§ 79-9-203 — Use of outdoor recreation mitigation grant funding.

(1) An eligible county that receives grant funding under Section 79-9-201:
(1)(a) shall use grant funding:
(1)(a)(i) to pay for any present or ongoing visitor-related emergency costs or visitor-related safety costs;
(1)(a)(ii) to reimburse a provider of search and rescue efforts or emergency medical services for any past, unpaid services within the eligible county;
(1)(a)(iii) to support the activities of a special district providing search and rescue efforts, emergency medical services, solid waste disposal, or road repair;
(1)(a)(iv) as proposed in the eligible county's or eligible special district's application for grant funding;
(1)(b) shall report to the division on the expenditures made with the grant funding by December 31 of each year in which grant funding is received or is unexpended;
(1)(c) may not use grant funding to:
(1)(c)(i) supplant existing funds; or
(1)(c)(ii) purchase real property or make payments toward the ownership or leasing of real property.
(2) If a grantee does not expend or encumber the funding within 18 months of the day on which the funding was received by the grantee due to a lack of need within the eligible county, the grantee:
(2)(a) shall inform the division regarding the remaining grant funding;
(2)(b) may retain the remaining grant funding until fully expended unless required by the division to return the remaining grant funding to the division; and
(2)(c) may not apply for a new outdoor recreation mitigation grant until the grant funding is fully expended or returned.
(3) Upon receipt of unexpended outdoor recreation mitigation grant funding from a grantee, the division shall deposit the unexpended grant funding into the Outdoor Recreation Mitigation Grant Fund created in Section 79-9-103.

Legislative History

Enacted by Chapter 270, 2025 General Session