Florida 2025 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H1625 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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12	12	House Joint Resolution 1
13	13	A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 9 2
14	14	of Article IV of the State Constitution to revise 3
15	15	appointments to the Florida Fish and Wildlife 4
16	16	Conservation Commission. 5
17	17	6
18	18	Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 7
19	19	8
20	20	That the following amendment to Section 9 of Article IV of 9
21	21	the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be submitted to 10
22	22	the electors of this state for approval or rejection at the next 11
23	23	general election or at an earlier special election specifically 12
24	24	authorized by law for that purpose: 13
25	25	ARTICLE IV 14
26	26	EXECUTIVE 15
27	27	16
28	28	SECTION 9. Fish and wildlife conservation commission. — 17
29	29	(a) There shall be a fish and wildlife conservation 18
30	30	commission, composed of nine seven members appointed by the 19
31	31	governor, subject to confirmation by the senate for staggered 20
32	32	terms of five years. The members shall be appointed as follows: 21
33	33	(1) The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services 22
34	34	shall appoint two members as follows: 23
35	35	a. A rancher or farmer who owns or manages a Florida ranch 24
36	36	or farm, on which at least two species of animals for which game 25
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45	45	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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47	47	hunting is licensed under s. 379.354, Florida Statutes, are 26
48	48	frequently present. 27
49	49	b. A farmer who owns o r manages a Florida farm on which at 28
50	50	least one major crop has been grown each of the previous four 29
51	51	years. 30
52	52	(2) The Department of Environmental Protection shall 31
53	53	appoint two members as follows: 32
54	54	a. A hunter or angler who has held a Florida hunting or 33
55	55	fishing license each of the previous four years. 34
56	56	b. A conservationist who for the previous four years has 35
57	57	been an employee, member of the board, or member of an 36
58	58	established advisory committee of a nonprofit habitat or a 37
59	59	wildlife conservation organization, the primary focus of which 38
60	60	is not game species. 39
61	61	(3) The Department of Air and Water Pollution Control 40
62	62	shall appoint a scientist, who is not currently an elected 41
63	63	official, who holds at least a doctoral degree from an 42
64	64	accredited college or university in environmental science, 43
65	65	wildlife biology, conservation biology, fisheries science or 44
66	66	management, wildlife science or management, or a comparable 45
67	67	wildlife field. 46
68	68	(4) The Governor shall appoint four members as follows: 47
69	69	a. A local official representing an urban county with a 48
70	70	population over 250,000. 49
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81	81	b. A local official representing a rural county with a 50
82	82	population under 250,000. 51
83	83	c. A scientist, who is not currently an elected official, 52
84	84	who holds at least a doctoral degree from an accredited college 53
85	85	or university in forestry, silviculture, forest management, 54
86	86	forest engineering, forest biology, forest operations, 55
87	87	dendrology, forest sciences, or land management. 56
88	88	d. A scientist, who is not currently an elected official, 57
89	89	who holds at least a doctoral degree from an accredited college 58
90	90	or university in agriculture, animal science, food science, 59
91	91	horticulture, soil science, agricultural engineering, dairy 60
92	92	science, animal breeding, animal husbandry, or aquaculture. 61
93	93	(b) A person who has contributed, or whose spo use has 62
94	94	contributed, a major donation to any political party may not be 63
95	95	appointed to the commission. For purposes of this paragraph, 64
96	96	"major donation" means a donation in an amount of $1,000 or 65
97	97	more. 66
98	98	(c) Each commissioner must annually complete at least 4 67
99	99	hours of ethics training that addresses, at a minimum, s. 8, 68
100	100	Art. II of the State Constitution, the Code of Ethics for Public 69
101	101	Officers and Employees. 70
102	102	(d) The Commission on Ethics shall investigate and enforce 71
103	103	any code of ethics violations or any conflict s of interest. 72
104	104	(d) The commission shall exercise the regulatory and 73
105	105	executive powers of the state with respect to wild animal life 74
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114	114	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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116	116	and fresh water aquatic life, and shall also exercise regulatory 75
117	117	and executive powers of the state with respect to marine l ife, 76
118	118	except that all license fees for taking wild animal life, fresh 77
119	119	water aquatic life, and marine life and penalties for violating 78
120	120	regulations of the commission shall be prescribed by general 79
121	121	law. The commission shall establish procedures to ensure 80
122	122	adequate due process in the exercise of its regulatory and 81
123	123	executive functions. The legislature may enact laws in aid of 82
124	124	the commission, not inconsistent with this section, except that 83
125	125	there shall be no special law or general law of local 84
126	126	application pertaining to hunting or fishing. The commission's 85
127	127	exercise of executive powers in the area of planning, budgeting, 86
128	128	personnel management, and purchasing shall be as provided by 87
129	129	law. Revenue derived from license fees for the taking of wild 88
130	130	animal life and fresh water aquatic life shall be appropriated 89
131	131	to the commission by the legislature for the purposes of 90
132	132	management, protection, and conservation of wild animal life and 91
133	133	fresh water aquatic life. Revenue derived from license fees 92
134	134	relating to marine life shall be appro priated by the legislature 93
135	135	for the purposes of management, protection, and conservation of 94
136	136	marine life as provided by law. The commission shall not be a 95
137	137	unit of any other state agency and shall have its own staff, 96
138	138	which includes management, research, and e nforcement. Unless 97
139	139	provided by general law, the commission shall have no authority 98
140	140	to regulate matters relating to air and water pollution. 99
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152	152	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be 101
153	153	placed on the ballot: 102
154	154	CONSTITUTIONAL AMEND MENT 103
155	155	ARTICLE 9, SECTION IV 104
156	156	REVISION OF APPOINTMENTS TO THE FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE 105
157	157	CONSERVATION COMMISSION .—Proposing an amendment to the State 106
158	158	Constitution to revise appointments to the Fish and Wildlife 107
159	159	Conservation Commission. 108