HB 803 2024 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb0803-00 Page 1 of 7 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 A bill to be entitled 1 An act relating to alternative fuel fleet vehicle 2 rebates; amending s. 377.810, F.S.; renaming the 3 natural gas fuel fleet vehicle rebate program as the 4 alternative fuel fleet vehicle rebate program; 5 defining and redefining terms; revising the program to 6 include rebates for certain fleet vehicles powered by 7 alternative fuels, rather than only for fleet vehicles 8 fueled by natural gas; requiring such fleet v ehicles 9 to comply with specified emission standards; requiring 10 the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to 11 adopt rules by a specified date; requiring the 12 department to submit an annual assessment of the 13 program to the Governor and the Legislatur e by a 14 specified date; removing obsolete language ; providing 15 an effective date. 16 17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 18 19 Section 1. Section 377.810, Florida Statutes, is reordered 20 and amended to read: 21 377.810 Alternative Natural gas fuel fleet vehicle rebate 22 program.— 23 (1) CREATION AND PURPOSE OF PROGRAM. —There is created 24 within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services an 25 HB 803 2024 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb0803-00 Page 2 of 7 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 alternative a natural gas fuel fleet vehicle rebate program. The 26 purpose of the this program is to help reduce transportation 27 costs in this state and encourage freight mobility investments 28 that contribute to the economic growth of the state. 29 (2) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section, the term: 30 (b)(a) "Conversion costs" means the excess cost a ssociated 31 with retrofitting a diesel or gasoline powered motor vehicle to 32 an alternative a natural gas fuel powered motor vehicle. 33 (c)(b) "Department" means the Department of Agriculture 34 and Consumer Services. 35 (d) "Electric" means a power source that u ses electricity 36 produced by rechargeable storage batteries to power a motor 37 vehicle. 38 (e)(c) "Eligible costs" means the cost of conversion or 39 the incremental cost incurred by an applicant in connection with 40 an investment in the conversion, purchase, or le ase lasting at 41 least 5 years, of an alternative fuel a natural gas fleet 42 vehicle placed into service on or after July 1, 2024 2013. The 43 term does not include costs for project development, fueling 44 stations, or other fueling infrastructure. 45 (f)(d) "Fleet vehicles" means three or more motor vehicles 46 registered in this state and used for commercial business or 47 governmental purposes. 48 (g) "Hybrid" means a power source that draws propulsion 49 energy from onboard sources of stored energy in the form of an 50 HB 803 2024 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb0803-00 Page 3 of 7 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 internal combustion or a heat engine using combustible fuel and 51 a rechargeable energy -storage system to power a motor vehicle. 52 (h)(e) "Incremental costs" means the excess costs 53 associated with the purchase or lease of an alternative a 54 natural gas fuel motor vehicle as compared to an equivalent 55 diesel- or gasoline-powered motor vehicle. 56 (i) "Motor vehicle" has the same meaning as in s. 57 206.01(23). 58 (a)(f) "Alternative Natural gas fuel" means any liquefied 59 petroleum gas product ; hybrid, electric, or compressed natural 60 gas product;, or combination thereof used in a motor vehicle . 61 The as defined in s. 206.01(23). This term includes, but is not 62 limited to, all forms of fuel commonly or commercially known or 63 sold as natural gasoline, butane gas, propane gas, or any other 64 form of liquefied petroleum gas, compressed natural gas, or 65 liquefied natural gas. The This term does not include natural 66 gas or liquefied petroleum placed in a separate tank of a motor 67 vehicle for cooking, heating, water heating, or elec tric 68 generation. 69 (3) ALTERNATIVE NATURAL GAS FUEL FLEET VEHICLE REBATE. —The 70 department shall award rebates for eligible costs as defined in 71 this section. Forty percent of the annual allocation must shall 72 be reserved for governmental applicants, with the remaining 73 funds allocated for commercial applicants. A rebate may not 74 exceed 50 percent of the eligible costs of an alternative a 75 HB 803 2024 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb0803-00 Page 4 of 7 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 natural gas fuel fleet vehicle with a dedicated alternative or 76 bi-fuel natural gas fuel operating system placed into service o n 77 or after July 1, 2024 2013. An applicant is eligible to receive 78 a maximum rebate of $25,000 per vehicle up to a total of 79 $250,000 per fiscal year. Between June 1 and June 30 of each 80 fiscal year, the department may receive additional applications 81 from applicants that have met the program maximum of $250,000 82 per fiscal year. Those applicants may apply for additional funds 83 for vehicles that have not received a rebate, for a maximum 84 rebate of $25,000 per vehicle up to a total of $250,000. 85 Governmental applica nts shall have preference, and any other 86 remaining funds may be used by commercial applicants. Rebates 87 must shall be allocated to eligible applicants on a first -come, 88 first-served basis, determined by the date the department 89 receives the application, until all appropriated funds for the 90 fiscal year are expended. All alternative natural gas fuel fleet 91 vehicles eligible for the rebate must comply with applicable 92 United States Environmental Protection Agency emission 93 standards. 94 (4) APPLICATION PROCESS. — 95 (a) An applicant seeking to obtain a rebate shall submit 96 an application to the department by a specified date each year 97 as established by department rule. The application must shall 98 require a complete description of all eligible costs, proof of 99 purchase or lease of the vehicle for which the applicant is 100 HB 803 2024 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb0803-00 Page 5 of 7 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 seeking a rebate, a copy of the vehicle registration 101 certificate, a description of the total rebate sought by the 102 applicant, and any other information deemed necessary by the 103 department. The application form a dopted by department rule must 104 include an affidavit from the applicant certifying that all 105 information contained in the application is true and correct. 106 (b) The department shall determine the rebate eligibility 107 of each applicant in accordance with the requirements of this 108 section and department rule. The total amount of rebates 109 allocated to certified applicants in each fiscal year may not 110 exceed the amount appropriated for the program in the fiscal 111 year. Rebates must shall be allocated to eligible applica nts on 112 a first-come, first-served basis, determined by the date the 113 application is received, until all appropriated funds for the 114 fiscal year are expended or the program ends, whichever comes 115 first. The department may not accept incomplete applications 116 submitted to the department will not be accepted and such 117 applications do not secure a place in the first -come, first-118 served application process. 119 (5) RULES.—The department shall adopt rules to implement 120 and administer this section by December 31, 2024 2013, including 121 rules relating to the forms required to claim a rebate under 122 this section, the required documentation and basis for 123 establishing eligibility for a rebate, procedures and guidelines 124 for claiming a rebate, and the collection of economic impact 125 HB 803 2024 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb0803-00 Page 6 of 7 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 data from applicants. 126 (6) PUBLICATION.—The department shall determine and 127 publish on its website on an ongoing basis the amount of 128 available funding for rebates remaining in each fiscal year. 129 (7) ANNUAL ASSESSMENT. —By October 1, 2026 2014, and each 130 year thereafter that the program is funded, the department shall 131 provide an annual assessment of the use of the rebate program 132 during the previous fiscal year to the Governor, the President 133 of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Represen tatives, 134 and the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government 135 Accountability. The assessment must shall include, at a minimum, 136 all of the following information: 137 (a) The name of each applicant awarded a rebate under this 138 section.; 139 (b) The amount of the rebates awarded to each applicant .; 140 (c) The type and description of each eligible vehicle for 141 which each applicant applied for a rebate .; and 142 (d) The aggregate amount of funding awarded for all 143 applicants claiming rebates under this section. 144 (8) REPORT.—By January 31, 2016, the Office of Program 145 Policy Analysis and Government Accountability shall release a 146 report reviewing the rebate program to the Governor, the 147 President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of 148 Representatives. The review s hall include an analysis of the 149 economic benefits resulting to the state from the program. 150 HB 803 2024 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb0803-00 Page 7 of 7 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 (9) EFFECTIVE DATE. —This section shall take effect July 1, 151 2013. 152 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 153