(1) A county or district may, without contributing matching funds, receive state funds, supplies, services, or equipment in an amount of no more than $50,000 per year for up to 3 years for any new program for the control of mosquitoes and other arthropods which serves an area not previously served by the county or district. These funds may be expended for any and all types of control measures approved by the department.

(2) Every county or district budgeting local funds to be used exclusively for the control of mosquitoes and other arthropods, under a plan submitted by the county or district and approved by the department, is eligible to receive state funds and supplies, services, and equipment on a dollar-for-dollar matching basis to the amount of local funds budgeted. If state funds appropriated by the Legislature are insufficient to grant each county or district state funds on a dollar-for-dollar matching basis to the amount budgeted in local funds, the department shall distribute the funds as prescribed by rule. Such rules shall provide for up to 80 percent of the funds to be distributed to programs with local funds for mosquito control budgets of less than $1 million, if the county or district meets the eligibility requirements. The funds shall be distributed as equally as possible within the category of counties pursuant to this section. The remaining funds shall be distributed as prescribed by rule among the remaining counties to support mosquito control and to support research, education, and outreach.

(3) Every county shall be limited to receive a total of $120,000 of state funds, exclusive of state funds brought forward, during any one year.

(4) Up to 20 percent of the annual funds appropriated to local governments for arthropod control may be used for arthropod control research or demonstration projects as approved by the department.

(5) If more than one local mosquito control agency exists in a county, the funds shall be prorated between the agencies based on the population served by each agency.

(6) The Commissioner of Agriculture may exempt counties or districts from the requirements in subsection (1), subsection (2), or subsection (3) when the department determines state funds, supplies, services, or equipment are necessary for the immediate control of mosquitoes and other arthropods that pose a threat to human or animal health.

(7) The department may use state funds appropriated for a county or district under subsection (1) or subsection (2) to provide state mosquito or other arthropod control equipment, supplies, or services when requested by a county or district eligible to receive state funds under s. 388.271.

(8) The department is authorized to use up to 5 percent of the funds appropriated annually by the Legislature under this section to provide technical assistance to the counties or districts, or to purchase equipment, supplies, or services necessary to administer the provisions of this chapter.

History.—s. 2, ch. 59-195; s. 1, ch. 63-236; ss. 19, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 162, ch. 77-147; s. 2, ch. 90-90; s. 9, ch. 92-203; s. 13, ch. 2002-295; s. 5, ch. 2013-226; s. 52, ch. 2015-222; s. 6, ch. 2017-4.