House Bill 0305c1

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999              CS/HB 305

        By the Committee on Community Affairs and Representatives
    Turnbull, Gay, Dockery, Goodlette, Wiles, Harrington,
    Henriquez, Argenziano, Posey, Effman, Hart, Heyman, Roberts,
    Cosgrove, Russell, Kelly, Sorensen, Murman, Bloom, Levine,
    (Additional Sponsors on Last Printed Page)


  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the Florida World War II

  3         Veterans Memorial; providing for the

  4         construction of a memorial to the Florida

  5         residents who served during World War II;

  6         specifying source of moneys; directing the

  7         Commission on Veterans' Affairs to cooperate

  8         with the Capitol Center Planning Commission to

  9         report on the cost and appropriate location of

10         the memorial; directing the Governor to arrange

11         for an appropriate ceremony; providing a

12         contingent effective date.

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14         WHEREAS, currently there are approximately 600,000

15  World War II veterans residing in the State of Florida, and

16         WHEREAS, though it has been over 53 years since the end

17  of World War II, these veterans still are not honored by a

18  national or state war memorial, and

19         WHEREAS, legislation authorizing a national memorial

20  honoring World War II veterans was introduced in Congress 12

21  years ago, in 1987, and

22         WHEREAS, because of years of debate over the project,

23  and because a design for the memorial has failed to be

24  approved by the Commission of Fine Arts and the National

25  Capital Planning Commission, a national memorial has yet to

26  become a reality, and

27         WHEREAS, it has been estimated that the nation is

28  losing World War II veterans at the rate of 1,000 each day, or

29  30,000 per month, and

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  1         WHEREAS, time is running out for the opportunity to

  2  honor these brave military soldiers and nurses during their

  3  lifetime, and

  4         WHEREAS, the State of Florida recognizes the high moral

  5  purpose and idealism that motivated this nation's defenders in

  6  the defining event of the 20th century, and

  7         WHEREAS, through the construction of a memorial to the

  8  residents of Florida who served on active military duty in the

  9  Armed Services of the United States during World War II, the

10  State of Florida will appropriately honor its veterans for

11  their sacrifices and commitment to the common defense of the

12  nation and to the broader causes of securing freedom from

13  tyranny and the restoration of peace throughout the world,

14  NOW, THEREFORE,

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16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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18         Section 1.  This act may be cited as the "Florida World

19  War II Veterans Memorial Act."

20         Section 2.  The Florida World War II Veterans Memorial

21  Matching Trust Fund, if created by law, within the Department

22  of Veterans' Affairs shall receive private contributions and

23  matching state funds specifically appropriated by the

24  Legislature for the purpose of matching private donations

25  deposited into the trust fund to build a Florida World War II

26  Veterans Memorial as provided by this act. The department is

27  authorized to use moneys in the trust fund, if created by law,

28  in a manner which will generate increased funding for the

29  Florida World War II Veterans Memorial. Contributions to the

30  Florida World War II Veterans Memorial Matching Trust Fund

31  must be returned to those entities or individuals contributing

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  1  to the trust fund if the Florida World War II Veterans

  2  Memorial is not constructed as provided in section 3.

  3         Section 3.  If sufficient funds are available in the

  4  Florida World War II Veterans Memorial Matching Trust Fund to

  5  cover the full costs of the project, construction must have

  6  begun by June 30, 2005, from funds in the Florida World War II

  7  Veterans Memorial Matching Trust Fund, on an appropriate

  8  memorial to the residents of the State of Florida who served

  9  on active duty in the Armed Services of the United States

10  during World War II. The memorial must be located within the

11  Florida Capitol Center Planning District described in section

12  272.12, Florida Statutes. The memorial must contain the

13  opening and closing dates of World War II, and other

14  inscriptions and features as may be recommended by the

15  Commission on Veterans' Affairs.

16         Section 4.  The Commission on Veterans' Affairs shall

17  consider the appropriate design of the memorial and may

18  solicit design proposals from members of the public. The

19  Commission on Veterans' Affairs, in cooperation with the

20  Capitol Center Planning Commission, shall consider the

21  location of the memorial within the Florida Capitol Center

22  Planning District.  On or before January 31, 2002, the

23  Commission on Veterans' Affairs shall submit to the Governor,

24  the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of

25  Representatives its recommendations for the location and

26  design of the memorial. The report must include an estimate of

27  the cost to acquire the site for the memorial and of the cost

28  to construct the memorial in accordance with the design

29  proposal recommended by the Commission on Veterans' Affairs,

30  as well as the life-cycle cost estimate required by section

31  255.255, Florida Statutes. The Department of Management

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  1  Services shall assist the Commission on Veterans' Affairs in

  2  preparing the estimates for timely inclusion in the report.

  3         Section 5.  Upon completion of the memorial, the

  4  Governor shall arrange an appropriate dedication and unveiling

  5  ceremony. The ceremony shall be held on a date of the

  6  Governor's choosing which is the same as the date of the

  7  anniversary of a significant and meaningful event in the

  8  history of World War II.

  9         Section 6.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999, if

10  HB 303 or similar legislation is adopted in the same

11  legislative session or an extension thereof.

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16                       ADDITIONAL SPONSORS

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    Ritchie, Diaz de la Portilla, Albright, Stansel, Goode,
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    Melvin, Pruitt, Waters, Fasano, Fiorentino, Wasserman Schultz,
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    K. Smith, Minton, Trovillion, Lynn, Bilirakis, Kosmas,
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    Morroni, Bullard, Barreiro and Casey
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