Florida Senate - 2024                                     SB 874
       
       
        
       By Senator Stewart
       
       
       
       
       
       17-00306B-24                                           2024874__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Transportation Disadvantaged
    3         Trust Fund; amending s. 427.0159, F.S.; providing an
    4         annual appropriation from the Transportation
    5         Disadvantaged Trust Fund to implement a specified
    6         grant program beginning in a specified fiscal year;
    7         specifying how the grant funds must be used;
    8         authorizing an agency to apply annually to the
    9         Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged for a
   10         grant; prohibiting an agency from applying for more
   11         than one project annually; providing that a project
   12         may encompass multiple goals or a single goal;
   13         providing goals that may be used for a project;
   14         specifying a maximum amount for grants; providing an
   15         exception to the maximum specified grant amount;
   16         requiring a local match for all grants provided;
   17         requiring that certain funds be used for a specified
   18         purpose; prohibiting the commission from requiring
   19         agencies’ services to meet a certain distance
   20         requirement in order to receive grant funding;
   21         providing an effective date.
   22          
   23  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   24  
   25         Section 1. Subsection (5) is added to section 427.0159,
   26  Florida Statutes, to read:
   27         427.0159 Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund.—
   28         (5) For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, and each fiscal year
   29  thereafter, the sum of $10 million in recurring funds is
   30  appropriated from the Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund to
   31  the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged for the
   32  purpose of implementing and administering a grant program as
   33  described in this subsection.
   34         (a) Funds appropriated under this subsection must be used
   35  to provide grants to community transportation coordinators for
   36  service delivery projects that are more cost-efficient for the
   37  transportation improvement program and time-efficient for the
   38  transportation disadvantaged population. Such grants may be
   39  awarded for projects that include, but are not limited to,
   40  partnerships between a community transportation coordinator and
   41  a nontraditional service provider, such as a transportation
   42  network company as defined in s. 627.748, that provides door-to
   43  door, on-demand, or scheduled transportation services.
   44         (b) An agency may apply annually to the Commission for the
   45  Transportation Disadvantaged for a grant under this subsection.
   46  The agency may not apply for more than one project annually.
   47  Agency projects may encompass multiple goals or a single goal.
   48  Goals may include, but are not limited to, providing regional
   49  mobility or reducing service gaps between existing routes and
   50  the user’s final destination.
   51         (c) An agency may receive a maximum grant of $1 million.
   52  Multiple agencies may partner to receive a grant of up to $2
   53  million if the project includes a goal of providing regional
   54  mobility in addition to any other goals.
   55         (d) A 10 percent local match is required for all grants
   56  provided under this subsection. All funds provided under this
   57  subsection must be used to provide direct services to the
   58  transportation disadvantaged population. The Commission for the
   59  Transportation Disadvantaged may not disqualify an agency from
   60  receiving grant funding under this subsection by requiring that
   61  the agency’s transportation services be provided a minimum
   62  distance from fixed bus routes.
   63         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.