(1) There is created the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Program within the Department of Transportation to finance port transportation or port facilities projects that will improve the movement and intermodal transportation of cargo or passengers in commerce and trade and that will support the interests, purposes, and requirements of ports located in this state.

(2) A minimum of $8 million per year shall be made available from the State Transportation Trust Fund to fund the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Program.

(3)

(a) Program funds shall be used to fund approved projects on a 50-50 matching basis with any of the deepwater ports, as listed in s. 403.021(9)(b), which is governed by a public body or any other deepwater port which is governed by a public body and which complies with the water quality provisions of s. 403.061, the comprehensive master plan requirements of s. 163.3178(2)(k), the local financial management and reporting provisions of part III of chapter 218, and the auditing provisions of s. 11.45(3)(a)4. Moneys in the trust fund may also be used for the acquisition of economic benefit and trade data information.

(b) Projects eligible for funding by grants under the program are limited to the following port facilities or port transportation projects: 1. Transportation facilities within the jurisdiction of the port. 2. The dredging or deepening of channels, turning basins, or harbors. 3. The construction or rehabilitation of wharves, docks, structures, jetties, piers, storage facilities, cruise terminals, automated people mover systems, or any facilities necessary or useful in connection with any of the foregoing. 4. The acquisition of container cranes or other mechanized equipment used in the movement of cargo or passengers in international commerce. 5. The acquisition of land to be used for port purposes. 6. The acquisition, improvement, enlargement, or extension of existing port facilities. 7. Environmental protection projects which are necessary because of requirements imposed by a state agency as a condition of a permit or other form of state approval; which are necessary for environmental mitigation required as a condition of a state, federal, or local environmental permit; which are necessary for the acquisition of spoil disposal sites and improvements to existing and future spoil sites; or which result from the funding of eligible projects listed herein. 8. Transportation facilities as defined in s. 334.03(31) which are not otherwise part of the Department of Transportation's adopted work program.

(c) To be eligible for consideration by the council pursuant to this section, a project must be consistent with the port comprehensive master plan which is incorporated as part of the approved local government comprehensive plan as required by s. 163.3178(2)(k) or other provisions of the Local Government Comprehensive Planning and Land Development Regulation Act, part II of chapter 163.

(4) A port eligible for matching funds under the program may receive a distribution of not more than $7 million during any 1 calendar year and a distribution of not more than $30 million during any 5-calendar-year period.

(5) Any port which receives funding under the program shall institute procedures to ensure that jobs created as a result of the state funding shall be subject to equal opportunity hiring practices in the manner provided in s. 110.112.

(6) The Department of Transportation shall subject any project that receives funds pursuant to this section to a final audit. The department may adopt rules and perform such other acts as are necessary or convenient to ensure that the final audits are conducted and that any deficiency or questioned costs noted by the audit are resolved. History: s. 65, ch. 90-136; s. 5, ch. 91-429; s. 55, ch. 93-120; s. 20, ch. 94-237.