Section 2A-9.002 - Grant Eligibility(1) Grants will only be awarded to official members, who have been provided a letter of agreement, or similar document, from the Board of County Commissioners for the county for which the grant is requested, unless the county has separately applied for the grant. Only one official member is eligible for support within any county and only one grant may be active per county at any one time. (a) The Florida Association of Crime Stoppers must submit to the Department by May 1 of each year a list of the crime stoppers organizations which are in good standing.(b) Within 10 days of determining same the Florida Association of Crime Stoppers shall provide to the Department in writing the name of any organization which is no longer in good standing.(c) A crime stoppers organization, who receives a grant from the trust fund, shall inform the Department within 10 days should it lose its standing as a Florida non-profit organization, is no longer recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as being a tax exempt organization under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or loses its status as a member in good standing.(d) Crime stoppers organizations that have had the letter of agreement, or similar document, revoked by their Board of County Commissioners shall immediately inform the Department of same.(e) If a crime stoppers organization is determined by the Department to no longer be an official member, then the Department shall notify the crime stoppers organization within 5 working days by certified mail that reimbursements will not be processed for payment until the Department has been notified that the crime stoppers organization is in good standing with the Florida Association of Crime Stoppers, has had their letter of agreement, or similar document reinstated by the Board of County Commissioners, has regained its standing as a Florida non-profit organization, and is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as being a tax exempt organization under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, as applicable.(f) Expenditures incurred during the time period in which the crime stoppers organization is not determined to be an official member or are acting without the specific authorization of their Board of County Commissioners shall be deemed ineligible for reimbursement.(2) Crime stoppers organizations applying for grant funding, as a part of their application, must submit a letter of agreement, or similar, from the county which gives the crime stoppers organization the authority as its "agent" for the purpose of applying for, receiving, and expending Crime Stoppers Trust Fund monies. The letter of agreement will remain in effect for no more than three years.(3) If the county elects to apply for grant funding instead of granting authority to the crime stoppers organization, then the following shall apply: (a) The county must be served by an official member.(b) The county must submit a letter with their application that states that the grant funding will only be used to support Crime Stoppers and their crime fighting programs.(4) Only one crime stoppers organization per county shall be eligible to receive funding from the Crime Stoppers Trust Fund.(5) A single crime stoppers organization may serve multiple counties with appropriate letters of agreement from each county that authorizes same to serve as the official member for that county.Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 2A-9.002
Rulemaking Authority 16.555(6) FS. Law Implemented 16.555, 16.556, 938.06 FS.
Adopted by Florida Register Volume 41, Number 111, June 9, 2015 effective 6/22/2015, Amended by Florida Register Volume 41, Number 228, November 24, 2015 effective 12/10/2015, Amended by Florida Register Volume 44, Number 153, August 7, 2018 effective 8/20/2018.New 6-22-15, Amended 12-10-15, 8-20-18.