The Florida Senate

403.951  Legislative intent.--It is the policy of the State of Florida to improve the quality of life of all of its citizens both by building a globally competitive economy featuring high-quality job opportunities with increasing income levels and by protecting and enhancing its fragile natural resources and ecological systems. The Legislature finds that Florida's economy faces serious challenges in the form of recession, natural disaster, increasing economic competition from other states and nations, an uneven distribution of economic progress across the state, rapid technological change, and the restructuring of major economic sectors important to Florida. The Legislature further finds that opportunities arise, in the form of major projects, to address these economic challenges. These opportunities can result from domestic or international corporate decisions to locate or expand facilities in Florida, as well as government decisions to locate or expand research, technology, production, or service facilities in Florida. The Legislature further finds that the efficiency of the permit application and review process at both the state and local level would be improved with the implementation of a process whereby a permit application would be centrally coordinated and all permit decisions could be reviewed on the basis of standards and recommendations of the deciding agencies. The Legislature further finds that expedited, consolidated review of major proposed projects through a procedure resulting in a single license meeting all necessary environmental permitting and land use planning criteria would be an important asset for Florida in competing for such projects. It is the policy of this state, recognizing that such a review procedure would provide a significant economic development advantage, to ensure that the establishment and use of an expedited, consolidated procedure which:

(1)  Will ensure compliance with agency nonprocedural standards.

(2)  Will be consistent with the comprehensive plans of local governments in whose jurisdictions proposed projects would be located.

(3)  Will provide reasonable participation by citizens.

(4)  Will provide economic benefits.

(5)  Ensure protection of public health.

The Legislature further finds that the procedure established by this part must be closely coordinated with all existing and future federally delegated or approved permit programs administered by the Department of Environmental Protection. However, nothing in this part shall be deemed to supersede the Department of Environmental Protection's authority separately to administer federally delegated or approved permit programs in accordance with the terms of federal delegation or approval.

History.--s. 1, ch. 93-205; s. 16, ch. 94-321; s. 436, ch. 94-356.