THE BILL ITSELF
CS/SB 1706
My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program
Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 1706 By the Committee on Appropriations; and Senator Pizzo 576-03008-26 20261706c1
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A bill to be entitled
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An act relating to the My Safe Florida Condominium
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Pilot Program; amending s. 215.55871, F.S.; defining
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the term “area median income”; deleting the definition
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of the term “service area”; revising definitions;
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revising eligibility requirements for participation in
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the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program;
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requiring the Department of Financial Services to
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adopt rules to verify household income; authorizing
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the department to require periodic recertification;
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specifying that condominium property with mixed-income
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occupancies is eligible to participate in the pilot
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program under certain circumstances; authorizing
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financial grants to be used by associations for a
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specified purpose; requiring that an application for a
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mitigation grant include documentation to verify
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household income; making clarifying changes; requiring
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a hurricane mitigation inspector to verify the
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possession of water intrusion mitigation devices;
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limiting the award of grant funds; requiring an
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association to complete a certain percentage of
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opening protection improvements; providing an
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effective date.
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Section 1. Subsections (1), (2), and (5) of section
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215.55871, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
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215.55871 My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program.—There
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is established within the Department of Financial Services the
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My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program to be implemented
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pursuant to appropriations. The department shall provide fiscal
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accountability, contract management, and strategic leadership
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for the pilot program, consistent with this section. This
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section does not create an entitlement for associations or unit
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owners or obligate the state in any way to fund the inspection
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or retrofitting of condominiums in the state. Implementation of
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this pilot program is subject to annual legislative
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appropriations. It is the intent of the Legislature that the My
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Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program provide licensed
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inspectors to perform inspections for and grants to eligible
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associations as funding allows.
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(1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
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(a) “Area median income” means the median household income,
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as published annually by the United States Department of Housing
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and Urban Development, for the county in which the condominium
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property is located.
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(b) (a) “Association” has the same meaning as in s. 718.103.
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(c) (b) “Association property” means property, real and
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personal, which is owned or leased by, or is dedicated by a
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recorded plat to, an association for the use and benefit of its
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members and is located in the service area .
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(d) (c) “Board of administration” has the same meaning as in
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s. 718.103.
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(e) (d) “Condominium” has the same meaning as in s. 718.103.
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For purposes of this section, the term does not include detached
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units on individual parcels of land.
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(f) (e) “Condominium property” means the lands, leaseholds,
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and personal property that are subjected to condominium
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ownership, whether or not contiguous, and all improvements
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thereon and all easements and rights appurtenant thereto
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intended for use in connection with the condominium and are
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located in the service area .
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(g) (f) “Department” means the Department of Financial
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Services.
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(h) (g) “Property” means association property and
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condominium property, as applicable , located in the service
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area .
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(h) “Service area” means the area of the state which is 15
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miles inward of a coastline, as that term is defined in s.
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376.031.
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(i) “Unit” has the same meaning as in s. 718.103.
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(j) “Unit owner” has the same meaning as in s. 718.103.
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(2) PARTICIPATION.—
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(a) Participation in the pilot program is limited to :
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1. Condominium associations in which the structures or
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buildings on the condominium property were constructed before
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January 1, 2008.
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2. Condominium associations in which at least 80 percent of
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the occupied units within the condominium property are owned and
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occupied by a person or family whose household annual income is
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at or below 80 percent of the area median income, adjusted for
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household size, applicable to the county in which the
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condominium is located. Eligibility must be determined using the
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area median income published at the time an application is
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submitted. For purposes of determining whether a condominium
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association meets the 80 percent unit-occupied threshold:
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a. Only occupied residential units may be counted.
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b. Owner-occupied residential units may be counted as long
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as the persons or families living in such residential units
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provide income documentation to the department and the
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department has verified that such person or family meets the
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income requirements of this subparagraph.
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3. Structures or buildings on the condominium property
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which are three or more stories in height, provided that each
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structure or building that is the subject of a mitigation grant
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contains at least two single-family dwellings.
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(b) The department shall adopt rules establishing
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acceptable methods for verifying household income, including,
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but not limited to, owner self-certification, tax returns,
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income statements, or other documentation deemed sufficient by
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the department. The department may require periodic
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recertification of income eligibility to ensure compliance with
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this section.
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(c) A condominium property with mixed-income occupancies is
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eligible to participate in the pilot program under this section
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if the income threshold in subparagraph (a)2. is met.
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(d) (b) In order to apply for an inspection under subsection
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(4) or a grant under subsection (5) for association property or
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condominium property, an association must receive approval by a
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majority vote of the board of administration or a majority vote
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of the total voting interests of the association to participate
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in the pilot program. An association may not apply for an
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inspection under subsection (4) or a grant under subsection (5)
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for association property or condominium property unless the
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association has complied with the inspection requirements in ss.
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553.899 and 718.112(2)(g) and (h). An association may not apply
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for a grant under sub-subparagraph (5)(e)1.a. subparagraph
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(5)(e)1. for association property or condominium property unless
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the windows of the association property or condominium property
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are established as common elements in the declaration.
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(e) (c) In order to apply for a grant under subsection (5)
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which improves one or more units within a condominium, an
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association must receive both of the following:
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1. Approval by a majority vote of the board of
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administration or a majority vote of the total voting interests
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of the association to participate in a mitigation inspection.
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2. Approval by at least 75 percent of all unit owners who
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reside within the structure or building that is the subject of
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the mitigation grant.
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(f) (d) A unit owner may participate in the pilot program
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through a mitigation grant awarded to the association but may
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not participate individually in the pilot program.
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(g) (e) The votes required under this subsection may take
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place at the annual budget meeting of the association or at a
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unit owner meeting called for the purpose of taking such vote.
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Before a vote of the unit owners may be taken, the association
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must provide to the unit owners a clear disclosure of the pilot
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program on a form created by the department. The president and
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the treasurer of the board of administration must sign the
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disclosure form indicating that a copy of the form was provided
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to each unit owner of the association. The signed disclosure
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form and the minutes from the meeting at which the unit owners
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voted to participate in the pilot program must be maintained as
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part of the official records of the association. Within 14 days
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after an affirmative vote to participate in the pilot program,
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the association must provide written notice in the same manner
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as required under s. 718.112(2)(d) to all unit owners of the
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decision to participate in the pilot program.
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(5) MITIGATION GRANTS.—Financial grants may be used by
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associations to make improvements that recommended in a
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hurricane mitigation inspection report which increase the
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condominium’s resistance to hurricane damage as provided in this
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subsection .
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(a) An application for a mitigation grant must:
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1. Contain a signed or electronically verified statement
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made under penalty of perjury by the president of the board of
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administration that the association has submitted only a single
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application for each property that the association operates or
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maintains.
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2. Include a notarized statement from the president of the
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board of administration containing the name and license number
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of each contractor the association intends to use for the
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mitigation project.
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3. Include a notarized statement from the president of the
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board of administration which commits to the department that the
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association will complete the mitigation improvements. If the
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grant will be used to improve units, the application must also
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include an acknowledged statement from each unit owner who is
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required to provide approval for a grant under paragraph (2)(e)
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(2)(c) .
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4. Include documentation deemed sufficient by the
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department under paragraph (2)(b) for verifying household
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income.
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(b) An association may select its own contractors for the
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mitigation project as long as each contractor meets all
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qualification, certification, or licensing requirements in
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general law. A mitigation project must be performed by a
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properly licensed contractor who has secured all required local
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permits necessary for the project. The department must
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electronically verify that the contractor’s state license number
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is accurate and up to date before approving a grant application.
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(c) An association awarded a grant must complete the entire
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mitigation project in order to receive the final grant award and
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must agree to make the property available for a final inspection
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once the mitigation project is finished to ensure the mitigation
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improvements are completed in a manner consistent with the
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intent of the pilot program and meet or exceed the applicable
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Florida Building Code requirements. Construction must be
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completed and the association must submit a request to the
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department for a final inspection, or request an extension of
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time, within 1 year after receiving grant approval. If the
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association fails to comply with this paragraph, the application
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is deemed abandoned and the grant money reverts back to the
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department.
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(d) Grant projects shall be funded as follows:
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1. All grants must be matched on the basis of $1 provided
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by the association for $2 provided by the state toward the
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actual cost of the project.
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2. An association may receive grant funds for both roof
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related and opening protection-related projects, but the maximum
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total grant award may not exceed $175,000 per association.
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3. The department may not accept grant applications or
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maintain a waiting list for grants after the cumulative value of
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the grants awarded have fully obligated the appropriation,
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unless otherwise expressly authorized by the Legislature.
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(e) Grant funds may only be used for the following:
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1. water intrusion mitigation devices or Mitigation
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improvements recommended in a hurricane mitigation inspection
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report which that will result in a mitigation credit, discount,
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or other rate differential for the building or structure to
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which the improvement is such device or improvement is applied
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or made , including . When recommended by a hurricane mitigation
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inspection report, grants for eligible associations may be used
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for the following improvements:
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a. 1. Opening protection improvements, including all of the
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following:
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(I) a. Exterior doors.
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(II) b. Garage doors.
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(III) c. Windows.
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(IV) d. Skylights.
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b. 2. Roof improvements, including all of the following:
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(I) a. Reinforcing roof-to-wall connections.
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(II) b. Improving the strength of roof-deck attachments.
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(III) c. Installing secondary water resistance for the roof.
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(IV) d. Replacing the roof covering.
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2. Water intrusion mitigation devices designed to prevent
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wind-driven rainwater intrusion through the tracks of sliding
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glass doors. Grant funds authorized under this subparagraph are
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not contingent upon a recommendation in a hurricane mitigation
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inspection report. However, a hurricane mitigation inspector
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must verify the use of such a device.
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(f) Except for the water intrusion mitigation devices as
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specified in subparagraph (e)2., mitigation improvements must be
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identified in the final hurricane mitigation inspection report
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in order for an association to receive grant funds.
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(g) If improvements to protect the property which that
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complied with the current applicable building code at the time
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have been previously installed, the association must use a
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mitigation grant to install improvements that do both of the
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following:
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1. Comply with or exceed the applicable building code in
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effect at the time the association applied for the grant.
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2. Provide more hurricane protection than the improvements
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that the association previously installed.
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(h) The association may not use a mitigation grant to:
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1. Install the same type of improvements that were
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previously installed; or
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2. Pay a deductible for a pending insurance claim for
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damage that is part of the property for which grant funds are
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being received.
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(i) The department shall develop a process that ensures the
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most efficient means to collect and verify inspection and grant
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applications to determine eligibility. The department may direct
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hurricane mitigation inspectors to collect and verify inspection
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and grant application information or use the Internet or other
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electronic means to collect information and determine
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eligibility.
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(j) Grant funds may only be awarded for a mitigation
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improvement that addresses the common elements of the
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condominium property that will result in a mitigation credit,
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discount, or other rate differential for the building or
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structure to which the improvement is made . As a condition of
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receiving awarding a grant, the association department must
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complete 100 percent of the opening protection improvements to
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the common elements which were recommended in the final
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hurricane mitigation inspection report require mitigation
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improvements to be made to all openings , including exterior
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doors, garage doors, windows, and skylights that are a part of
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the common elements , if doing so is necessary for the building
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or structure to qualify for a mitigation credit, discount, or
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other rate differential .
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Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.