Fla. Stat. § 215.971 — Florida Code / Title XIV / Chapter 215 / Section 215.971
215.971 Agreements funded with federal or state assistance.
Status: in_force

(1) An agency agreement that provides state financial assistance to a recipient or subrecipient, as those terms are defined in s. 215.97, or that provides federal financial assistance to a subrecipient, as defined by applicable United States Office of Management and Budget circulars, must include all of the following: (a) A provision specifying a scope of work that clearly establishes the tasks that the recipient or subrecipient is required to perform. (b) A provision dividing the agreement into quantifiable units of deliverables that must be received and accepted in writing by the agency before payment. Each deliverable must be directly related to the scope of work and specify the required minimum level of service to be performed and the criteria for evaluating the successful completion of each deliverable. (c) A provision specifying the financial consequences that apply if the recipient or subrecipient fails to perform the minimum level of service required by the agreement. The provision can be excluded from the agreement only if financial consequences are prohibited by the federal agency awarding the grant. Funds refunded to a state agency from a recipient or subrecipient for failure to perform as required under the agreement may be expended only in direct support of the program from which the agreement originated. (d) A provision specifying that a recipient or subrecipient of federal or state financial assistance may expend funds only for allowable costs resulting from obligations incurred during the specified agreement period. (e) A provision specifying that any balance of unobligated funds which has been advanced or paid must be refunded to the state agency. (f) A provision specifying that any funds paid in excess of the amount to which the recipient or subrecipient is entitled under the terms and conditions of the agreement must be refunded to the state agency. (g) Any additional information required pursuant to s. 215.97. (h) If the agency agreement provides federal or state financial assistance to a county or municipality that is a rural community or rural area of opportunity as those terms are defined in s. 288.0656(2), a provision allowing the agency to provide for the payment of invoices to the county, municipality, or rural area of opportunity as that term is defined in s. 288.0656(2), for verified and eligible performance that has been completed in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in the agreement. This provision is included to alleviate the financial hardships that certain rural counties and municipalities encounter when administering agreements, and must be exercised by the agency when a county or municipality demonstrates financial hardship, to the extent that federal or state law, rule, or other regulation allows such payments. This paragraph may not be construed to alter or limit any other provisions of federal or state law, rule, or other regulation.

(2) For each agreement funded with federal or state financial assistance, the state agency shall designate an employee to function as a grant manager who shall be responsible for enforcing performance of the agreement’s terms and conditions and who shall serve as a liaison with the recipient or subrecipient. (a)1. Each grant manager who is responsible for agreements in excess of the threshold amount for CATEGORY TWO under s. 287.017 must, at a minimum, complete training conducted by the Chief Financial Officer for accountability in contracts and grant management. 2. Effective December 1, 2014, each grant manager responsible for agreements in excess of $100,000 annually must complete the training and become a certified contract manager as provided under s. 287.057(15). All grant managers must become certified contract managers within 24 months after establishment of the training and certification requirements by the Department of Management Services and the Department of Financial Services. (b) The Chief Financial Officer shall establish and disseminate uniform procedures for grant management pursuant to s. 17.03(3) to ensure that services have been rendered in accordance with agreement terms before the agency processes an invoice for payment. The procedures must include, but need not be limited to, procedures for monitoring and documenting recipient or subrecipient performance, reviewing and documenting all deliverables for which payment is requested by the recipient or subrecipient, and providing written certification by the grant manager of the agency’s receipt of goods and services. (c) The grant manager shall reconcile and verify all funds received against all funds expended during the grant agreement period and produce a final reconciliation report. The final report must identify any funds paid in excess of the expenditures incurred by the recipient or subrecipient.

(3) After execution of a grant agreement, the Chief Financial Officer shall perform audits of the executed state and federal grant agreement documents and grant manager’s records in order to ensure that adequate internal controls are in place for complying with the terms and conditions of such agreements and for validation and receipt of goods and services. (a) At the conclusion of the audit, the Chief Financial Officer’s designee shall discuss the audit and potential findings with the official whose office is subject to audit. The final audit report shall be submitted to the agency head. (b) Within 30 days after receipt of the final audit report, the agency head shall submit to the Chief Financial Officer or designee his or her written statement of explanation or rebuttal concerning findings requiring corrective action, including corrective action to be taken to preclude a recurrence.

History: s. 8, ch. 2010-151; s. 2, ch. 2013-154; s. 9, ch. 2021-225; s. 1, ch. 2023-202.