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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 the Florida Museum of History at 2
the Town of Eatonville; authorizing specified entities 3
to enter into a partnership to design, construct, and 4
operate and manage the Florida Museum of History at 5
the Town of Eatonville; specifying museum 6
requirements; specifying duties of an advisory board; 7
specifying membership of the advisory board; 8
specifying the duties of the partnership and the 9
governing board of the Florida Museum of History at 10
the Town of Eatonville related to the museum; 11
requiring the governing board to make certain 12
recommendations regarding educational materials for 13
the museum; specifying duties of an operating board of 14
directors; requiring the governing board, in 15
conjunction with the Florida Tourism Marketing 16
Corporation and others, to develop and execute a 17
marketing plan to promote the museum; specifying 18
funding for construction operations of the museum; 19
providing legislative appropriatio ns; requiring the 20
creation of an endowment; requiring the museum to 21
receive program support from an operating board of 22
directors appointed by the governing board; providing 23
an effective date. 24
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
WHEREAS, the Town of Eatonville, Florida is located in 26
Orange County and is the oldest Black incorporated municipality 27
in the United States, and 28
WHEREAS, the municipality of Orlando, which is located in 29
Orange County, is the number one tourist destination in the 30
United States with more than 70 million tourists and visitors 31
traveling there annually, and 32
WHEREAS, Orange County is the ideal location for a newly 33
designed and constructed Florida Museum of History, and the 34
historic Town of Eatonville is the ideal location for such a 35
museum, NOW, THEREFORE, 36
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 38
39
Section 1. (1) PARTNERSHIP.—The Department of State, the 40
Orange County Commission, the Orange County public school 41
system, and the University of Central Florida may enter into a 42
partnership to design, construct, and operate and manage the 43
Florida Museum of History at the Town of Eatonville. The Florida 44
Museum of History at the Town of Eatonville, once constructed, 45
shall be owned, managed, and operated by the Orange County 46
Commission or an entity cre ated by the Orange County Commission 47
and the Department of State. 48
(2) MUSEUM REQUIREMENTS. —The Florida Museum of History at 49
the Town of Eatonville is intended to be a multipurpose cultural 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
arts and history museum and must consist of: 51
(a) At least 100,000 square feet of museum -quality 52
exhibition space capable of supporting all the functions of a 53
leading museum institution, including collections care and 54
storage, exhibits, programs, large public events, large rental 55
events, and a repository for genealogi cal and archival materials 56
with appropriate space for public research. 57
(b) A parking garage or parking lot. 58
(c) A 250-500 seat performing arts center capable of 59
hosting musical productions or theatrical performances such as 60
plays and concerts. 61
(d) A 250-500 seat banquet facility, including a banquet -62
capable kitchen, capable of hosting weddings, retirement events, 63
dinners, galas, awards events, lectures, and community meetings. 64
(e) An archival and storage facility for items donated to 65
the Florida Museum of History at the Town of Eatonville, as well 66
as historical documents, historical items, and educational 67
materials. 68
(f) An outside portioned area displaying military weapons, 69
life-sized statues, and other military items of significance, 70
including cannons, planes, jets, and helicopters. 71
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The Florida Museum of History at the Town of Eatonville may 73
include a 5,000-7,500 seat outdoor amphitheater as well as a 74
full-sized replica of a slave ship and the holds where its cargo 75
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was stored. 76
(3) ADVISORY BOARD.— 77
(a) An advisory board consisting of members who are 78
experts in history, curation, architecture, and museum design 79
shall be appointed by the partnership and the governing board of 80
the Florida Museum of History at the Town of Eatonville. 81
(b) The advisory board shall develop design specifications 82
so that the space in the museum is partitioned and divided to 83
host different exhibitions. 84
(c) The advisory board, in conjunction with the 85
partnership and the governing board of the Florida Museum of 86
History at the Town of Eatonville, shall make recommendations 87
for: 88
1. Plans for the location, design, and construction of the 89
museum. 90
2. The operation and administration of the museum. 91
3. A marketing plan to promote the museum. 92
4. A transition plan for the museum to become financially 93
self-sufficient. 94
5. Recommendations for archival and artifact acquisition, 95
preservation, and research; exhibits; installations; and 96
educational materials that complement and support required 97
instruction provided in pu blic schools in accordance with s. 98
1003.42(2)(h). 99
(4) PARTNERSHIP AND GOVERNING BOARD. —The partnership and 100
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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
the governing board of the Florida Museum of History at the Town 101
of Eatonville, in conjunction with the advisory board, shall 102
choose the architects , museum designers, curators, and other 103
contractors to design, create, construct, operate, and manage 104
the Florida Museum of History at the Town of Eatonville. To that 105
end, the partnership and the governing board must: 106
(a) Procure architectural design. 107
(b) Procure construction management services based on the 108
final architectural design and construction budget. 109
(c) Provide recommendations for the operation and 110
administration of the museum. 111
(d) Ensure that the museum is operated as a hybrid model 112
by a nonprofit entity in combination with the Orange County 113
Commission, which may include either a state agency, a local 114
government entity, or a college or university. 115
(e) Consider relevant operational models, including the: 116
1. Avron B. Fogelman Sports M useum in Boca Raton. 117
2. Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in 118
Detroit, Michigan. 119
3. Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville. 120
4. Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts and 121
Culture in Charlotte, North Carolina. 122
5. John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota. 123
6. Meek-Eaton Black Archives, Research Center and Museum 124
in Tallahassee. 125
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7. Museum of Florida History in Tallahassee. 126
8. National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. 127
9. Patricia & Philip Frost Art Museum in Miami. 128
(f) Make recommendations for archival and artifact 129
acquisition, preservation, and research; exhibits; 130
installations; and educational materials that complement and 131
support required instruction provided in public schools in 132
accordance with s. 1003.42(2)(h). 133
(g) Develop a collections management policy to care for, 134
preserve, and curate the museum's collections as well as 135
collections that may be loaned to the museum. 136
(5) EXHIBITION HALLS AND SPACES. — 137
(a) The governing board must ensure that 33 percent of the 138
museum's exhibition space is dedicated to the display and 139
presentation of information specific to the history of this 140
state from its beginning to the present, including: 141
1. The history and impact of tourism on this state and its 142
economy and Florida's attractions, historical sites, and tourist 143
destinations such as Disney World, Silver Springs, Universal 144
Studios, and Florida's beaches. 145
2. The history and presence of the United States military 146
in this state and milita ry bases and installations in Florida. 147
3. The history and impact of agriculture in Florida and 148
its impact on this state's economy. 149
4. The history of space exploration in Florida, and the 150
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impact of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and 151
space exploration on this state. 152
(b) In creating exhibition halls and exhibition spaces in 153
the Florida Museum of History at the Town of Eatonville, the 154
governing board must consider exhibition halls or exhibition 155
spaces for: 156
1. Florida's Black museums. 157
2. Florida's Hispanic museums. 158
3. Florida's Jewish Holocaust museums. 159
4. Blacks in the military. 160
5. Blacks and women in aviation. 161
6. Blacks and women in space. 162
7. The history of slavery in this state and the United 163
States. 164
8. The history of the civil rights movement in this state 165
and the United States. 166
9. An exhibit hall of life -sized statues or a statue 167
garden of significant individuals in the history of this state 168
and the United States. 169
10. A library and archives of Florida's Governors to 170
include 3D-printed life-sized statues of Florida's Governors. 171
11. A Presidential Hall of Statues. 172
12. The history of the Civil War in this state. 173
13. The history of reconstruction in this state. 174
14. The impact of Henry Morrison Flagler in this state. 175
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15. A portrait gallery featuring portraits of historical 176
and significant individuals who have impacted Florida. 177
16. The history of Black towns, cities, and settlements in 178
this state. 179
17. The history of the migration of the citizens of the 180
Caribbean to this state, including Cubans, Haitians, and 181
Jamaicans. 182
18. A portrait gallery and archives of Black and Hispanic 183
elected officials in this state. 184
19. The history of Historically Black Colleges and 185
Universities in this state, including the lif e of Mary McCleod 186
Bethune and Bethune Cookman University, and the United States. 187
20. A gallery of Black art that includes paintings, 188
posters, prints, glass works, quilts, and figurines. 189
21. The history of Orange County. 190
22. The history of the Town of Eatonville and author Zora 191
Neale Hurston. 192
23. Historically significant and influential persons 193
including artists, musicians, poets, and athletes, and 194
historical events, including Black history events in this state 195
and the United States. 196
24. The history of Black entrepreneurs in this state and 197
the United States. 198
25. The history of the Tuskegee Airmen and the history of 199
the Tuskegee Airmen in Florida. 200
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26. The history of baseball in Florida, including the 201
major leagues, the Negro Baseball League, the minor leagues, and 202
spring training. 203
27. The impact of Cuban migrants in Florida. 204
28. Blacks in science, Black inventions, Black inventors, 205
and Black scientists. 206
(6) EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS. —The governing board shall make 207
recommendations that include ed ucational materials relating to 208
the role of African American participation in defending and 209
preserving Florida and the United States, including the 210
contributions of the residents of Fort Mose, the Tuskegee 211
Airmen, and African American veterans. 212
(7) OPERATING BOARD OF DIRECTORS. — 213
(a) The operating board of directors, in consultation with 214
appropriate museum staff and with the approval of the governing 215
board, shall develop a plan for the museum to acquire archival 216
materials and artifacts. 217
(b) The operating board of directors, in consultation with 218
appropriate museum staff, colleagues from other institutions, 219
and other external content experts, shall develop plans for 220
permanent and temporary exhibitions. 221
(c) The operating board of directors, in consultati on with 222
appropriate museum staff, colleagues from the Department of 223
Education, and other external stakeholders, shall develop 224
programs and educational materials, including topics that 225
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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
support the mission of the Florida Museum of History at the Town 226
of Eatonville. 227
(8) MUSEUM MARKETING PLAN. —The governing board of the 228
Florida Museum of History at the Town of Eatonville, in 229
conjunction with the Florida Tourism Marketing Corporation and 230
the Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Inc., 231
shall develop and execute a marketing plan to promote the 232
museum. The governing board may also collaborate with the local 233
destination marketing organization or convention and visitors 234
bureau. 235
(9) CONSTRUCTION COSTS AND FUNDING. — 236
(a) Construction of the museum s hall be funded by a 237
combination of local funding and state appropriations over a 238
period of 5 years, with no more than $75 million in state 239
legislative appropriations, to be matched by local government 240
funds and philanthropic funds on a 2:1 ratio. 241
(b) Estimates for recurring operational costs shall be 242
developed during the building design, site development, and 243
construction process. 244
(c) In addition to receiving funds as set forth in 245
paragraph (a), the governing board shall seek to raise private 246
funds, gifts and donations, and solicit grants, through its 247
partnership, advisory board, and board of directors, to augment 248
any recurring funding received. 249
(d) The museum shall earn revenue from general admission 250
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fees, ticketed programming and events, retail partn erships, and 251
facility rentals. 252
(e) An endowment shall be created to support the 253
acquisition, research, and care of collections obtained from 254
across the network of museums that exist in this state. 255
(10) ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATION OF THE MUSEUM. — 256
(a) The museum shall receive program support from an 257
operating board of directors, appointed by the governing board, 258
consisting of scholarly experts and other key stakeholders 259
representing community organizations. 260
(b) The governing board for the Florida Mu seum of History 261
at the Town of Eatonville shall create and execute a transition 262
plan for the museum to become financially self -sufficient. 263
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 264