| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to installations honoring military |
| 3 | veterans and their families; creating the "Ellwood |
| 4 | Robinson 'Bob' Pipping, Jr., Memorial Act"; providing a |
| 5 | popular name; providing purpose; authorizing the |
| 6 | Department of Transportation to enter into contract with a |
| 7 | group or organization for the installation and maintenance |
| 8 | of plaques, markers, monuments, memorials, or various |
| 9 | retired military equipment at rest stops; providing for a |
| 10 | committee to approve proposals for the contracts; |
| 11 | providing for membership and terms of members of the |
| 12 | committee; requiring approval by said committee for such |
| 13 | contracts; providing conditions for approval; providing |
| 14 | that the group or organization shall be responsible for |
| 15 | costs; providing an effective date. |
| 16 |
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| 17 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 18 |
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| 19 | Section 1. This act shall be known by the popular name the |
| 20 | "Ellwood Robinson 'Bob' Pipping, Jr., Memorial Act." |
| 21 | Section 2. The purpose of this act is to create an |
| 22 | environment in which the people of Florida and its visitors will |
| 23 | be reminded of the accomplishments made by our military veterans |
| 24 | in past conflicts and the continuing sacrifices made by those |
| 25 | veterans and their families to protect the freedoms we enjoy |
| 26 | today. |
| 27 | Section 3. The Department of Transportation is authorized |
| 28 | to enter into contract with any group or organization for the |
| 29 | installation and maintenance of monuments and memorials honoring |
| 30 | our military veterans at highway rest areas around the state |
| 31 | pursuant to the provisions of this section. |
| 32 | (1) Proposals for contracts under this act must be |
| 33 | approved by a committee composed of the secretary of the |
| 34 | Department of Transportation or the secretary's designee, the |
| 35 | executive director of the Department of Veterans' Affairs or the |
| 36 | executive director's designee, and three members of the Florida |
| 37 | Commission on Veterans' Affairs appointed by the chair of the |
| 38 | commission. Appointed members of the committee shall be |
| 39 | appointed for terms of not longer than 2 years and may be |
| 40 | reappointed to the committee. All appointed members' terms shall |
| 41 | expire on January 31 of each even-numbered year. |
| 42 | (2) Installations may consist of monuments, memorials, |
| 43 | plaques, markers, or various retired military equipment and must |
| 44 | honor the accomplishments of military veterans and the |
| 45 | sacrifices made by them and their families. |
| 46 | (3) The group or organization making the proposal shall be |
| 47 | responsible for all costs of the monument and its installation. |
| 48 | (4) The group or organization making the proposal shall be |
| 49 | responsible for the cost of maintenance of the monument for a |
| 50 | period of 10 years. The cost of maintenance shall be secured by |
| 51 | sufficient funds provided by the group or organization making |
| 52 | the proposal deposited into a maintenance account held by the |
| 53 | Department of Transportation. In lieu of the maintenance |
| 54 | account, the group or organization making the proposal may |
| 55 | provide a bond securing the cost of removal of the monument |
| 56 | should the group or organization making the proposal fail to |
| 57 | provide sufficient funds for maintenance for a period of 2 |
| 58 | consecutive years. |
| 59 | Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |