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