§3109. Community Resilience Partnership Program
1.
Definition.
As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, "community" means a municipal government, tribal government, plantation, township or unorganized territory.
[PL 2023, c. 412, Pt. OOOO, §1 (NEW).]
2.
Program established; administration.
The Community Resilience Partnership Program, referred to in this section as "the program," is established within the office to provide direction, assistance and grants to communities in the State to help the communities reduce carbon emissions, transition to clean energy and become more resilient to the effects of climate change. The office shall administer the program to provide technical and financial assistance for local and regional planning and implementation projects consistent with the State's emissions reduction targets under Title 38, section 576‑A and the state climate action plan under Title 38, section 577.
[PL 2023, c. 412, Pt. OOOO, §1 (NEW).]
3.
Grants.
The program shall make grants from money appropriated to the program by the Legislature and any funds received by the office for the purposes of the program, including federal funding or private funds.
A.
The program may solicit applications for grants and make grant awards through a competitive process to eligible communities and to service provider organizations as determined by the program.
[PL 2023, c. 412, Pt. OOOO, §1 (NEW).]
B.
The department may establish eligibility requirements and other criteria to consider in awarding grants, as long as the criteria support the goals to help communities reduce carbon emissions, transition to clean energy and become more resilient to the effects of climate change.
[PL 2023, c. 412, Pt. OOOO, §1 (NEW).]
C.
To maximize the availability of the technical and financial assistance program to all communities and to multi-community regions and service providers, financial assistance programs administered competitively under this section are exempt from rules adopted by the Department of Administrative and Financial Services pursuant to section 1825‑C for use in the purchasing of services and the awarding of grants and contracts. The department shall publish a program statement describing its grant program and advertising its availability to eligible applicants.
[PL 2023, c. 412, Pt. OOOO, §1 (NEW).]
D.
Grants awarded under this section may be for a period of up to 2 years. Recipients of grant funds through the program shall cooperate with the office's performance of periodic evaluations. The recipients shall meet the office's specific reporting requirements.
[PL 2023, c. 412, Pt. OOOO, §1 (NEW).]
[PL 2023, c. 412, Pt. OOOO, §1 (NEW).]
4.
Other technical assistance.
The program may provide other technical assistance and knowledge sharing that may include, but is not limited to, assisting communities with information about available grant opportunities, sharing best practices from jurisdictions inside and outside the State, providing model language for local ordinances and policies and providing information to the general public that may support local and statewide policy changes meant to reduce emissions, encourage the transition to clean energy and increase resiliency to the effects of climate change.
[PL 2023, c. 412, Pt. OOOO, §1 (NEW).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 2023, c. 412, Pt. OOOO, §1 (NEW).