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         316.0899Florida 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.