Florida Senate - 2018 CS for SB 852
By the Committee on Transportation; and Senators Brandes and
Taddeo
596-02191-18 2018852c1
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.; defining
4 the terms “grid-integrated vehicle” and “matching
5 funds”; creating the program within the Department of
6 Transportation; providing program goals; providing
7 grant eligibility requirements; requiring the
8 department to issue a request for proposals by a
9 specified date; providing proposal requirements;
10 providing requirements for the award of grants and the
11 use of grant funds; providing reporting requirements;
12 requiring administrative support by the department;
13 authorizing the department to select an independent
14 nongovernmental entity to assist in project
15 construction, management, and evaluation for specified
16 purposes; providing requirements for the
17 nongovernmental entity; providing an appropriation;
18 providing an effective date.
19
20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
21
22 Section 1. Section 316.0899, Florida Statutes, is created
23 to read:
24 316.0899 Florida Smart City Challenge Grant Program.—
25 (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
26 (a) “Grid-integrated vehicle” means a motor vehicle that
27 has the ability for two-way power flow between the vehicle and
28 the electric grid and the communications hardware and software
29 that allow for external control of battery charging and
30 discharging.
31 (b) “Matching funds” includes in-kind services, goods,
32 equipment, or other noncash contributions calculated at fair
33 market value.
34 (2) CREATION; GOALS.—The Florida Smart City Challenge Grant
35 Program is created within the Department of Transportation. The
36 goals of the grant program include, but are not limited to:
37 (a) Providing opportunities to municipalities and other
38 regions of the state to develop innovative smart mobility
39 solutions to local transportation challenges.
40 (b) Deploying smart city technology that has an immediate
41 impact on the safe and efficient movement of people and goods
42 within municipalities and other regions of the state.
43 (c) Advancing autonomous, connected, grid-integrated, and
44 electric vehicle readiness and deployment throughout the state.
45 (d) Providing enhanced education and workforce development
46 opportunities by deploying emerging technologies that support
47 the state’s future workforce.
48 (e) Meeting the mobility needs of residents of this state,
49 particularly transportation disadvantaged persons as defined in
50 s. 427.011, by increasing access to and convenience of
51 transportation within municipalities and other regions of the
52 state.
53 (f) Facilitating the efficient movement of freight within
54 the state, especially in and around airports and seaports.
55 (g) Supporting the reduction or elimination of fossil fuel
56 consumption by relying on renewable energy sources and electric
57 technologies.
58 (h) Creating a smart mobility demonstration community in
59 the state that serves as a model for municipalities and other
60 regions nationwide.
61 (3) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.—
62 (a) The following entities may apply to the Department of
63 Transportation for a grant to fund projects under the Florida
64 Smart City Challenge Grant Program:
65 1. A state, county, municipal, regional, or other agency
66 that is responsible for the movement of persons, goods, or
67 services within a defined geographical region, including an
68 entity created pursuant to chapter 343, chapter 348, or chapter
69 349.
70 2. A metropolitan planning organization or transportation
71 planning organization. Each entity responsible for deploying or
72 operating the project on behalf of a metropolitan planning
73 organization or transportation planning organization must submit
74 a letter to the department detailing its commitment to the
75 implementation, operation, and maintenance of the project.
76 3. A state university.
77 (b) An applicant for a Florida Smart City Challenge Grant
78 must have in place a plan or framework for the implementation of
79 the proposed project in at least one of the following
80 categories:
81 1. Autonomous vehicle deployment or demonstration.
82 2. Connected vehicle technology deployment.
83 3. Shared mobility services innovation and deployment.
84 4. Acceleration of the use of plug-in electric vehicles and
85 electric charging infrastructure, including deployment of grid
86 integrated vehicles.
87 (4) PROPOSALS.—By September 1, 2018, the Department of
88 Transportation shall issue a request for proposals for the award
89 of a Florida Smart City Challenge Grant. Each proposal submitted
90 to the department must include:
91 (a) A statement by the applicant certifying that the
92 project will be implemented and operational within 2 years after
93 receipt of the grant.
94 (b) A plan for fulfilling documentation requirements under
95 the department’s Statewide Systems Engineering Management Plan
96 within such 2-year period.
97 (c) A description of how operation and maintenance costs
98 for the project will be funded in order to ensure that the
99 department’s investment in the project is sustained.
100 (d) A plan for evaluation of the project and the methods by
101 which such evaluation will be shared with residents of the area
102 served by the project.
103 (e) The procedure for integrating the project’s
104 transportation-related data into the department’s Data
105 Integration and Video Aggregation System.
106 (5) AWARD OF GRANTS.—The Department of Transportation shall
107 award a Florida Smart City Challenge Grant to at least three
108 recipients. Each award may not exceed $6 million. The department
109 shall distribute the award to each recipient by January 1, 2019.
110 (a) The grant may fund up to 50 percent of project costs.
111 At least 10 percent of project costs must be funded by the grant
112 recipient. Grant funds must be used exclusively for startup
113 costs, including, but not limited to, acquisition of hardware,
114 software, and assets associated with implementation of the
115 project, and may not be used for costs associated with operation
116 or maintenance of the project.
117 (b) In selecting grant recipients, the department shall
118 give priority to those proposals that demonstrate the
119 availability of matching funds from partner organizations to
120 fund project costs and that include a plan for documenting the
121 acquisition and expenditure of such matching funds.
122 1. The department shall give further priority to those
123 proposals that include matching funds from private-sector
124 partner organizations; however, local public funds may also be
125 used.
126 2. Matching funds may be used for costs associated with
127 operation, maintenance, and evaluation of the project.
128 3. A grant recipient that receives matching funds must
129 document the contribution of such funds in a quarterly report
130 that details the manner in which the value of such contribution
131 is calculated.
132 (6) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—
133 (a) Each recipient of a Florida Smart City Challenge Grant
134 shall submit a quarterly report to the Department of
135 Transportation regarding the development, implementation, and
136 operation of the project. Such report must include information
137 documented pursuant to subparagraph (5)(b)3.
138 (b) The Department of Transportation must submit a
139 quarterly report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker
140 of the House of Representatives regarding the overall status of
141 the grant program.
142 (c) After implementation of the project is complete, each
143 recipient must submit an initial report to the Governor, the
144 President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
145 Representatives which details the project’s impact on the
146 transportation system within the area served by the project, the
147 extent to which the goals of the grant program have been met,
148 and recommendations for project revisions or improvements to
149 guide future deployment activities. A final report must be
150 submitted 2 years after submission of the initial report.
151 (7) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.—The Department of
152 Transportation shall provide administrative support to the
153 Florida Smart City Challenge Grant Program in order to
154 facilitate the deployment of smart city technology within the
155 state, including, but not limited to, expedited review of
156 proposals submitted under subsection (4). The department may
157 select an independent nongovernmental entity to assist in
158 project construction, management, and evaluation; to oversee the
159 implementation of the project; and to analyze and document
160 lessons learned during, and benefits derived from,
161 implementation of the project. The nongovernmental entity must
162 have experience with the national Smart Cities Initiative,
163 advanced transportation deployment experience in this state,
164 extensive engineering experience, or expertise in stakeholder
165 engagement of potential partners to create a demonstration
166 community as described in paragraph (2)(h).
167 Section 2. For the 2018-2019 fiscal year, the sum of $15
168 million in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the State
169 Transportation Trust Fund to the Department of Transportation
170 for the purpose of implementing this act.
171 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.