculated
118 based on the applications in process.
119 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.