Senate Bill sb1612

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1612

    By Senators Latvala and King





    19-924-01

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the Hurricane Loss

  3         Mitigation Program; amending s. 215.559, F.S.;

  4         providing an annual appropriation from the

  5         Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund to the

  6         Department of Insurance for purposes of the

  7         program; requiring the department to contract

  8         with a state institution of higher learning to

  9         administer the program; removing the limitation

10         on the amount of funds to be used for programs

11         to improve the wind resistance of specified

12         residences and structures; providing additional

13         programs; specifying the amount of the

14         appropriation to be used to inspect and improve

15         tie-downs for manufactured/mobile homes;

16         eliminating funding for retrofitting existing

17         facilities used as public hurricane shelters;

18         authorizing the administering entity to enter

19         into a multi-year agreement; requiring the

20         entity to monitor the performance criteria

21         under the agreement and issue a report;

22         providing an effective date.

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24  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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26         Section 1.  Section 215.559, Florida Statutes, is

27  amended to read:

28         215.559  Hurricane Loss Mitigation Program.--

29         (1)  There is created a Hurricane Loss Mitigation

30  Program. The Legislature shall annually appropriate $10

31  million of the moneys authorized for appropriation under s.

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1612
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  1  215.555(7)(c) from the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund to

  2  the Department of Insurance Community Affairs for the purposes

  3  set forth in this section. Within 30 days after the effective

  4  date of that appropriation, the department shall contract with

  5  a public higher educational institution in this state which

  6  has previous experience administering the programs set forth

  7  in subsection (2) to serve as administrative entity and fiscal

  8  agent pursuant to s. 216.346 for the purpose of administering

  9  the programs set forth in this section in accordance with

10  established policy and procedures.

11         (2)(a)  The Seven million dollars in funds provided in

12  subsection (1) shall be used for programs to improve the wind

13  resistance of conventionally built residences and

14  manufactured/mobile mobile homes, including loans, subsidies,

15  grants, demonstration projects, and direct assistance; for

16  cooperative programs with local governments and the Federal

17  Government; to work with local governments to eliminate the

18  barriers to upgrading existing homes and communities, both

19  conventional and manufactured/mobile; to research and develop

20  a program for the recycling of existing, older homes; and to

21  pay for the cost to administer the programs set forth in this

22  section and other efforts to prevent or reduce losses or

23  reduce the cost of rebuilding after a disaster.

24         (b)  At least 40 percent of the total annual

25  appropriation must be used to inspect and improve tie-downs

26  for manufactured/mobile homes. Three million dollars in funds

27  provided in subsection (1) shall be used to retrofit existing

28  facilities used as public hurricane shelters. The department

29  must prioritize the use of these funds for projects included

30  in the September 1, 2000, version of the Shelter Retrofit

31  Report prepared in accordance with s. 252.385(3), and each

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1612
    19-924-01




  1  annual report thereafter. The department must give funding

  2  priority to projects in regional planning council regions that

  3  have shelter deficits and to projects that maximize use of

  4  state funds.

  5         (3)  Subject to an annual appropriation by the

  6  Legislature and consistent with any modifications in

  7  accordance with chapter 216, the administering entity, after

  8  an initial competitive-bid process, may enter into a

  9  multi-year agreement for a term not to exceed 5 years which is

10  renewable annually thereafter for a period not to exceed the

11  original contract length. At least 40 percent of the total

12  appropriation for loans, subsidies, grants, demonstration

13  projects, and direct assistance for the first year of the

14  programs shall be used for mobile homes, including programs to

15  inspect and improve tie-downs, construct and provide safety

16  structures, and provide other means to reduce losses. In the

17  second year of the programs, at least 30 percent of the total

18  appropriation shall be used for mobile homes, and thereafter

19  at least 20 percent shall be used for such purposes.

20         (4)  The administrative entity shall monitor the

21  performance criteria under this agreement and submit an annual

22  report to the department for dissemination to the Legislature.

23  Of moneys provided to the Department of Community Affairs, 10

24  percent shall be allocated to the Operations and Maintenance

25  Trust Fund in the general office of the Board of Regents, to

26  be used by the Type I Center within the State University

27  System dedicated to hurricane research, to support programs of

28  research and development relating to hurricane loss reduction

29  devices and techniques for residences and mobile homes and

30  relating to the development of credible data on potential loss

31  reductions. The State University System shall consult with the

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1612
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  1  Department of Community Affairs and assist the department with

  2  the report required under subsection (7).

  3         (5)  The Department of Community Affairs shall develop

  4  the programs in consultation with an advisory council

  5  appointed by the secretary consisting of a representative of

  6  the Department of Insurance, a representative of home

  7  builders, a representative of insurance companies, a

  8  representative of the Federation of Mobile Home Owners, a

  9  representative of the Florida Association of Counties, and a

10  representative of the Florida Manufactured Housing Association

11  who is a mobile home manufacturer or supplier.

12         (6)  Moneys provided to the Department of Community

13  Affairs under this section are intended to supplement other

14  funding sources of the Department of Community Affairs and may

15  not supplant other funding sources of the Department of

16  Community Affairs.

17         (7)  On January 1st of 2001 and 2002, the Department of

18  Community Affairs shall provide a full report and accounting

19  of activities under this section and an evaluation of such

20  activities to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the

21  President of the Senate, and the Majority and Minority Leaders

22  of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

23         (8)  This section is repealed June 30, 2002.

24         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1612
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  2                          SENATE SUMMARY

  3    Provides an annual appropriation from the Florida
      Hurricane Catastrophe Fund to the Department of Insurance
  4    for purposes of the Hurricane Loss Mitigation Program.
      Requires the department to contract with a state
  5    institution of higher learning that has previous
      experience to administer the program. Removes the
  6    limitation on the amount of funds to be used for programs
      to improve the wind resistance of conventionally built
  7    residences and manufactured/mobile homes. Provides
      additional programs. Specifies the amount of the
  8    appropriation to be used to inspect and improve tie-downs
      for manufactured/mobile homes. Eliminates funding for
  9    retrofitting existing facilities used as public hurricane
      shelters. Authorizes the administering entity to enter
10    into a multi-year agreement. Requires the entity to
      monitor the performance criteria under the agreement and
11    issue a report.

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