CS/SB 2D
My Safe Florida Home Program
pp. 16–20; §215.5586(2)(10), F.S.
Appropriates $150 million from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Financial Services (DFS) My Safe Florida Home Program to provide hurricane mitigation inspections and matching grants for the performance of hurricane retrofitting on homestead single family homes with a value of $500,000 or less located in the wind-borne debris region set forth in the Florida Building Code.
The My Safe Florida Home Program, which is administered by the DFS, will provide financial incentives for Florida residential property owners to obtain free home inspections that would identify mitigation measures and provide grants to retrofit such properties, thereby reducing their vulnerability to hurricane damage and helping decrease the cost of residential property insurance.
Establishes additional eligibility criteria:
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Requires that a homeowner who participates in the program must agree to make his or her home available for inspection after the mitigation project is completed.
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Requires that a building permit for initial construction of the home must have been made before January 1, 2008.
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Requires the home to have undergone an acceptable hurricane mitigation inspection after July 1, 2008.
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Requires that grants awarded under the program provide $2 in grant funds for every $1 provided by the homeowner. Exceptions are provided for low-income homeowners. Applicants may receive up to $10,000 in program money.
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Requires the DFS to include the average annual amount of insurance premium discounts and the total of such discounts received from insurers in the annual report of program activities.
Allocates appropriated funds as follows:
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$25 million for hurricane mitigation inspections.
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$115 million for hurricane mitigation grants.
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$4 million for education and consumer awareness.
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$1 million for public outreach to contractors, real estate brokers, and sales associates.
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$5 million for administrative costs.
Provides that any unexpended balance of appropriated funds remaining on June 30, 2023, reverts and is appropriated to DFS for the 2023–2024 fiscal year for the My Safe Florida Home program.
Effective July 1, 2022.
Effective date: May 26, 2022, except as otherwise provided
Chapter No. 2022-268, LOF