SB 1784 First Engrossed
20131784e1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to military installations; amending s.
3 253.025, F.S.; authorizing the Board of Trustees of
4 the Internal Improvement Trust Fund to acquire certain
5 nonconservation lands to buffer a military
6 installation against encroachment; amending s.
7 288.980, F.S.; providing legislative findings;
8 providing functions of the Military Base Protection
9 Program; authorizing the Department of Economic
10 Opportunity to annually recommend nonconservation
11 lands for acquisition through fee simple purchase or
12 less-than-fee interest purchase to the Board of
13 Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund for
14 the purpose of preventing the encroachment of military
15 installations; requiring the board of trustees to also
16 consider land acquisition recommendations of the
17 Florida Defense Support Task Force; authorizing funds
18 appropriated to the Military Base Protection Program
19 to be used for land acquisition to prevent or reduce
20 encroachment of military installations; providing a
21 definition for the term “nonconservation lands”;
22 providing an effective date.
23
24 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
25
26 Section 1. Subsection (18) is added to section 253.025,
27 Florida Statutes, to read:
28 253.025 Acquisition of state lands for purposes other than
29 preservation, conservation, and recreation.—
30 (18) The board of trustees may acquire, pursuant to s.
31 288.980(2)(b), nonconservation lands from the annual list
32 submitted by the Department of Economic Opportunity for the
33 purpose of buffering a military installation against
34 encroachment.
35 Section 2. Subsections (1) and (2) of section 288.980,
36 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
37 288.980 Military base retention; legislative intent; grants
38 program.—
39 (1)(a) It is the intent of this state to provide the
40 necessary means to assist communities with military
41 installations in supporting and sustaining those installations.
42 It is further the intent to encourage communities to initiate a
43 coordinated program of response and plan of action in advance of
44 future actions of the federal government relating to
45 realignments and closures. It is critical that communities
46 develop and implement strategies to preserve and protect
47 military installations. The Legislature hereby recognizes that
48 the state needs to coordinate all efforts that can support
49 military installations throughout the state. The Legislature,
50 therefore, declares that providing such assistance to support
51 the defense-related initiatives within this section is a public
52 purpose for which public money may be used.
53 (b) The Florida Defense Alliance, an organization within
54 Enterprise Florida, Inc., is designated as the organization to
55 ensure that Florida, its resident military bases and missions,
56 and its military host communities are in competitive positions
57 as the United States continues its defense realignment and
58 downsizing. The defense alliance shall serve as an overall
59 advisory body for defense-related activity of Enterprise
60 Florida, Inc. The Florida Defense Alliance may receive funding
61 from appropriations made for that purpose administered by the
62 department.
63 (c) The Legislature finds that encroachment of military
64 installations has been identified by local, state, and federal
65 leaders as a critical threat to protecting, preserving, and
66 enhancing military installations in this state. Encroachment can
67 be detrimental to the current and future missions of military
68 installations due to the incompatible use of adjacent land. The
69 Legislature recognizes the unique need to secure lands that have
70 no conservation value, but may present an encroachment threat to
71 a military installation.
72 (2)(a) The Military Base Protection Program is created. The
73 functions of the Military Base Protection Program includes, but
74 is not limited to:
75 1. Securing nonconservation lands to serve as a buffer to
76 protect military installations against encroachment; and
77 2. Supporting local community efforts to engage in service
78 partnerships with military installations.
79 (b) The department may annually submit a list to the Board
80 of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund of
81 nonconservation lands to acquire, subject to a specific
82 appropriation, through fee simple purchase or through perpetual,
83 less-than-fee interest purchase, for the purpose of buffering a
84 military installation against encroachment. The Board of
85 Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund shall also
86 consider the recommendations of the Florida Defense Support Task
87 Force, created in s. 288.987, when selecting nonconservation
88 lands to purchase for the purpose of securing and protecting a
89 military installation against encroachment. This paragraph does
90 not preclude the acquisition of such lands by local governments
91 through fee simple purchase or through perpetual, less-than-fee
92 interest purchase, for the purpose of buffering a military
93 installation against encroachment.
94 (c) As used in this subsection, the term “nonconservation
95 lands” means lands not subject to acquisition by the Florida
96 Forever Program.
97 (d) Funds appropriated to this program may be used to
98 address emergent needs relating to mission sustainment,
99 encroachment reduction or prevention, and base retention. All
100 funds appropriated for the purposes of this program are eligible
101 to be used for matching of federal funds. The department shall
102 coordinate and implement this program.
103 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.