PCS for HB 1209 (2023) — An act relating to Rural Economic Development
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- 2023 3236 Regulatory Reform Economic Development Subcommittee Proposed Committee Bills Pcb
Summary
A proposed committee substitute, PCS for HB 1209, of the Florida House of Representatives for 2023, titled an act relating to Rural Economic Development. The bill amends s. 288.018, F.S., on the Regional Rural Development Grants Program, specifying that its funding is not matching grants and revising the criteria the Department of Economic Opportunity must consider. It amends s. 288.0655, F.S., on the Rural Infrastructure Fund, revising the share of project costs the department may award and removing a local match requirement, and makes a conforming change to s. 288.8017, F.S. It amends section 446.71, Florida Statutes, on the Everglades Restoration Agricultural Community Employment Training Program, including employer-based grants and training locations. Section 5 provides that House Bill 5 controls in case of conflict, and the act takes effect July 1, 2023.
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“PCS for HB 1209 (2023) — An act relating to Rural Economic Development.”
Original at www.flhouse.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2023-3236-regulatory-reform-economic-development-subcommittee-proposed-committee-bills-pcbs-fn-pcs-for-hb-1209/
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
PCS for HB 1209 2023
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to Rural Economic Development;
3 amending s. 288.018, F.S.; specifying that funding
4 provided under the Regional Rural Development Grants
5 Program are not matching grants; revising the required
6 criteria the Department of Economic Opportunity must
7 consider to approve a participant in the program;
8 amending s. 288.0655, F.S.; revising the percentage of
9 certain project costs for which the department may
10 award certain grants; removing a local match
11 requirement; amending s. 288.8017, F.S.; conforming
12 provisions to changes made by the act; amending s.
13 446.71, F.S.; revising the areas in which the
14 department may provide grants through the Everglades
15 Restoration Agricultural Community Employment Training
16 Program; authorizing the use of certain grant funds
17 for certain purposes; requiring the department to set
18 aside a certain percentage of funds for a certain
19 purpose; prohibiting the department from awarding
20 employer-based grants in excess of a certain amount;
21 requiring the department to prioritize awarding
22 employer-based grants to certain training programs;
23 providing that certain accreditation or licensure
24 meets a certain qualification requirement; revising
25 requirements for the location in which a training
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26 program participant must reside to receive a certain
27 grant from the department; revising the requirements
28 for employer-based training programs established in
29 the Everglades Agricultural Area; providing that the
30 provisions of this act shall not control to the extent
31 of certain conflicts; providing an effective date.
32
33 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
34
35 Section 1. Subsections (1) and (2) of section 288.018,
36 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
37 288.018 Regional Rural Development Grants Program. —
38 (1)(a) For the purposes of this section, the term
39 "regional economic development organization" means an economic
40 development organization located in or contracted to serve a
41 rural area of opportunity, as defined in s. 288.0656(2)(d).
42 (b) The department shall establish a matching grant
43 program to provide funding to regional economic development
44 organizations for the purpose of building the professional
45 capacity of those organizations. Building the professional
46 capacity of a regional economic development organization
47 includes hiring professional staff to develop, deliver, and
48 provide needed economic development professional services,
49 including technical assistance, education and leadership
50 development, marketing, and project recruitment. Matching Grants
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51 may also be used by a regional economic development organization
52 to provide technical assistance to local governments, local
53 economic development organizations, and existing and prospective
54 businesses.
55 (c) A regional economic development organization may apply
56 annually to the department for a matching grant. The department
57 is authorized to approve, on an annual basis, grants to such
58 regional economic development organizations. The maximum amount
59 an organization may receive in any year will be $50,000, or
60 $250,000 for any three regional economic development
61 organizations that serve an entire region of a rural area of
62 opportunity designated pursuant to s. 288.0656(7) if they are
63 recognized by the department as serving such a region.
64 (d) Grant funds received by a regional economic
65 development organization must be matched each year by n onstate
66 resources in an amount equal to 25 percent of the state
67 contribution.
68 (2) In approving the participants, the department shall
69 consider the demonstrated need of the applicant for assistance
70 and require the following:
71 (a) Documentation of official commitments of support from
72 each of the units of local government represented by the
73 regional organization.
74 (b) Demonstration that each unit of local government has
75 made a financial or in-kind commitment to the regional
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76 organization.
77 (c) Demonstration that the private sector has made
78 financial or in-kind commitments to the regional organization.
79 (d) Demonstration that the organization is in existence
80 and actively involved in economic development activities serving
81 the region.
82 (c)(e) Demonstration of the manner in which the
83 organization is or will coordinate its efforts with those of
84 other local and state organizations.
85 Section 2. Paragraphs (b), (c), and (e) of subsection (2)
86 of section 288.0655, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
87 288.0655 Rural Infrastructure Fund.—
88 (2)
89 (b) To facilitate access of rural communities and rural
90 areas of opportunity as defined by the Rural Economic
91 Development Initiative to infrastructure funding programs of the
92 Federal Government, such as those offered by the United States
93 Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of
94 Commerce, and state programs, including those offered by Rural
95 Economic Development Initiative agencies, and to facilitate
96 local government or private infrastructure funding efforts, the
97 department may award grants for up to 75 50 percent of the total
98 infrastructure project cost, or up to 100 percent of the total
99 infrastructure project cost for a project located in a rural
100 community or a rural area of opportunity, as those terms are
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101 defined in s. 288.0656(2), which is also located in a fiscally
102 constrained county as described in s. 218.67(1). Eligible
103 projects must be related to specific job-creation or job-
104 retention opportunities. Eligible projects may also include
105 improving any inadequate infrastructure that has resulted in
106 regulatory action that prohibits economic or community growth,
107 reducing the costs to community users of proposed infrastructure
108 improvements that exceed such costs in comparable communit ies,
109 and improving access to and the availability of broadband
110 Internet service. Eligible uses of funds shall include
111 improvements to public infrastructure for industrial or
112 commercial sites, upgrades to or development of public tourism
113 infrastructure, and improvements to broadband Internet service
114 and access in unserved or underserved rural communities.
115 Improvements to broadband Internet service and access must be
116 conducted through a partnership or partnerships with one or more
117 dealers, as defined in s. 202.11(2), and the partnership or
118 partnerships must be established through a competitive selection
119 process that is publicly noticed. Authorized infrastructure may
120 include the following public or public-private partnership
121 facilities: storm water systems; telecommunications facilities;
122 broadband facilities; roads or other remedies to transportation
123 impediments; nature-based tourism facilities; or other physical
124 requirements necessary to facilitate tourism, trade, and
125 economic development activities in the community. Authorized
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126 infrastructure may also include publicly or privately owned
127 self-powered nature-based tourism facilities, publicly owned
128 telecommunications facilities, and broadband facilities, and
129 additions to the distribution facilities of the existing natural
130 gas utility as defined in s. 366.04(3)(c), the existing electric
131 utility as defined in s. 366.02, or the existing water or
132 wastewater utility as defined in s. 367.021(12), or any other
133 existing water or wastewater facility, which owns a gas or
134 electric distribution system or a water or wastewater system in
135 this state where:
136 1. A contribution-in-aid of construction is required to
137 serve public or public-private partnership facilities under the
138 tariffs of any natural gas, electric, water, or wastewa ter
139 utility as defined herein; and
140 2. Such utilities as defined herein are willing and able
141 to provide such service.
142 (c) To facilitate timely response and induce the location
143 or expansion of specific job creating opportunities, The
144 department may award grants for infrastructure feasibility
145 studies, design and engineering activities, or other
146 infrastructure planning and preparation activities. Authorized
147 grants shall be up to $50,000 for an employment project with a
148 business committed to create at least 100 jobs; up to $150,000
149 for an employment project with a business committed to create at
150 least 300 jobs; and up to $300,000 for a project in a rural area
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151 of opportunity. Grants awarded under this paragraph may be used
152 in conjunction with grants awarded under paragraph (b), provided
153 that the total amount of both grants does not exceed 30 percent
154 of the total project cost. In evaluating applications under this
155 paragraph, the department shall consider the extent to which the
156 application seeks to minimize administrative and consultant
157 expenses.
158 (e) To enable local governments to access the resources
159 available pursuant to s. 403.973(18), the department may award
160 grants for surveys, feasibility studies, and other activities
161 related to the identification and preclearance review of land
162 which is suitable for preclearance review. Authorized grants
163 under this paragraph may not exceed $75,000 each, except in the
164 case of a project in a rural area of opportunity, in which case
165 the grant may not exceed $300,000. Any funds awarded under this
166 paragraph must be matched at a level of 50 percent with local
167 funds, except that any funds awarded for a project in a rural
168 area of opportunity must be matched at a level of 33 percent
169 with local funds. If an application for funding is for a
170 catalyst site, as defined in s. 288.0656, the requirement for
171 local match may be waived pursuant to the process in s.
172 288.06561. In evaluating applications under this paragraph, the
173 department shall consider the extent to which the application
174 seeks to minimize administrative and consultant expenses.
175 Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 288.8017, Florida
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176 Statutes, is amended to read:
177 288.8017 Awards.—
178 (1) Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc., shall make awards from
179 available funds to projects or programs that meet the priorities
180 for economic recovery, diversification, and enhancement of the
181 disproportionately affected counties. Awards may be provided
182 for:
183 (a) Ad valorem tax rate reduction within
184 disproportionately affected counties;
185 (b) Local match requirements of s. 288.0655 for projects
186 in the disproportionately affected counties;
187 (c) Public infrastructure projects for construction,
188 expansion, or maintenance which are shown to enhance economic
189 recovery, diversification, and enhancement of the
190 disproportionately affected counties;
191 (d) Grants to local governments in the disproportionately
192 affected counties to establish and maintain equipment and
193 trained personnel for local action plans of response to respond
194 to disasters, such as plans created for the Coastal Impacts
195 Assistance Program;
196 (e) Grants to support programs that prepare students for
197 future occupations and careers at K-20 institutions that have
198 campuses in the disproportionately affected counties. Eligible
199 programs include those that increase students' technology skills
200 and knowledge; encourage industry certifications; provide
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201 rigorous, alternative pathways for students to meet high school
202 graduation requirements; strengthen career readiness
203 initiatives; fund high-demand programs of emphasis at the
204 bachelor's and master's level designated by the Board of
205 Governors; and, similar to or the same as talent retention
206 programs created by the Chancellor of the State University
207 System and the Commission of Education, encourage students with
208 interest or aptitude for science, technology, engineering,
209 mathematics, and medical disciplines to pursue postsecondary
210 education at a state university or a Florida College System
211 institution within the disproportionately affected counties;
212 (f) Grants to support programs that provide participants
213 in the disproportionately affected counties with transferable,
214 sustainable workforce skills that are not confined to a single
215 employer; and
216 (g) Grants to the tourism entity created under s. 288.1226
217 for the purpose of advertising and promoting tourism and Fresh
218 From Florida, and grants to promote workforce and
219 infrastructure, on behalf of all of the disproportionately
220 affected counties.
221 Section 4. Section 446.71, Florida Statutes, is amended to
222 read:
223 446.71 Everglades Restoration Agricultural Community
224 Employment Training Program.—
225 (1) The Department of Economic Opportunity, in cooperation
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226 with the state board as defined in s. 445.002, shall establish
227 the Everglades Restoration Agricultural Community Employment
228 Training Program within the Department of Economic Opportunity.
229 The Department of Economic Opportunity shall use funds
230 appropriated to the program by the Legislature to provide grants
231 to stimulate and support training and employment programs that
232 seek to match persons who complete such training programs to
233 nonagricultural employment opportunities in the Everglades
234 Agricultural Area as defined in s. 373.4592(2) and rural areas
235 of opportunity as defined in s. 288.0656(2) areas of high
236 agricultural unemployment, and to provide other training,
237 educational, and information services necessary to stimulate the
238 creation of jobs in the Everglades Agricultural Area and rural
239 areas of opportunity areas of high agricultural unemployment. In
240 determining whether to provide funds to a particular program,
241 the Department of Economic Opportunity shall consider the
242 location of the program in proximity to the program's intended
243 participants.
244 (2) The Legislature supports projects that improve the
245 economy in the Everglades Agricultural Area and in rural areas
246 of opportunity in counties that provide for water storage and
247 dispersed water storage as part of Everglades restoration
248 efforts. In recognition of the employment opportunities and
249 economic development generated by new and expanding industries
250 in such areas the area, such as the Airglades Airport in Hendry
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251 County and the development of an inland port in Palm Beach
252 County, the Legislature finds that training the citizens of the
253 state to fill the needs of these industries significantly
254 enhances the economic viability of such areas the region.
255 (3) Funds may be used for grants for tuition for public or
256 private technical or vocational programs and matching grants to
257 employers to conduct employer-based training programs. Grant
258 funds provided to employer-based training programs may be used,
259 or for the purchase of equipment to be used for training
260 purposes, the hiring of instructors, or any other purpose
261 directly associated with the program. For the first 6 months of
262 each fiscal year, the Department of Economic Opportunity shall
263 set aside up to 50 percent of the amount appropriated by the
264 Legislature to fund employer-based training programs. Any
265 unencumbered funds remaining undisbursed from the set -aside
266 amount at the end of the 6-month period may be used to provide
267 funding for tuition. The allocation of funds must be included in
268 the notice of grant opportunities.
269 (4) The Department of Economic Opportunity may not award
270 an employer-based a grant to any given training program which
271 exceeds 50 percent of the total cost of the program, unless the
272 training program is located within a rural area of opportunity,
273 in which case the grant may exceed 50 percent of the total cost
274 of the program and up to 100 percent. Matching contributions may
275 include in-kind services, including, but not limited to, the
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276 provision of training instructors, equipment, and training
277 facilities. The department shall prioritize awarding employer-
278 based grants to training programs located in rural areas of
279 opportunity in counties that provide for water storage and
280 dispersed water storage as part of Everglades restoration
281 efforts.
282 (5) Before granting a request for funds made in accordance
283 with this section, the Department of Economic Opportunity shall
284 enter into a grant agreement with the requester of funds and the
285 training institution receiving funding through the program. Such
286 agreement must include all of the following information:
287 (a) An identification of the personnel necessary to
288 conduct the instructional program, the qualifications of such
289 personnel, and the respective responsibilities of the parties
290 for paying costs associated with the employment of such
291 personnel. National accreditation or licensure of an
292 instructional program by the Commission for Independent
293 Education is sufficient to meet the qualifications requirement.
294 (b) An identification of the estimated length of the
295 instructional program.
296 (c) An identification of all direct, training-related
297 costs, including tuition and fees, curriculum development, books
298 and classroom materials, and overhead or indirect costs.
299 (d) An identification of special program requirements that
300 are not otherwise addressed in the agreement.
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301 (6) The Department of Economic Opportunity may grant up to
302 100 percent of the tuition for a training program participant
303 who currently resides, and has resided for at least 3 of the 5
304 immediately preceding years, in within the Everglades
305 Agricultural Area or as described in a rural area of opportunity
306 s. 373.4592 and in a county counties that provides provide for
307 water storage and dispersed water storage as part of Everglades
308 restoration efforts that are located in rural areas of
309 opportunity as described in s. 288.0656.
310 (7) Employer-based training programs established in the
311 Everglades Agricultural Area must include opportunities to
312 obtain the qualifications and skills necessary for jobs related
313 to federal and state restoration projects, the Airglades Airport
314 in Hendry County, an inland port in Palm Beach County, or other
315 industries with verifiable, demonstrated interest in operating
316 in within the Everglades Agricultural Area or in rural areas of
317 opportunity and in counties that provide for water storage and
318 dispersed water storage as part of Everglades restoration
319 efforts that are located in rural areas of opportunity as
320 described in s. 288.0656.
321 (8) The Department of Economic Opportunity shall adopt
322 rules to implement this section.
323 Section 5. In the event of a conflict of any provision of
324 this act with the provisions of House Bill 5, 2023 regular
325 session, or similar legislation, the provisions of House Bill 5,
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326 2023 regular session, or similar legislation, shall control to
327 the extent of such conflict.
328 Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.
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