House Bill 2077e1

                                          HB 2077, First Engrossed



  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the Bay of Pigs and

  3         Operation Mongoose Historical Site and Memorial

  4         Study Group; establishing the Bay of Pigs and

  5         Operation Mongoose Historical Site and Memorial

  6         Study Group; providing for membership of the

  7         study group; requiring the study group to

  8         compile and submit a report; providing an

  9         effective date.

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11         WHEREAS, the main thrust of the Bay of Pigs invasion

12  was launched on April 17, 1961, from bases in Nicaragua

13  towards southern Cuba, and clandestine diversionary raids were

14  launched towards northern Cuba from the Florida Keys, and

15         WHEREAS, the 2506 Assault Brigade invasion force was

16  composed of approximately 1,500 Cuban expatriates, of which an

17  estimated 300 were killed and 1,179 were captured by the

18  Castro Forces, and

19         WHEREAS, after the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion,

20  the United States commenced Operation Mongoose, which was a

21  clandestine plan designed to subvert the Cuban government

22  through sabotage, propaganda, and infiltration, and

23         WHEREAS, it is fitting that a memorial be erected to

24  recognize the members of the 2506 Assault Brigade who were

25  involved in the Bay of Pigs invasion, and Operation Mongoose

26  participants, many of whom were killed and all of whom risked

27  their lives in the attempts to free their homeland, NOW,

28  THEREFORE,

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

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






                                          HB 2077, First Engrossed



  1         Section 1.  There is created the Bay of Pigs and

  2  Operation Mongoose Historical Site and Memorial Study Group,

  3  composed of one representative each from the John Pennekamp

  4  Coral Reef State Park, the Division of State Lands of the

  5  Department of Environmental Protection, the Molasses Reef

  6  Marina Corporation, the Bay of Pigs and Operation Mongoose

  7  Historical Site and Memorial Nonprofit Corporation, and a

  8  fifth member to be agreed upon by all of the other four

  9  members. The study group shall compile a report on an

10  appropriate memorial to the cause and sacrifice of the

11  participants in the Bay of Pigs invasion and Operation

12  Mongoose. The report shall review and discuss any appropriate

13  sites for the memorial, its development, ongoing maintenance,

14  and appropriate funding sources for these activities. The

15  report shall be submitted to the Governor and Cabinet, sitting

16  as the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust

17  Fund, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the

18  President of the Senate by December 31, 2000.

19         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.

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