House Bill 1947
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 1947
By Representative Hill
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to environmental justice;
3 creating s. 760.855, F.S.; creating the
4 "Florida Environmental Justice Act of 2000";
5 providing a definition; providing legislative
6 finding and declaration; requiring the Center
7 for Environmental Equity and Justice at Florida
8 Agricultural and Mechanical University, in
9 consultation with the Executive Office of the
10 Governor, the Department of Environmental
11 Protection, the Department of Health, the
12 Department of Community Affairs, the Department
13 of Transportation, the Agency for Health Care
14 Administration, the Department of Agriculture
15 and Consumer Services, the water management
16 districts, local governments, affected
17 communities, and industry, to develop a state
18 interagency environmental justice strategy;
19 providing for submittal to the Governor;
20 requiring said entities to implement a strategy
21 to address communities of the state with
22 disproportionate air, water, or soil pollution;
23 requiring a report to the Governor and
24 Legislature; providing an appropriation;
25 providing an effective date.
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27 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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29 Section 1. Section 760.855, Florida Statutes, is
30 created to read:
31 760.855 Florida Environmental Justice Act of 2000.--
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 1947
504-161B-00
1 (1) The Florida Legislature, having received the 1996
2 Florida Environmental Equity and Justice Commission Final
3 Report, and having implemented the following recommendations
4 of the report: the creation of the Center for Environmental
5 Equity and Justice at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical
6 University, the formation of the Community Environmental
7 Health Advisory Board within the Department of Health, and the
8 implementation of a Birth Defects Registry, hereby creates the
9 "Florida Environmental Justice Act of 2000."
10 (2) For purposes of this section, "departments" means
11 the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of
12 Health, the Department of Community Affairs, the Department of
13 Transportation, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
14 Services, the Agency for Health Care Administration, and the
15 water management districts.
16 (3) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that
17 people of all races, cultures, and incomes must be treated
18 fairly with respect to the development, adoption,
19 implementation, and enforcement of environmental statutes,
20 ordinances, rules and regulations, and public policies.
21 (4)(a) The Center for Environmental Equity and
22 Justice, in consultation with the Executive Office of the
23 Governor, the departments, local governments, affected
24 communities, and industry, shall develop a state interagency
25 environmental justice strategy that addresses any
26 disproportionate human health or environmental effect of
27 programs, policies, and activities, including permitting
28 decisions, on minority populations and low-income populations
29 in the state.
30 (b) The state interagency environmental justice
31 strategy shall include the development of methodology, based
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 1947
504-161B-00
1 on the 1996 Florida Environmental Equity and Justice
2 Commission Final Report, empirical data, and public testimony,
3 for considering environmental justice impacts in agency
4 permitting and cleanup decisions and for identifying
5 environmentally overburdened communities and disproportionate
6 health impacts in minority and low-income communities.
7 (c) The state interagency environmental justice
8 strategy shall be submitted to the Governor on or before July
9 31, 2001, shall provide guidance for the departments in
10 implementing the strategy, and shall include recommendations
11 for fiscal appropriations necessary to implement the strategy.
12 (d) On or before June 30, 2001, the departments shall
13 make the achievement of environmental justice part of their
14 mission by implementing a strategy that addresses communities
15 of the state that are disproportionately impacted by air,
16 water, and soil pollution that could create health hazards,
17 and addresses, as appropriate, disproportionate human health
18 or environmental effects of the departments' programs,
19 policies, and activities, including permitting decisions, on
20 minority populations and low-income populations impacted by
21 the identified air, water, and soil pollution.
22 (e) The departments shall report regarding the
23 implementation of this section to the Governor, the President
24 of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
25 and the chairs of the appropriate substantive and fiscal
26 committees of each house by July 31, 2001.
27 Section 2. There is appropriated from the General
28 Revenue Fund to the Center for Environmental Equity and
29 Justice at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University for
30 the 2000-2001 fiscal year the sum of $100,000 to implement the
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 1947
504-161B-00
1 provisions of s. 760.855, Florida Statutes, as created by this
2 act.
3 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.
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6 HOUSE SUMMARY
7
Creates the "Florida Environmental Justice Act of 2000."
8 Requires the Center for Environmental Equity and Justice
at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, in
9 consultation with the Executive Office of the Governor,
the Department of Environmental Protection, the
10 Department of Health, the Department of Community
Affairs, the Department of Transportation, the Agency for
11 Health Care Administration, the Department of Agriculture
and Consumer Services, the water management districts,
12 local governments, affected communities, and industry, to
develop and submit to the Governor by July 31, 2001, a
13 state interagency environmental justice strategy.
Requires said entities to implement a strategy to address
14 communities of the state with disproportionate air,
water, or soil pollution, by June 30, 2001, and to report
15 to the Governor and Legislature on implementation of the
act by July 31, 2001. Provides an appropriation.
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