Senate Bill sb2520c1
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Florida Senate - 2004 CS for SB 2520
By the Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs, Base
Protection, and Spaceports; and Senator Jones
301-2369-04
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Great Florida
3 Wrek-reation Diving Trail Act; providing a
4 popular name; providing purpose of the act;
5 creating the Florida MARAD and U.S. Navy Vessel
6 Placement Commission; providing membership and
7 organization of the commission; providing
8 duties of the commission; providing for
9 interagency comments; providing for the
10 expiration of the commission; providing an
11 effective date.
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13 WHEREAS, in the past, the United States Navy has used
14 unneeded ships as targets for military exercises known as
15 sinking exercises, and
16 WHEREAS, now the Navy has devised an alternative means
17 of disposing of obsolete Navy vessels which allows the vessels
18 to serve in a productive capacity for hundreds of years past
19 their intended use, and
20 WHEREAS, the National Defense Authorization Bill for
21 fiscal year 2004 (H.R. 1588) allows appropriate decommissioned
22 ships to be donated for use as artificial reefing, and
23 WHEREAS, the process of using obsolete vessels as
24 man-made artificial reefs not only promotes marine life and
25 fishing but relieves pressures on natural coral reefs, and
26 WHEREAS, the measure allows the Navy to accomplish the
27 overall process for cost-effective donation transfer of
28 available naval vessels, and
29 WHEREAS, the United States Maritime Administration
30 (MARAD) will coordinate federal agency solicitation and
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Florida Senate - 2004 CS for SB 2520
301-2369-04
1 application for obtaining the vessels for use as artificial
2 reefs, and
3 WHEREAS, the donation and transfer application for all
4 Navy and MARAD ships available for use as artificial reefs may
5 be submitted only by states, commonwealths, and territories
6 and possessions of the United States, or municipal
7 corporations or political subdivisions thereof, and
8 WHEREAS, the program provides a practical option for
9 disposing of inactive naval vessels in a cost-effective and
10 environmentally sound manner that can also promote ecotourism
11 associated with recreational diving and fishing in Florida,
12 NOW, THEREFORE,
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14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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16 Section 1. (1) POPULAR NAME.--This act may be
17 referred to by the popular name the "Great Florida
18 Wrek-reation Diving Trail Act of 2004."
19 (2) PURPOSE.--The purpose of the Great Florida
20 Wrek-reation Diving Trail Act is to promote ecotourism
21 associated with recreational diving and fishing in Florida
22 through the placement of United States Maritime Administration
23 (MARAD) and United States Navy decommissioned vessels in
24 Florida waters as artificial reefs. The commission shall be
25 considered the artificial reef coordinator for Florida for
26 purposes of the United States Department of Transportation
27 transfer of obsolete MARAD and Navy vessels program.
28 (3) FLORIDA MARAD AND U.S. NAVY VESSEL PLACEMENT
29 COMMISSION; CREATION.--There is created within the Office of
30 Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development the Florida MARAD and
31 U.S. Navy Vessel Placement Commission.
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Florida Senate - 2004 CS for SB 2520
301-2369-04
1 (4) MEMBERSHIP.--The commission shall consist of five
2 members, three of whom shall represent recreational scuba
3 diving in Florida, one of whom shall be appointed by the
4 President of the Senate, one of whom shall be appointed by the
5 Speaker of the House of Representatives, and one of whom shall
6 be appointed by the Governor. The remaining two members shall
7 represent recreational fishing interests and the tourism
8 industry in Florida, one of whom shall be appointed by the
9 President of the Senate, and one of whom shall be appointed by
10 the Speaker of the House of Representatives. When making
11 appointments to the commission, the President of the Senate,
12 the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Governor
13 shall appoint persons who are residents of the state. Members
14 shall be appointed in such a manner as to equitably represent
15 different geographic areas of the state. The initial
16 appointments shall be made no later than September 1, 2004.
17 (5) ORGANIZATION.--The Governor shall designate one
18 member of the commission as its chair. Vacancies in membership
19 of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the
20 original appointments.
21 (a) The commission shall meet at least quarterly. A
22 majority of the members shall constitute a quorum for the
23 purpose of conducting business.
24 (b) The commission shall establish procedures for its
25 operations, including notices of meetings and the application
26 process.
27 (c) The members of the commission shall serve without
28 compensation, but are entitled to per diem and travel expenses
29 pursuant to section 112.061, Florida Statutes, while in the
30 performance of their duties.
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Florida Senate - 2004 CS for SB 2520
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1 (d) Each member of the commission shall file full and
2 public disclosure of financial interests at the times and
3 places and in the same manner required of elected
4 constitutional officers under Section 8 of Article II of the
5 State Constitution and any law implementing that provision.
6 (6) DUTIES.--The commission shall review applications
7 from Florida counties and municipalities for placement of
8 MARAD and U.S. Navy decommissioned vessels in Florida waters
9 as artificial reefs. The commission shall receive donation
10 transfer applications for such vessels and, using the Maritime
11 Administration application evaluation criteria, as amended,
12 shall recommend to the Governor sites within the state for
13 placement of such vessels. The commission shall develop a
14 master site plan for the purposes of maximizing the number and
15 type of vessels for placement in Florida waters. Criteria
16 shall include placement of vessels in a geographically
17 dispersed manner.
18 (7) INTERAGENCY COMMENTS.--The commission shall
19 request and receive interagency comments from the local
20 artificial reef permitting agencies, the Department of
21 Environmental Protection, and the Fish and Wildlife
22 Conservation Commission, allowing a review period consistent
23 with MARAD and U.S. Navy application deadlines. Interagency
24 comments on submitted applications must be limited to that
25 agency's area of responsibility.
26 (8) TERM.--The commission shall expire on December 31,
27 2006, unless reenacted by the Legislature.
28 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
29 law.
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Florida Senate - 2004 CS for SB 2520
301-2369-04
1 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
2 Senate Bill 2520
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4 The CS provides for the placement of the Commission within the
Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development.
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The CS revises the membership of the Commission to provide for
6 the appointment of one representative of recreational fishing
interests, and one representative of the tourism industry.
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The CS clarifies the organization and operation of the
8 Commission, and provides for the termination of the Commission
on December 31, 2006, unless reenacted by the Legislature.
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