81-12,241.01.

Economic Recovery and Incentives Division; North and South Omaha Recovery Grant Program; other grant funding; purposes; project; eligibility for grant; requirements; grants; payment.

(1)(a) The Economic Recovery and Incentives Division of the Department of Economic Development shall create and administer the North and South Omaha Recovery Grant Program to provide grants as provided in this section to public and private entities to respond to the negative impact of the COVID-19 public health emergency and build resilient and innovative communities.

(b) To be eligible for a grant under the North and South Omaha Recovery Grant Program, a project shall:

(i) Be listed in the coordination plan or appendices by the Economic Recovery Special Committee of the Legislature dated January 10, 2023; and

(ii) Explain how the grant will relieve the negative impact of the COVID-19 public health emergency within a qualified census tract or an economic redevelopment area located within the boundaries of a city of the metropolitan class and build resilient and innovative communities, with a priority on small business development, job creation, and economic development within such communities.

(2) When considering projects for grants under this section, the division shall use the coordination plan and appendices, dated January 10, 2023. Projects that would benefit communities and neighborhoods within qualified census tracts or economic redevelopment areas located within the boundaries of a city of the metropolitan class with a priority on small business development, job creation, and economic development within such communities and neighborhoods shall be prioritized.

(3) The division shall award additional grants for the following purposes:

(a) Not to exceed twenty million dollars in grants for the purpose of creating a museum located in one or more qualified census tracts located within the boundaries of a city of the metropolitan class and that is named in honor of a person inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame on or before September 1, 2023; and

(b) Not to exceed twenty million dollars in grants to federally qualified health centers located in a city of the metropolitan class. Such grants shall be used for persons receiving services under subsections (g), (h), or (i) of section 330 of the federal Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. 254b, as such section existed on January 1, 2023.

(4) For grants awarded under this section, the division shall pay a grantee an advance of fifty percent of the total grant awarded with the remaining grant funds paid on a monthly basis until the grant is paid in full or by December 31, 2027, whichever occurs sooner. If a grantee does not use the grant funds paid, the division may (a) require such grantee to return such unused grant funds upon a documented finding that such funds have not been used or (b) reduce any future monthly payments by the amount of such unused grant funds already paid.