Florida 2023 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H1181 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
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3		-	~~CS/~~HB 1181 2023
	3	+	HB 1181 2023
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7	7		CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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10	10		F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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14	14		A bill to be entitled 1
15	15		An act relating to seagrass restoration; creating s. 2
16	16		403.93344, F.S.; providing legislative intent; 3
17	17		defining terms; establishing the Seagrass Restoration 4
18	18		Technology Development Initiative within the 5
19	19		Department of Environmental Protection; providing the 6
20	20		purpose and goal of the initiative; providing for 7
21	21		funding; specifying allowable uses of the funding; 8
22	22		requiring the creation of a 10 -year Florida Seagrass 9
23	23		Restoration Plan; requiring the initiative to submit 10
24	24		an annual report by a specified date to the Governor, 11
25	25		the Legislature, the Secretary of Environmental 12
26	26		Protection, and the executive director of the Fish and 13
27	27		Wildlife Conservation Commission; establishing th e 14
28	28		Initiative Technology Advisory Council as part of the 15
29	29		initiative; providing for the meetings, membership, 16
30	30		terms of office, and compensation of the advisory 17
31	31		council; providing for the expiration of the 18
32	32		initiative; providing an appropriation; providing an 19
33	33		effective date. 20
34	34		21
35	35		Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 22
36	36		23
37	37		Section 1. Section 403.93344, Florida Statutes, is created 24
38	38		to read: 25
39	39
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47	47		F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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51	51		403.93344 Seagrass Restoration Technology Development 26
52	52		Initiative; Initiative Technology Advisory Counc il.— 27
53	53		(1) It is the intent of the Legislature to establish a 28
54	54		collaborative and coordinated effort among public and private 29
55	55		research entities to develop restoration technologies and 30
56	56		approaches to address the loss of seagrass and the cascading 31
57	57		ecological and economic impacts of that loss to communities in 32
58	58		this state. 33
59	59		(2) As used in this section, the term: 34
60	60		(a) "Department" means the Department of Environmental 35
61	61		Protection. 36
62	62		(b) "Initiative" means the Seagrass Restoration Technology 37
63	63		Development Initiative. 38
64		-	(c) "Program" means the Aquatic ~~Preserve~~ Program within 39
65		-	~~the~~ department's Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection. 40
	64	+	(c) "Program" means the Aquatic Reserve Program within the 39
	65	+	department's Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection. 40
66	66		(3) The Seagrass Restoration Technology Development 41
67	67		Initiative is established within the department as a partnership 42
68	68		between the program, Mote Marine Laboratory, and the University 43
69	69		of Florida. 44
70	70		(a) The purpose of the initiative is to take the lead in 45
71	71		and expedite the development of innovative technologies and 46
72	72		approaches that are critically needed to restore coastal 47
73	73		seagrass ecosystems b y building upon research and restoration 48
74	74		efforts in the public and private sectors. 49
75	75		(b) The goal of the initiative is to develop, test, and 50
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	77	+	HB 1181 2023
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84	84		F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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88	88		implement innovative, effective, and environmentally sustainable 51
89	89		technologies and approaches for restoring coastal seagrass 52
90	90		ecosystems. 53
91	91		(c) The department shall award funds specifically 54
92	92		appropriated by the Legislature for the initiative to Mote 55
93	93		Marine Laboratory, which shall function as the lead 56
94	94		administrative component to achieve the goals of the initiative. 57
95	95		1. Mote Marine Laboratory may, with the concurrence of the 58
96	96		department, use a portion of the awarded funds to facilitate 59
97	97		additional engagement with other pertinent marine science and 60
98	98		technology development organizations in this state and around 61
99	99		the world to pursue applied research and technology for the 62
100	100		successful restoration of seagrass ecosystems. 63
101	101		2. Mote Marine Laboratory may not use more than 5 percent 64
102	102		of its awarded funds for direct annual initiative administration 65
103	103		and coordination costs. 66
104	104		3. The initiative shall leverage state -appropriated funds 67
105	105		with additional funds from private and federal sources. 68
106	106		(d) In collaboration with the program, Mote Marine 69
107	107		Laboratory and the University of Florida shall create a 10 -year 70
108	108		Florida Seagrass Restoration Pla n to implement tools and 71
109	109		technologies developed under the initiative. 72
110	110		(e) Beginning January 15, 2024, and each January 15 73
111	111		thereafter until its expiration, the initiative shall submit a 74
112	112		report that contains an overview of its accomplishments to date 75
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118	118		CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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121	121		F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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125	125		and priorities for subsequent years to the Governor, the 76
126	126		President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of 77
127	127		Representatives, the Secretary of Environmental Protection, and 78
128	128		the executive director of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation 79
129	129		Commission. 80
130	130		(4) The Initiative Technology Advisory Council, an 81
131	131		advisory council as defined in s. 20.03(7), is established as 82
132	132		part of the initiative. The advisory council's membership must 83
133	133		include marine science, technology development, and natural 84
134	134		resource management representati ves from this state's aquatic 85
135	135		preserves, private organizations, and public or private research 86
136	136		institutions. The council shall meet at least twice annually. 87
137	137		(a) The council shall be co -chaired by the president and 88
138	138		chief executive officer of Mote Marine L aboratory and a 89
139	139		representative from the University of Florida and shall be 90
140	140		composed of the following members: 91
141	141		1. One member from a private commercial enterprise, 92
142	142		appointed by the Governor. 93
143	143		2. One member from a public or private university in this 94
144	144		state, appointed by the President of the Senate. 95
145	145		3. One member from a non -university public or private 96
146	146		marine environmental organization, appointed by the Speaker of 97
147	147		the House of Representatives. 98
148	148		4. One member from the program who has expertise in 99
149	149		seagrass ecosystems, appointed by the Secretary of Environmental 100
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	151	+	HB 1181 2023
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155	155		CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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158	158		F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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162	162		Protection. 101
163	163		5. One member from the Fish and Wildlife Research 102
164	164		Institute who has expertise in seagrass, appointed by the 103
165	165		executive director of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation 104
166	166		Commission. 105
167	167		(b) Council members shall serve staggered 2 -year terms and 106
168	168		may be reappointed. 107
169	169		(c) Council members shall serve without compensation, and 108
170	170		each organization represented shall cover all expenses of its 109
171	171		respective representative. 110
172	172		(5) This section expires June 30, 2028. 111
173	173		Section 2. Beginning in the 2023 -2024 fiscal year, and for 112
174	174		each fiscal year thereafter through the 2027 -2028 fiscal year, 113
175	175		there is appropriated the sum of $2 million from the General 114
176	176		Revenue Fund to the Department of Environmental Protection for 115
177	177		the purpose of implementing s. 403.93344, Florida Statutes. 116
178	178		Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023. 117