Department; powers and duties.

(1) Funds deposited into the Emergency Medical Services Trust Fund as provided by ss. 316.061, 316.192, 318.21, and 938.07 must be used solely to improve and expand prehospital emergency medical services in the state.

(2) The department shall annually dispense funds contained in the Emergency Medical Services Trust Fund as follows:

(a) Forty-five percent of such moneys must be divided among the counties according to the proportion of the combined amount deposited in the trust fund from the county. These funds may not be used to match grant funds as identified in paragraph (b). An individual board of county commissioners may distribute these funds to emergency medical services organizations and youth athletic organizations within the county, as it deems appropriate.

(b) Forty percent of such moneys must be used by the department for making matching grants to local agencies, municipalities, emergency medical services organizations, and youth athletic organizations for the purpose of conducting research, increasing existing levels of emergency medical services, evaluation, community education, injury-prevention programs, and training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other lifesaving and first aid techniques.

1. At least 90 percent of these moneys must be made available on a cash matching basis. A grant made under this subparagraph must be contingent upon the recipient providing a cash sum equal to 25 percent of the total department-approved grant amount.

2. No more than 10 percent of these moneys must be made available to rural emergency medical services, and notwithstanding the restrictions specified in subsection (1), these moneys may be used for improvement, expansion, or continuation of services provided. A grant made under this subparagraph must be contingent upon the recipient providing a cash sum equal to no more than 10 percent of the total department-approved grant amount.

The department shall develop procedures and standards for grant disbursement under this paragraph based on the need for emergency medical services, the requirements of the population to be served, and the objectives of the state emergency medical services plan.

(c) Fifteen percent of such moneys must be used by the department for capital equipment outlay, personnel, community education, evaluation, and other costs associated with the administration of this chapter. Any moneys not annually used for this purpose must be used for making additional rural grant funds available.