Florida Senate - 2024 SB 650
By Senator Rodriguez
40-01080A-24 2024650__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to alternative fuel fleet vehicle
3 rebates; amending s. 377.810, F.S.; renaming the
4 natural gas fuel fleet vehicle rebate program as the
5 alternative fuel fleet vehicle rebate program;
6 defining and redefining terms; revising the program to
7 include rebates for certain fleet vehicles powered by
8 alternative fuels, rather than only for fleet vehicles
9 fueled by natural gas; requiring such fleet vehicles
10 to comply with specified emission standards; requiring
11 the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to
12 adopt rules by a specified date; requiring the
13 department to submit an annual assessment of the
14 program to the Governor and the Legislature by a
15 specified date; removing obsolete language; providing
16 an effective date.
17
18 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
19
20 Section 1. Section 377.810, Florida Statutes, is reordered
21 and amended to read:
22 377.810 Alternative Natural gas fuel fleet vehicle rebate
23 program.—
24 (1) CREATION AND PURPOSE OF PROGRAM.—There is created
25 within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services an
26 alternative a natural gas fuel fleet vehicle rebate program. The
27 purpose of the this program is to help reduce transportation
28 costs in this state and encourage freight mobility investments
29 that contribute to the economic growth of the state.
30 (2) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section, the term:
31 (b)(a) “Conversion costs” means the excess cost associated
32 with retrofitting a diesel or gasoline powered motor vehicle to
33 an alternative a natural gas fuel powered motor vehicle.
34 (c)(b) “Department” means the Department of Agriculture and
35 Consumer Services.
36 (d) “Electric” means a power source that uses electricity
37 produced by rechargeable storage batteries to power a motor
38 vehicle.
39 (e)(c) “Eligible costs” means the cost of conversion or the
40 incremental cost incurred by an applicant in connection with an
41 investment in the conversion, purchase, or lease lasting at
42 least 5 years, of an alternative fuel a natural gas fleet
43 vehicle placed into service on or after July 1, 2024 2013. The
44 term does not include costs for project development, fueling
45 stations, or other fueling infrastructure.
46 (f)(d) “Fleet vehicles” means three or more motor vehicles
47 registered in this state and used for commercial business or
48 governmental purposes.
49 (g) “Hybrid” means a power source that draws propulsion
50 energy from onboard sources of stored energy in the form of an
51 internal combustion or a heat engine using combustible fuel and
52 a rechargeable energy-storage system to power a motor vehicle.
53 (h)(e) “Incremental costs” means the excess costs
54 associated with the purchase or lease of an alternative a
55 natural gas fuel motor vehicle as compared to an equivalent
56 diesel- or gasoline-powered motor vehicle.
57 (i) “Motor vehicle” has the same meaning as in s.
58 206.01(23).
59 (a)(f) “Alternative Natural gas fuel” means any liquefied
60 petroleum gas product; hybrid, electric, or compressed natural
61 gas product;, or combination thereof used in a motor vehicle.
62 The as defined in s. 206.01(23). This term includes, but is not
63 limited to, all forms of fuel commonly or commercially known or
64 sold as natural gasoline, butane gas, propane gas, or any other
65 form of liquefied petroleum gas, compressed natural gas, or
66 liquefied natural gas. The This term does not include natural
67 gas or liquefied petroleum placed in a separate tank of a motor
68 vehicle for cooking, heating, water heating, or electric
69 generation.
70 (3) ALTERNATIVE NATURAL GAS FUEL FLEET VEHICLE REBATE.—The
71 department shall award rebates for eligible costs as defined in
72 this section. Forty percent of the annual allocation must shall
73 be reserved for governmental applicants, with the remaining
74 funds allocated for commercial applicants. A rebate may not
75 exceed 50 percent of the eligible costs of an alternative a
76 natural gas fuel fleet vehicle with a dedicated alternative or
77 bi-fuel natural gas fuel operating system placed into service on
78 or after July 1, 2024 2013. An applicant is eligible to receive
79 a maximum rebate of $25,000 per vehicle up to a total of
80 $250,000 per fiscal year. Between June 1 and June 30 of each
81 fiscal year, the department may receive additional applications
82 from applicants that have met the program maximum of $250,000
83 per fiscal year. Those applicants may apply for additional funds
84 for vehicles that have not received a rebate, for a maximum
85 rebate of $25,000 per vehicle up to a total of $250,000.
86 Governmental applicants shall have preference, and any other
87 remaining funds may be used by commercial applicants. Rebates
88 must shall be allocated to eligible applicants on a first-come,
89 first-served basis, determined by the date the department
90 receives the application, until all appropriated funds for the
91 fiscal year are expended. All alternative natural gas fuel fleet
92 vehicles eligible for the rebate must comply with applicable
93 United States Environmental Protection Agency emission
94 standards.
95 (4) APPLICATION PROCESS.—
96 (a) An applicant seeking to obtain a rebate shall submit an
97 application to the department by a specified date each year as
98 established by department rule. The application must shall
99 require a complete description of all eligible costs, proof of
100 purchase or lease of the vehicle for which the applicant is
101 seeking a rebate, a copy of the vehicle registration
102 certificate, a description of the total rebate sought by the
103 applicant, and any other information deemed necessary by the
104 department. The application form adopted by department rule must
105 include an affidavit from the applicant certifying that all
106 information contained in the application is true and correct.
107 (b) The department shall determine the rebate eligibility
108 of each applicant in accordance with the requirements of this
109 section and department rule. The total amount of rebates
110 allocated to certified applicants in each fiscal year may not
111 exceed the amount appropriated for the program in the fiscal
112 year. Rebates must shall be allocated to eligible applicants on
113 a first-come, first-served basis, determined by the date the
114 application is received, until all appropriated funds for the
115 fiscal year are expended or the program ends, whichever comes
116 first. The department may not accept incomplete applications
117 submitted to the department will not be accepted and such
118 applications do not secure a place in the first-come, first
119 served application process.
120 (5) RULES.—The department shall adopt rules to implement
121 and administer this section by December 31, 2024 2013, including
122 rules relating to the forms required to claim a rebate under
123 this section, the required documentation and basis for
124 establishing eligibility for a rebate, procedures and guidelines
125 for claiming a rebate, and the collection of economic impact
126 data from applicants.
127 (6) PUBLICATION.—The department shall determine and publish
128 on its website on an ongoing basis the amount of available
129 funding for rebates remaining in each fiscal year.
130 (7) ANNUAL ASSESSMENT.—By October 1, 2026 2014, and each
131 year thereafter that the program is funded, the department shall
132 provide an annual assessment of the use of the rebate program
133 during the previous fiscal year to the Governor, the President
134 of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
135 and the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government
136 Accountability. The assessment must shall include, at a minimum,
137 all of the following information:
138 (a) The name of each applicant awarded a rebate under this
139 section.;
140 (b) The amount of the rebates awarded to each applicant.;
141 (c) The type and description of each eligible vehicle for
142 which each applicant applied for a rebate.; and
143 (d) The aggregate amount of funding awarded for all
144 applicants claiming rebates under this section.
145 (8) REPORT.—By January 31, 2016, the Office of Program
146 Policy Analysis and Government Accountability shall release a
147 report reviewing the rebate program to the Governor, the
148 President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
149 Representatives. The review shall include an analysis of the
150 economic benefits resulting to the state from the program.
151 (9) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect July 1,
152 2013.
153 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.