1. (1) Grants will be awarded by the Department on an annual basis, subject to the availability of funds and the spending authority granted the Department by the Legislature, and shall be distributed pursuant to Section 16.555(5)(b), F.S.
2. (2) The amount of funding available for a crime stoppers organization or a county will be determined by the Department based upon all monies deposited pursuant to Section 938.06, F.S., available unused funds, the Department’s spending authority, and monies collected pursuant to financial consequences.

3. (3) The Department shall provide all known official members the following no later than April 1st of each calendar year:

   1. (a) The total funds available to each county for current year grant applications; and,
   2. (b) All applicable grant related forms and documentation.
4. (4) All applicable application forms, supporting document requirements, and instructions are available by contacting the Office of the Attorney General, PL-01, The Capitol, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1050, by telephone at (850)414-3360, or by logging into the EGrants management system.

5. (5) Applications will be accepted by the Office of the Attorney General through the EGrants management system beginning April 1st through the close of business on April 30th, unless an extension of time has been granted by the Department. Applications must include:

   1. (a) The original, fully completed and signed form CSA-1, entitled “Florida Crime Stoppers Trust Fund Grant Application,” effective July 2017. The application form is incorporated into this rule by reference at the following address: HYPERLINK "http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-06124" http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-06124.
   2. (b) Letter of Agreement(s), or similar document, from the county board of county commissioners authorizing the organization to apply for, receive, and expend grant funds. The letter of agreement will remain in effect for no more than three years.
   3. (c) Documentation that the organization is an official member of the Florida Association of Crime Stoppers, Inc., in good standing, unless the information is submitted by the association.
   4. (d) If a county is the applicant, a letter from the crime stoppers organization serving the county, which must be renewed and resubmitted every three years.
   5. (e) Job descriptions and minimum qualifications for all proposed Crime Stoppers Trust Fund-funded personnel or contract labor.
   6. (f) Copies of any office or other types of leases.
6. (6) Applications will be reviewed by the Department to determine if the conditions prescribed in the application have been satisfied and are in compliance with Section 216.3475, F.S.
7. (7) The Department will notify the applicant through the EGrants management system of the date that the applicant’s grant application is considered complete and acceptable. The Department will have 30 business days from the date of the acceptance of the complete grant application to provide the applicant with a contract for execution or from the date the Governor signs the state budget, whichever is later.

8. (8) Grants will be awarded annually by the Department, who may approve any portion of a grant budget up to the total amount requested. Approval of a grant application is subject to:

   1. (a) Availability of funds;
   2. (b) An applicant’s performance and compliance with the terms and conditions of a current or prior year grant agreement;
   3. (c) A completed cost/price analysis which is based upon the line item being reasonable, allowable, and necessary; and,
   4. (d) A limit of one grant award for each county within a judicial circuit per year that meets the requirements of the grant evaluation procedure.

Rulemaking Authority 16.555(6) FS. Law Implemented 16.555, 16.556, 938.06 FS. History–New 6-22-15, Amended 12-10-15, 1-17-18, 6-18-26.