The Florida Senate

267.0619  Historical Museum Grants.--The division may conduct a program to provide:

(1)(a)  Grants from the Historical Resources Operating Trust Fund, including matching grants, to a department or agency of the state; a unit of county, municipal, or other local government; or a public or private profit or nonprofit corporation, partnership, or other organization to assist in the development of public educational exhibits relating to the historical resources of Florida; and

(b)  Grants from the Historical Resources Operating Trust Fund to Florida history museums that are not state-operated to assist such museums in paying for operating costs.

(2)  In order to be eligible to receive a grant from the trust fund to assist in paying operating costs, a Florida history museum must fulfill the following criteria:

(a)  The mission of the museum must relate directly and primarily to the history of Florida. If the museum has more than one mission, the museum is eligible to receive a grant for that portion of the operating costs which is reasonably attributable to its mission relating to the history of Florida;

(b)  The museum must have been operating and open to the public for at least 180 days each year during the 2-year period immediately preceding the date upon which the museum applies for the grant;

(c)  The museum must be open and providing museum services to the public for at least 180 days each year; and

(d)  The museum must currently employ, and must have employed during the 2-year period immediately preceding the date upon which the museum applies for the grant, at least one full-time staff member or the equivalent thereof whose primary responsibility is to acquire, maintain, and exhibit to the public objects that are owned by, or are on loan to, the museum.

(3)  An application for a grant must be made to the division on a form provided by the division. The division shall adopt rules prescribing categories of grants, application requirements, criteria and procedures for the review and evaluation of applications, and other procedures necessary for the administration of the program, subject to the requirements of this section. Grant review panels appointed by the Secretary of State and chaired by a member of the Florida Historical Commission shall review each application for a museum grant-in-aid. The review panel shall submit to the Secretary of State for approval lists of all applications that are recommended by the panel for the award of grants, arranged in order of priority. The division may award a grant to a Florida history museum only if the award has been approved by the Secretary of State.

(4)  Money received as an appropriation or contribution to the grants program must be deposited into the Historical Resources Operating Trust Fund. Money appropriated from general revenue to the trust fund for the program may not be granted to a private for-profit museum. Money appropriated from any source to the trust fund for the program may not be granted to pay the cost of locating, identifying, evaluating, acquiring, preserving, protecting, restoring, rehabilitating, stabilizing, or excavating an archaeological or historic site or a historic building or the planning of any of those activities.

(5)  The division may grant moneys quarterly from the Historical Resources Operating Trust Fund to history museums in advance of an exhibit or program for which the moneys are granted.

History.--s. 5, ch. 89-359; s. 11, ch. 96-418; s. 8, ch. 2001-199.

Note.--Former s. 267.072(2).