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The Florida Senate

2011 Florida Statutes

Title XXII PORTS AND HARBORS
Chapter 311
FLORIDA SEAPORT TRANSPORTATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 311
CHAPTER 311
FLORIDA SEAPORT TRANSPORTATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
311.07 Florida seaport transportation and economic development funding.
311.09 Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council.
311.091 Entry into public-private infrastructure project agreements for port-related public infrastructure projects.
311.105 Florida Seaport Environmental Management Committee; permitting; mitigation.
311.11 Seaport Employment Training Grant Program.
311.12 Seaport security.
311.121 Qualifications, training, and certification of licensed security officers at Florida seaports.
311.122 Seaport law enforcement agency; authorization; requirements; powers; training.
311.123 Maritime domain security awareness training program.
311.124 Trespassing; detention by a certified seaport security officer.
311.13 Certain information exempt from disclosure.
311.14 Seaport planning.
311.22 Additional authorization for funding certain dredging projects.
311.07 Florida seaport transportation and economic development funding.—
(1) There is created the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Program within the Department of Transportation to finance port transportation or port facilities projects that will improve the movement and intermodal transportation of cargo or passengers in commerce and trade and that will support the interests, purposes, and requirements of ports located in this state.
(2) A minimum of $8 million per year shall be made available from the State Transportation Trust Fund to fund the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Program.
(3)(a) Program funds shall be used to fund approved projects on a 50-50 matching basis with any of the deepwater ports, as listed in s. 403.021(9)(b), which is governed by a public body or any other deepwater port which is governed by a public body and which complies with the water quality provisions of s. 403.061, the comprehensive master plan requirements of s. 163.3178(2)(k), and the local financial management and reporting provisions of part III of chapter 218. However, program funds used to fund projects that involve the rehabilitation of wharves, docks, berths, bulkheads, or similar structures shall require a 25-percent match of funds. Program funds also may be used by the Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council to develop trade data information products which will assist Florida’s seaports and international trade.
(b) Projects eligible for funding by grants under the program are limited to the following port facilities or port transportation projects:
1. Transportation facilities within the jurisdiction of the port.
2. The dredging or deepening of channels, turning basins, or harbors.
3. The construction or rehabilitation of wharves, docks, structures, jetties, piers, storage facilities, cruise terminals, automated people mover systems, or any facilities necessary or useful in connection with any of the foregoing.
4. The acquisition of vessel tracking systems, container cranes, or other mechanized equipment used in the movement of cargo or passengers in international commerce.
5. The acquisition of land to be used for port purposes.
6. The acquisition, improvement, enlargement, or extension of existing port facilities.
7. Environmental protection projects which are necessary because of requirements imposed by a state agency as a condition of a permit or other form of state approval; which are necessary for environmental mitigation required as a condition of a state, federal, or local environmental permit; which are necessary for the acquisition of spoil disposal sites and improvements to existing and future spoil sites; or which result from the funding of eligible projects listed in this paragraph.
8. Transportation facilities as defined in s. 334.03(31) which are not otherwise part of the Department of Transportation’s adopted work program.
9. Seaport intermodal access projects identified in the 5-year Florida Seaport Mission Plan as provided in s. 311.09(3).
10. Construction or rehabilitation of port facilities as defined in s. 315.02, excluding any park or recreational facilities, in ports listed in s. 311.09(1) with operating revenues of $5 million or less, provided that such projects create economic development opportunities, capital improvements, and positive financial returns to such ports.
(c) To be eligible for consideration by the council pursuant to this section, a project must be consistent with the port comprehensive master plan which is incorporated as part of the approved local government comprehensive plan as required by s. 163.3178(2)(k) or other provisions of the Community Planning Act, part II of chapter 163.
(4) A port eligible for matching funds under the program may receive a distribution of not more than $7 million during any 1 calendar year and a distribution of not more than $30 million during any 5-calendar-year period.
(5) Any port which receives funding under the program shall institute procedures to ensure that jobs created as a result of the state funding shall be subject to equal opportunity hiring practices in the manner provided in s. 110.112.
(6) The Department of Transportation shall subject any project that receives funds pursuant to this section and s. 320.20 to a final audit. The department may adopt rules and perform such other acts as are necessary or convenient to ensure that the final audits are conducted and that any deficiency or questioned costs noted by the audit are resolved.
History.—s. 65, ch. 90-136; s. 5, ch. 91-429; s. 55, ch. 93-120; s. 20, ch. 94-237; s. 130, ch. 96-320; s. 48, ch. 97-278; s. 5, ch. 97-280; s. 40, ch. 2000-152; s. 3, ch. 2000-266; s. 99, ch. 2001-266; s. 1, ch. 2002-190; s. 51, ch. 2004-269; s. 7, ch. 2006-2; s. 2, ch. 2010-201; s. 46, ch. 2011-139; s. 57, ch. 2011-213.
311.09 Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council.—
(1) The Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council is created within the Department of Transportation. The council consists of the following 118 members: the port director, or the port director’s designee, of each of the ports of Jacksonville, Port Canaveral, Port Citrus, Fort Pierce, Palm Beach, Port Everglades, Miami, Port Manatee, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Port St. Joe, Panama City, Pensacola, Key West, and Fernandina; the secretary of the Department of Transportation or his or her designee; and the director of the Department of Economic Opportunity or his or her designee.
(2) The council shall adopt bylaws governing the manner in which the business of the council will be conducted. The bylaws shall specify the procedure by which the chairperson of the council is elected.
(3) The council shall prepare a 5-year Florida Seaport Mission Plan defining the goals and objectives of the council concerning the development of port facilities and an intermodal transportation system consistent with the goals of the Florida Transportation Plan developed pursuant to s. 339.155. The Florida Seaport Mission Plan shall include specific recommendations for the construction of transportation facilities connecting any port to another transportation mode and for the efficient, cost-effective development of transportation facilities or port facilities for the purpose of enhancing trade, promoting cargo flow, increasing cruise passenger movements, increasing port revenues, and providing economic benefits to the state. The council shall develop a priority list of projects based on these recommendations annually and submit the list to the Department of Transportation. The council shall update the 5-year Florida Seaport Mission Plan annually and shall submit the plan no later than February 1 of each year to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Department of Economic Opportunity, and the Department of Transportation. The council shall develop programs, based on an examination of existing programs in Florida and other states, for the training of minorities and secondary school students in job skills associated with employment opportunities in the maritime industry, and report on progress and recommendations for further action to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives annually.
(4) The council shall adopt rules for evaluating projects which may be funded under ss. 311.07 and 320.20. The rules shall provide criteria for evaluating the economic benefit of the project, measured by the potential for the proposed project to maintain or increase cargo flow, cruise passenger movement, international commerce, port revenues, and the number of jobs for the port’s local community.
(5) The council shall review and approve or disapprove each project eligible to be funded pursuant to the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Program. The council shall annually submit to the Secretary of Transportation and the executive director of the Department of Economic Opportunity, or his or her designee, a list of projects which have been approved by the council. The list shall specify the recommended funding level for each project; and, if staged implementation of the project is appropriate, the funding requirements for each stage shall be specified.
(6) The 2Department of Community Affairs shall review the list of projects approved by the council to determine consistency with approved local government comprehensive plans of the units of local government in which the port is located and consistency with the port master plan. The 2Department of Community Affairs shall identify and notify the council of those projects which are not consistent, to the maximum extent feasible, with such comprehensive plans and port master plans.
(7) The Department of Transportation shall review the list of projects approved by the council for consistency with the Florida Transportation Plan and the department’s adopted work program. In evaluating the consistency of a project, the department shall determine whether the transportation impact of the proposed project is adequately handled by existing state-owned transportation facilities or by the construction of additional state-owned transportation facilities as identified in the Florida Transportation Plan and the department’s adopted work program. In reviewing for consistency a transportation facility project as defined in s. 334.03(31) which is not otherwise part of the department’s work program, the department shall evaluate whether the project is needed to provide for projected movement of cargo or passengers from the port to a state transportation facility or local road. If the project is needed to provide for projected movement of cargo or passengers, the project shall be approved for consistency as a consideration to facilitate the economic development and growth of the state in a timely manner. The Department of Transportation shall identify those projects which are inconsistent with the Florida Transportation Plan and the adopted work program and shall notify the council of projects found to be inconsistent.
(8) The Department of Economic Opportunity shall review the list of projects approved by the council to evaluate the economic benefit of the project and to determine whether the project is consistent with the Florida Seaport Mission Plan. The Department of Economic Opportunity shall review the economic benefits of each project based upon the rules adopted pursuant to subsection (4). The Department of Economic Opportunity shall identify those projects which it has determined do not offer an economic benefit to the state or are not consistent with the Florida Seaport Mission Plan and shall notify the council of its findings.
(9) The council shall review the findings of the Department of Economic Opportunity and the Department of Transportation. Projects found to be inconsistent pursuant to subsections (6), (7), and (8) and projects which have been determined not to offer an economic benefit to the state pursuant to subsection (8) shall not be included in the list of projects to be funded.
(10) The Department of Transportation shall include in its annual legislative budget request a Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development grant program for expenditure of funds of not less than $8 million per year. Such budget shall include funding for projects approved by the council which have been determined by each agency to be consistent and which have been determined by the Department of Economic Opportunity to be economically beneficial. The department shall include the specific approved seaport projects to be funded under this section during the ensuing fiscal year in the tentative work program developed pursuant to s. 339.135(4). The total amount of funding to be allocated to seaport projects under s. 311.07 during the successive 4 fiscal years shall also be included in the tentative work program developed pursuant to s. 339.135(4). The council may submit to the department a list of approved projects that could be made production-ready within the next 2 years. The list shall be submitted by the department as part of the needs and project list prepared pursuant to s. 339.135(2)(b). However, the department shall, upon written request of the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council, submit work program amendments pursuant to s. 339.135(7) to the Governor within 10 days after the later of the date the request is received by the department or the effective date of the amendment, termination, or closure of the applicable funding agreement between the department and the affected seaport, as required to release the funds from the existing commitment. Notwithstanding s. 339.135(7)(c), any work program amendment to transfer prior year funds from one approved seaport project to another seaport project is subject to the procedures in s. 339.135(7)(d). Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the department may transfer unexpended budget between the seaport projects as identified in the approved work program amendments.
(11) The council shall meet at the call of its chairperson, at the request of a majority of its membership, or at such times as may be prescribed in its bylaws. However, the council must meet at least semiannually. A majority of voting members of the council constitutes a quorum for the purpose of transacting the business of the council. All members of the council are voting members. A vote of the majority of the voting members present is sufficient for any action of the council, except that a member representing the Department of Transportation or the Department of Economic Opportunity may vote to overrule any action of the council approving a project pursuant to subsection (5). The bylaws of the council may require a greater vote for a particular action.
(12) Members of the council shall serve without compensation but are entitled to receive reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061. The council may elect to provide an administrative staff to provide services to the council on matters relating to the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Program and the council. The cost for such administrative services shall be paid by all ports that receive funding from the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Program, based upon a pro rata formula measured by each recipient’s share of the funds as compared to the total funds disbursed to all recipients during the year. The share of costs for administrative services shall be paid in its total amount by the recipient port upon execution by the port and the Department of Transportation of a joint participation agreement for each council-approved project, and such payment is in addition to the matching funds required to be paid by the recipient port. Except as otherwise exempted by law, all moneys derived from the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Program shall be expended in accordance with the provisions of s. 287.057. Seaports subject to competitive negotiation requirements of a local governing body shall abide by the provisions of s. 287.055.
(13) Until July 1, 2014, Citrus County may apply for a grant through the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council to perform a feasibility study regarding the establishment of a port in Citrus County. The council shall evaluate such application pursuant to subsections (5)-(9) and, if approved, the Department of Transportation shall include the feasibility study in its budget request pursuant to subsection (10). If the study determines that a port in Citrus County is not feasible, the membership of Port Citrus on the council shall terminate.
History.—s. 65, ch. 90-136; s. 26, ch. 90-227; s. 5, ch. 91-429; s. 56, ch. 93-120; s. 4, ch. 93-164; s. 4, ch. 93-262; s. 21, ch. 94-237; s. 87, ch. 95-143; s. 892, ch. 95-148; s. 10, ch. 95-257; s. 131, ch. 96-320; s. 71, ch. 99-385; s. 4, ch. 2000-266; s. 64, ch. 2002-20; s. 3, ch. 2010-201; s. 1, ch. 2011-41; s. 227, ch. 2011-142; s. 2, ch. 2011-164.
1Note.—As amended by s. 1, ch. 2011-41, which added Port Citrus to the list of ports and revised the number of council members from 17 to 18. Section 227, ch. 2011-142, did not add Port Citrus but did replace the director of the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development with the director of the Department of Economic Development and deleted the secretary of the Department of Community Affairs. The council should have 17 members.
2Note.—Section 478, ch. 2011-142, repealed s. 20.18, which created the Department of Community Affairs.
311.091 Entry into public-private infrastructure project agreements for port-related public infrastructure projects.—A seaport listed in s. 311.09(1) may receive or solicit proposals from and enter into a public-private infrastructure project agreement with a private entity, or a consortium of private entities, to build, operate, manage, maintain, or finance a port-related public infrastructure project.
History.—s. 8, ch. 2010-201.
311.105 Florida Seaport Environmental Management Committee; permitting; mitigation.—
(1)(a) There is created the Florida Seaport Environmental Management Committee, which shall be under the direction of the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council.
(b) The committee shall consist of the following members: the Secretary of Environmental Protection, or his or her designee, as an ex officio, nonvoting member; a designee from the United States Army Corps of Engineers, as an ex officio, nonvoting member; a designee from the Florida Inland Navigation District, as an ex officio, nonvoting member; the executive director of 1the Department of Economic Opportunity, or his or her designee, as an ex officio, nonvoting member; and five or more port directors, as voting members, appointed to the committee by the council chair, who shall also designate one such member as committee chair.
(c) The committee shall meet at the call of the chair but must meet at least semiannually. A majority of the voting members constitutes a quorum for the purpose of transacting business of the committee, and a vote of the majority of the voting members present is required for official action by the committee.
(d) The committee shall provide a forum for discussion of environmental issues, including, but not limited to, those relating to maintenance dredging and dredged-material management; environmental mitigation; air and water quality permitting; and the maintenance of navigation channels, port harbors, turning basins, harbor berths, and associated facilities.
(e) The committee shall work closely with the Department of Environmental Protection, United States Army Corps of Engineers, and ports listed in s. 403.021(9)(b) to ensure that suitable dredged material is deposited on Florida’s beaches to the extent the committee determines to be economically feasible and consistent with beach restoration and other beneficial uses criteria of the Department of Environmental Protection.
(2) Each application for a permit authorized pursuant to s. 403.061(37) must include:
(a) A description of maintenance dredging activities to be conducted and proposed methods of dredged-material management.
(b) A characterization of the materials to be dredged and the materials within dredged-material management sites.
(c) A description of dredged-material management sites and plans.
(d) A description of measures to be undertaken, including environmental compliance monitoring, to minimize adverse environmental effects of maintenance dredging and dredged-material management.
(e) Such scheduling information as is required to facilitate state supplementary funding of federal maintenance dredging and dredged-material management programs consistent with beach restoration criteria of the Department of Environmental Protection.
(3) Each application for a permit authorized pursuant to s. 403.061(38) must include the provisions of paragraphs (2)(b)-(e) and the following:
(a) A description of dredging and dredged-material management and other related activities associated with port development, including the expansion of navigation channels, dredged-material management sites, port harbors, turning basins, harbor berths, and associated facilities.
(b) A discussion of environmental mitigation as is proposed for dredging and dredged-material management for port development, including the expansion of navigation channels, dredged-material management sites, port harbors, turning basins, harbor berths, and associated facilities.
(4) Environmental mitigation is not required for dredging and dredged-material management for the maintenance of port harbors, navigation channels, turning basins, or harbor berths if all prior conditions of the original permit to construct the port harbor, navigation channel, dredged-material management site, turning basin, or harbor berth issued by the Department of Environmental Protection or its predecessor agency are met.
(5) Where appropriate, the Department of Environmental Protection shall provide mitigation credits to those deepwater ports that provide for innovative approaches to the onshore and nearshore placement of suitable dredged material consistent with beach restoration and other beneficial uses criteria of the department.
(6) Dredged-material management activities authorized pursuant to s. 403.061(37) or (38) shall be incorporated into port master plans developed pursuant to s. 163.3178(2)(k).
History.—s. 132, ch. 96-320; s. 4, ch. 98-326; s. 228, ch. 2011-142.
1Note.—The words “the Department of” were inserted by the editors to conform to the complete name of the department.
311.11 Seaport Employment Training Grant Program.—
(1) The Department of Economic Opportunity, in cooperation with the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council, shall establish a Seaport Employment Training Grant Program within the Department of Economic Opportunity. The Department of Economic Opportunity shall grant funds appropriated by the Legislature to the program for the purpose of stimulating and supporting seaport training and employment programs which will seek to match state and local training programs with identified job skills associated with employment opportunities in the port, maritime, and transportation industries, and for the purpose of providing such other training, educational, and information services as required to stimulate jobs in the described industries. Funds may be used for the purchase of equipment to be used for training purposes, hiring instructors, and any other purpose associated with the training program. The contribution of the Department of Economic Opportunity to any specific training program may not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of the program. Matching contributions may include services in kind, including, but not limited to, training instructors, equipment usage, and training facilities.
(2) The Department of Economic Opportunity shall adopt criteria to implement this section.
History.—s. 12, ch. 92-277; s. 133, ch. 96-320; s. 3, ch. 96-418; s. 49, ch. 97-278; s. 230, ch. 2011-142.
311.12 Seaport security.—
(1) SECURITY STANDARDS.—
(a) A seaport may implement security measures that are more stringent, more extensive, or supplemental to the applicable federal security regulations, including federal facility security assessment requirements under 33 C.F.R. s. 105.305.
(b) The provisions of s. 790.251 are not superseded, preempted, or otherwise modified in any way by the provisions of this section.
(2) SECURITY PLAN.—
(a) Each seaport listed in s. 311.09 shall adopt and maintain a security plan specific to that seaport which provides for a secure seaport infrastructure that promotes the safety and security of state residents and visitors and the flow of legitimate trade and travel.
(b) Each seaport shall periodically revise the seaport’s security plan based on the seaport’s ongoing assessment of security risks, the risks of terrorist activities, and the specific and identifiable needs of the seaport for ensuring that the seaport is in substantial compliance with applicable federal security regulations, including federal facility security assessment requirements under 33 C.F.R. s. 105.305.
(3) SECURE AND RESTRICTED AREAS.—Each seaport listed in s. 311.09 must clearly designate in seaport security plans, and clearly identify with appropriate signs and markers on the premises of a seaport, all secure and restricted areas as defined by 33 C.F.R. part 105.
(a)1. All seaport employees and other persons working at the seaport who have regular access to secure or restricted areas must comply with federal access control regulations as prescribed in this section.
2. All persons and objects in secure and restricted areas are subject to search by a sworn state-certified law enforcement officer, a Class D seaport security officer certified under Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 guidelines, or an employee of the seaport security force certified under the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 guidelines.
3. Persons found in these areas without the proper permission are subject to the trespass provisions of ss. 810.08 and 810.09.
(b) The seaport must provide clear notice of the prohibition against possession of concealed weapons and other contraband material on the premises of the seaport. Any person in a restricted area who has in his or her possession a concealed weapon, or who operates or has possession or control of a vehicle in or upon which a concealed weapon is placed or stored, commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. This paragraph does not apply to active-duty certified federal or state law enforcement personnel or persons so designated by the seaport director in writing.
(c) During a period of high terrorist threat level, as designated by the United States Department of Homeland Security, the management or controlling authority of the port may temporarily designate any part of the seaport property as a secure or restricted area. The duration of such designation is limited to the period in which the high terrorist threat level is in effect or a port emergency exists.
(4) ACCESS TO SECURE AND RESTRICTED AREAS.—
(a) Any person seeking authorization for unescorted access to secure and restricted areas of a seaport must possess a valid federal Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC).
(b) A seaport may not charge a fee for the administration or production of any access control credential that requires or is associated with a fingerprint-based background check, in addition to the fee for the federal TWIC. Beginning July 1, 2013, a seaport may not charge a fee for a seaport-specific access credential issued in addition to the federal TWIC, except under the following circumstances:
1. The individual seeking to gain secured access is a new hire as defined under 33 C.F.R. s. 105; or
2. The individual has lost or misplaced his or her federal TWIC.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2000-360; s. 1, ch. 2001-112; s. 1, ch. 2003-96; s. 1, ch. 2004-261; s. 6, ch. 2005-128; s. 2, ch. 2006-193; s. 2, ch. 2009-171; s. 55, ch. 2010-5; s. 2, ch. 2011-41; s. 4, ch. 2011-51.
311.121 Qualifications, training, and certification of licensed security officers at Florida seaports.—
(1) It is the intent of the Legislature that seaports in the state be able to mitigate operational security costs without reducing security levels by employing a combination of certified law enforcement officers and certified private security service officers. In order to accomplish this intent, seaports shall have the option to recruit and employ seaport security officers who are trained and certified pursuant to the provisions of this section. The Department of Law Enforcement shall adhere to this intent in the approval and certification process for seaport security required under s. 311.12.
(2) The authority or governing board of each seaport identified under s. 311.09 that is subject to the seaport security standards referenced in s. 311.12 shall require that a candidate for certification as a seaport security officer:
(a) Has received a Class D license as a security officer under chapter 493.
(b) Has successfully completed the certified training curriculum for a Class D license or has been determined by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to have equivalent experience as established by rule of the department.
(c) Has completed the training or training equivalency and testing process established by this section for becoming a certified seaport security officer.
(3) The Seaport Security Officer Qualification, Training, and Standards Coordinating Council is created under the Department of Law Enforcement.
(a) The executive director of the Department of Law Enforcement shall appoint 11 members to the council, to include:
1. The seaport administrator of the Department of Law Enforcement.
2. The Commissioner of Education or his or her designee.
3. The director of the Division of Licensing of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
4. The administrator of the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council.
5. Two seaport security directors from seaports designated under s. 311.09.
6. One director of a state law enforcement academy.
7. One representative of a local law enforcement agency.
8. Two representatives of contract security services.
9. One representative of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
(b) In addition to the members designated in paragraph (a), the executive director may invite a representative of the United States Coast Guard to attend and participate in council meetings as an ex officio, nonvoting member of the council.
(c) Council members designated under subparagraphs (a)1.-4. shall serve for the duration of their employment or appointment. Council members designated under subparagraphs (a)5.-9. shall be appointed for 4-year terms.
(d) The Commissioner of Education or his or her designee shall serve as chair of the council.
(e) The council shall meet upon the call of the chair, and at least once a year to update or modify curriculum recommendations.
(f) Council members shall serve without pay; however, per diem and travel allowances may be claimed for attendance of officially called meetings as provided by s. 112.061.
(g) The council shall identify the qualifications, training, and standards for seaport security officer certification and recommend a curriculum for the seaport security officer training program that includes at least 218 hours of initial certification training and that conforms to or exceeds model courses approved under s. 109 of the federal Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 for facility personnel with specific security duties.
1. The council may recommend training equivalencies that may be substituted for portions of the required training.
2. The council shall recommend a continuing education curriculum of at least 8 hours of additional training for each annual licensing period.
(4)(a) The Department of Education shall develop the curriculum recommendations and classroom-hour specifications of the Seaport Security Officer Qualifications, Training, and Standards Coordinating Council into initial and continuing education and training programs for seaport security officer certification.
(b) Such training programs shall be used by schools licensed under s. 493.6304, and each instructor providing training must hold a Class D license pursuant to s. 493.6301.
(c) A seaport authority or other organization involved in seaport-related activities may apply to become a school licensed under s. 493.6304.
(d) The training programs shall include proficiency examinations that must be passed by each candidate for certification who successfully completes the required hours of training or provides proof of authorized training equivalencies.
(e) A candidate for certification must be provided with a list of authorized training equivalencies in advance of training; however, each candidate for certification must successfully complete 20 hours of study specific to Florida Maritime Security and pass the related portion of the proficiency examination.
(5) Seaport security officer certificates shall be provided by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for issuance by a school licensed under s. 493.6304, and such school may issue the certificate to an applicant who has successfully completed the training program. A school shall notify the Division of Licensing within the department upon the issuance of each certificate. The notification must include the name and Class D license number of the certificate holder and a copy of the certificate. The department shall place the notification with the licensee’s file. Notification may be provided by electronic or paper format pursuant to instruction of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
(6)(a) Upon completion of the certification process, a person holding a Class D license must apply for a revised license pursuant to s. 493.6107(2), which license shall state that the licensee is certified as a seaport security officer.
(b) A person who has been issued a seaport security officer certificate is authorized to perform duties specifically required of a seaport security officer.
(c) The certificate is valid for the duration of the seaport security officer’s Class D license and shall be renewed upon renewal of the license.
(d) The certificate shall become void if the seaport security officer’s Class D license is revoked or allowed to lapse for more than 1 year or if the licensee fails to complete the annual continuing education requirement prior to expiration of the Class D license.
(e) Renewal of certification following licensure revocation or a lapse of longer than 1 year requires, at a minimum, 20 hours of recertification training and reexamination of the applicant.
History.—s. 3, ch. 2006-193; s. 2, ch. 2009-40; s. 4, ch. 2009-171; s. 56, ch. 2010-5; s. 3, ch. 2011-41; s. 6, ch. 2011-66.
311.122 Seaport law enforcement agency; authorization; requirements; powers; training.—
(1) Each seaport in the state is authorized to create a seaport law enforcement agency for its facility, which authority in no way precludes the seaport from contracting with local governments or law enforcement agencies to comply with the security standards required by this chapter.
(2) Each seaport law enforcement agency shall meet all of the standards set by the state under certified law enforcement guidelines and requirements and shall be certified as provided under chapter 943.
(3) If a seaport creates a seaport law enforcement agency for its facility, a minimum of 30 percent of the aggregate personnel of each seaport law enforcement agency shall be sworn state-certified law enforcement officers with additional Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 seaport training; a minimum of 30 percent of on-duty personnel of each seaport law enforcement agency shall be sworn state-certified law enforcement officers with additional Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 seaport training; and at least one on-duty supervisor must be a sworn state-certified law enforcement officer with additional Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 seaport training.
(4) For the purposes of this chapter, where applicable, seaport law enforcement agency officers shall have the same powers as university police officers as provided in s. 1012.97; however, such powers do not extend beyond the property of the seaport except in connection with an investigation initiated on seaport property or in connection with an immediate, imminent threat to the seaport.
(5) For the purposes of this chapter, sworn state-certified seaport security officers shall have the same law enforcement powers with respect to the enforcement of traffic laws on seaport property as university police officers under s. 1012.97, community college police officers under s. 1012.88, and airport police officers under the provisions of s. 316.640(1)(a)1.d.(I) and (II).
(6) Certified seaport security officers shall have the authority to immediately tow any vehicle parked illegally as indicated by an existing sign or during an emergency as deemed necessary to maintain seaport security.
History.—s. 4, ch. 2006-193; s. 57, ch. 2010-5.
311.123 Maritime domain security awareness training program.—
(1) The Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council shall create a maritime domain security awareness training program to instruct all personnel employed within a seaport’s boundaries about the security procedures required of them for implementation of the seaport security plan required under s. 311.12(2).
(2) The training program curriculum must include security training required pursuant to 33 C.F.R. part 105 and must be designed to enable the seaports in this state to meet the training, drill, and exercise requirements of 33 C.F.R. part 105 and individual seaport security plans and to otherwise comply with the requirements of s. 311.12.
History.—s. 5, ch. 2006-193; s. 5, ch. 2009-171; s. 4, ch. 2011-41; s. 5, ch. 2011-51.
311.124 Trespassing; detention by a certified seaport security officer.—
(1) Any Class D or Class G seaport security officer certified under the federal Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 guidelines or any employee of the seaport security force certified under the federal Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 guidelines who has probable cause to believe that a person is trespassing pursuant to s. 810.08 or s. 810.09 or this chapter in a designated secure or restricted area pursuant to s. 311.12(3) is authorized to detain such person in a reasonable manner for a reasonable period of time pending the arrival of a law enforcement officer, and such action does not render the security officer criminally or civilly liable for false arrest, false imprisonment, or unlawful detention.
(2) Upon detaining a person for trespass, the seaport security officer shall immediately call a certified law enforcement officer to the scene.
History.—s. 6, ch. 2006-193; s. 6, ch. 2009-171; s. 5, ch. 2011-41.
311.13 Certain information exempt from disclosure.—Seaport security plans created pursuant to s. 311.12 are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. In addition, photographs, maps, blueprints, drawings, and similar materials that depict critical seaport operating facilities are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution, to the extent that a seaport reasonably determines that such items contain information that is not generally known and that could jeopardize the security of the seaport; however, information relating to real estate leases, layout plans, blueprints, or information relevant thereto, is not included in this exemption.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2000-292; s. 1, ch. 2005-53; s. 7, ch. 2009-171.
311.14 Seaport planning.—
(1) The Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council, in cooperation with the Office of the State Public Transportation Administrator within the Department of Transportation, shall develop freight-mobility and trade-corridor plans to assist in making freight-mobility investments that contribute to the economic growth of the state. Such plans should enhance the integration and connectivity of the transportation system across and between transportation modes throughout Florida for people and freight.
(2) The Office of the State Public Transportation Administrator shall act to integrate freight-mobility and trade-corridor plans into the Florida Transportation Plan developed pursuant to s. 339.155 and into the plans and programs of metropolitan planning organizations as provided in s. 339.175. The office may also provide assistance in expediting the transportation permitting process relating to the construction of seaport freight-mobility projects located outside the physical borders of seaports. The Department of Transportation may contract, as provided in s. 334.044, with any port listed in s. 311.09(1) or any such other statutorily authorized seaport entity to act as an agent in the construction of seaport freight-mobility projects.
(3) Each port shall develop a strategic plan with a 10-year horizon. Each plan must include the following:
(a) An economic development component that identifies targeted business opportunities for increasing business and attracting new business for which a particular facility has a strategic advantage over its competitors, identifies financial resources and other inducements to encourage growth of existing business and acquisition of new business, and provides a projected schedule for attainment of the plan’s goals.
(b) An infrastructure development and improvement component that identifies all projected infrastructure improvements within the plan area which require improvement, expansion, or development in order for a port to attain a strategic advantage for competition with national and international competitors.
(c) A component that identifies all intermodal transportation facilities, including sea, air, rail, or road facilities, which are available or have potential, with improvements, to be available for necessary national and international commercial linkages and provides a plan for the integration of port, airport, and railroad activities with existing and planned transportation infrastructure.
(d) A component that identifies physical, environmental, and regulatory barriers to achievement of the plan’s goals and provides recommendations for overcoming those barriers.
(e) An intergovernmental coordination component that specifies modes and methods to coordinate plan goals and missions with the missions of the Department of Transportation, other state agencies, and affected local, general-purpose governments.

To the extent feasible, the port strategic plan must be consistent with the local government comprehensive plans of the units of local government in which the port is located. Upon approval of a plan by the port’s board, the plan shall be submitted to the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council.

(4) The Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council shall review the strategic plans submitted by each port and prioritize strategic needs for inclusion in the Florida Seaport Mission Plan prepared pursuant to s. 311.09(3).
History.—s. 69, ch. 99-251; s. 3, ch. 2011-164.
311.22 Additional authorization for funding certain dredging projects.—
(1) The Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council shall establish a program to fund dredging projects in counties having a population of fewer than 300,000 according to the last official census. Funds made available under this program may be used to fund approved projects for the dredging or deepening of channels, turning basins, or harbors on a 25-percent local matching basis with any port authority, as such term is defined in s. 315.02(2), which complies with the permitting requirements in part IV of chapter 373 and the local financial management and reporting provisions of part III of chapter 218.
(2) The council shall adopt rules for evaluating the projects that may be funded pursuant to this section. The rules must provide criteria for evaluating the economic benefit of the project. The rules must include the creation of an administrative review process by the council which is similar to the process described in s. 311.09(5)-(12), and provide for a review by the Department of Transportation and the Department of Economic Opportunity of all projects submitted for funding under this section.
History.—ss. 42, 55, ch. 2005-71; s. 1, ch. 2005-261; s. 1, ch. 2005-281; s. 39, ch. 2006-26; ss. 34, 53, 54, ch. 2007-73; s. 16, ch. 2007-196; s. 8, ch. 2008-5; ss. 232, 493, ch. 2011-142.