Historic Preservation Grant Program.

(1) There is hereby created within the division the Historic Preservation Grant Program, which shall make grants of moneys appropriated by the Legislature, moneys deposited pursuant to s. 550.0351(2), and moneys contributed for that purpose from any other source. The program funds shall be used by the division for the purpose of financing grants in furtherance of the purposes of this section.

(2) The division is authorized to conduct and carry out a program of historic preservation grants-in-aid, including matching grants, to any department or agency of the state; any unit of county, municipal, or other local government; any corporation, partnership, or other organization, whether public or private or whether or not for profit; or any individual for projects having as their purpose the identification, acquisition, protection, preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, or construction of historic sites and properties, or Florida history, or the planning of such activities. Funds appropriated from general revenue for the historic preservation grants-in-aid program shall not be provided for a project owned by private individuals or owned by for-profit corporations. All moneys received from any source as appropriations, deposits, or contributions to this program shall be paid and credited to the Historical Resources Operating Trust Fund.

(3) All grants of state funds to assist in the preservation of historic properties shall be made from the Historical Resources Operating Trust Fund and may be awarded only pursuant to applications for such assistance made to the Division of Historical Resources. The Florida Historical Commission shall review each application for a special category historic preservation grant-in-aid. Special category historic preservation grants-in-aid are those reviewed and recommended by the Secretary of State for submission for legislative funding consideration. Grant review panels appointed by the Secretary of State and chaired by a member of the Florida Historical Commission or a designee appointed by the commission’s presiding officer shall review each application for other historic preservation grants-in-aid. The reviewing body shall submit annually to the Secretary of State for approval lists of all applications that are recommended by the reviewing body for the award of grants, arranged in order of priority.

(4) The Division of Historical Resources may accept and administer moneys appropriated to it for the purpose of providing grants for the projects approved by the Secretary of State.

(5) The Division of Historical Resources shall adopt rules prescribing the criteria to be applied by the Florida Historical Commission and the grant review panels in recommending applications for the award of grants and rules providing for the administration of the other provisions of this section.