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: 22 377.810Alternative 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.