Florida 2025 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H0559 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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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 the designation of the official 2
16	16	state flagship; amending s. 15.0465, F.S.; 3
17	17	redesignating the official state flagship as the S.S. 4
18	18	American Victory; providing an effective date. 5
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20	20	WHEREAS, built in 1944, the S.S. American Victory is one of 7
21	21	only five operational World War II merchant vessels left in the 8
22	22	United States and served in World War II, the Korean War, and 9
23	23	the Vietnam War, and 10
24	24	WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory is an interactive 11
25	25	maritime museum located in Tampa, and 12
26	26	WHEREAS, the United States' entry into World War II 13
27	27	transformed American history and directly affected more than 14
28	28	250,000 Floridians who served on active duty, and 15
29	29	WHEREAS, of these brave Floridians, more than 3,500 gave 16
30	30	their lives in defense of the United States during World War II, 17
31	31	and 18
32	32	WHEREAS, Florida is the ideal location for the S.S. 19
33	33	American Victory, as the tourism industry caters to nationwide 20
34	34	visitors who can experience first hand what it was like to serve 21
35	35	on board the ship, and 22
36	36	WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory is a 455 -foot steamship 23
37	37	that was launched on May 24, 1945, during the largest ship 24
38	38	building effort in United States history, and 25
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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	WHEREAS, the S.S. Am erican Victory set sail from the United 26
52	52	States into the treacherous waters of the Pacific Ocean awaiting 27
53	53	orders for the invasion of Japan, and 28
54	54	WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory assisted the war effort 29
55	55	during the final days of World War II by transporting military 30
56	56	equipment, troops, ammunition, and supplies for the Allied 31
57	57	Forces, and 32
58	58	WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory sailed around the world 33
59	59	delivering provisions, industrial materials, machinery, and raw 34
60	60	materials after the war under the auspices of the M arshall Plan 35
61	61	to countries devastated by the destruction of World War II, and 36
62	62	WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory transported cargo, fuel, 37
63	63	and ammunition during the Korean War, and 38
64	64	WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory repatriated 260 39
65	65	casualties, including th ree fallen Floridians, Army Private P.C. 40
66	66	White, Marine Second Lieutenant Robert C. Craig, and Marine 41
67	67	Private First Class Joseph T. Jacobs, to the United States 42
68	68	during the Korean War, and 43
69	69	WHEREAS the S.S. American Victory was reactivated to 44
70	70	service in 1966 to support the Vietnam War and conducted 12 45
71	71	voyages supporting the war effort by transporting military 46
72	72	equipment, troops, ammunition, and supplies, and 47
73	73	WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory sailed from the James 48
74	74	River Reserve Fleet on March 13, 1985, to par ticipate in the 49
75	75	United States' Victory Ship Validation Program, a program 50
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88	88	designed to gauge the time and expense necessary to reactivate 51
89	89	victory-class ships, which enabled the S.S. American Victory to 52
90	90	be brought back to full operational status and to perfo rm sea 53
91	91	trials after restoration, and 54
92	92	WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory was then transferred by 55
93	93	an act of Congress from the Maritime Administration to The 56
94	94	Victory Ship, Inc., in her home port of Tampa, and 57
95	95	WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory has been a landmark 58
96	96	destination for the past 25 years within Tampa and was 59
97	97	recognized as a National Historic Place in 2002, and 60
98	98	WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory acts as a preeminent 61
99	99	location for military retirement or promotion ceremonies, 62
100	100	marriage ceremonies, and many other types of celebrations, and 63
101	101	WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory actively supports 64
102	102	military charities and foundations such as America's Gold Star 65
103	103	Families, Warrior Ethos, Florida 4 Warriors, The Mission 66
104	104	Continues, the Navy SEAL Foundation, and th e Green Beret 67
105	105	Foundation, and 68
106	106	WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory continually supports 69
107	107	community organizations and foundations such as Visit Tampa Bay, 70
108	108	Leadership Florida, Leadership Tampa Bay, Leadership Tampa, the 71
109	109	Maritime Alliance, Propeller Club – Port of Tampa, and Friends 72
110	110	of the Tampa Riverwalk, and 73
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119	119	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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123	123	WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory has acted as a primary 74
124	124	platform for thousands of training hours for a wide range of 75
125	125	organizations over her 25 years in Tampa, and 76
126	126	WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory has hosted all branches 77
127	127	of the Department of Defense as well as Special Operations 78
128	128	Command and Central Command; Department of Justice agencies such 79
129	129	as the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, 80
130	130	Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement 81
131	131	Administration; Department of Homeland Security agencies such as 82
132	132	the United States Customs and Border Protection, the United 83
133	133	States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the United 84
134	134	States Coast Guard; and city, county, and state law enforcem ent 85
135	135	agencies, and 86
136	136	WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory is visited by tens of 87
137	137	thousands of guests annually and acts as an educational platform 88
138	138	for Tampa Bay's seven -county area as well as throughout the 89
139	139	state, including AMIkids, the Jefferson High School Mar itime and 90
140	140	Marine Exploration Academy, the Howard W. Blake High School 91
141	141	Maritime Program, the University of South Florida College of 92
142	142	Arts and Sciences and Muma College of Business, and various 93
143	143	other public schools and home education programs, and 94
144	144	WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory serves as the homebase 95
145	145	for the American Victory Division and other regional Sea Cadet, 96
146	146	Boy and Girl Scout, and ROTC programs, and 97
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159	159	WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory also hosts international 98
160	160	programs such as the training ship GUNIL LA, a Swedish vessel 99
161	161	that circumnavigates the globe as an international educational 100
162	162	platform, and 101
163	163	WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory is a maritime museum and 102
164	164	memorial that is open year -round for visitors of all ages, from 103
165	165	across the United States and abro ad, supporting Florida's 104
166	166	vibrant tourism industry, and 105
167	167	WHEREAS, due to its service to the United States and past 106
168	168	25-year history of service to this state, the official state 107
169	169	flagship is redesignated as the S.S. American Victory, NOW, 108
170	170	THEREFORE, 109
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172	172	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 111
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174	174	Section 1. Section 15.0465, Florida Statutes, is amended 113
175	175	to read: 114
176	176	15.0465 Official state flagship. —The S.S. American 115
177	177	Victory, a 455-foot historic steamship, built in 1944 schooner 116
178	178	Western Union, a 130-foot historic sailing vessel of the tall 117
179	179	ship class, built in Key West and first launched in 1939 , is 118
180	180	designated the official state flagship. 119
181	181	Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 120