Local matching funds; grant awards.

(1) One or more Closing the Gap grants may be awarded in a county, or in a group of adjoining counties from which a multicounty application is submitted.

(2) Closing the Gap grants shall be awarded on a matching basis. One dollar in local matching funds must be provided for each $3 grant payment made by the state, except that:

(a) In counties with populations greater than 50,000, up to 50 percent of the local match may be in kind in the form of free services or human resources. Fifty percent of the local match must be in the form of cash.

(b) In counties with populations of 50,000 or less, the required local matching funds may be provided entirely through in-kind contributions.

(c) Grant awards to Front Porch Florida Communities shall not be required to have a matching requirement.

(3) The amount of the grant award shall be based on the county or neighborhood’s population, or on the combined population in a group of adjoining counties from which a multicounty application is submitted, and on other factors, as determined by the department.

(4) The department may not establish a minimum amount or a maximum amount for grants and shall determine the amount of each award based on the merits of the application. The department shall ensure that grants are awarded to applicants in various regions of this state.

(5) In addition to the requirements provided in s. 381.7353, and subject to the availability of state and federal funds in the HIV/AIDS program, the department shall promote synergistic initiatives between the Closing the Gap grant program and the HIV/AIDS program to leverage the expertise of the Closing the Gap grant program. These initiatives may include the establishment of a supplemental grant program whereby persons, entities, or organizations eligible for a Closing the Gap grant under s. 381.7354 may submit to the department a grant proposal, pursuant to the application process established under s. 381.7355, for funding to further the purposes listed in s. 381.7355(2)(a) and to promote innovative prevention, treatment, and awareness initiatives for minority populations in metropolitan areas which have a higher prevalence of HIV/AIDS for the purposes of reducing the incidence of the HIV infection in such communities and prioritizing the identification of individuals, in a manner consistent with the clinical guidelines of the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, who are not yet aware of their HIV status.

(6) A Closing the Gap grant shall be funded for 1 year and may be renewed annually upon application to and approval by the department, subject to the achievement of quality standards, objectives, and outcomes and to the availability of funds.

(7) Implementation of the Reducing Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities: Closing the Gap grant program shall be subject to a specific appropriation provided in the General Appropriations Act.