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A bill to be entitled |
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An act relating to abrogating offensive or derogatory |
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place names; creating s. 267.0625, F.S.; providing |
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legislative findings that certain place names are |
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offensive or derogatory; providing definitions; requiring |
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the Florida Historical Commission and the Division of |
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Historical Resources to aid state agencies and local |
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governments in identifying geographic sites having |
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offensive or derogatory place names; directing state |
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agencies and local governments to identify geographic |
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sites having offensive or derogatory place names by a |
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specified date; directing the commission to recommend to |
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the division replacement names; directing the division to |
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select replacement names by a specified date; requiring |
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state and local governments to update maps and markers |
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with the new place names; directing the division to notify |
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the United States Board on Geographic Names of name |
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changes; providing specified exceptions to the act; |
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providing an effective date. |
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
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Section 1. Section 267.0625, Florida Statutes, is created |
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to read: |
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267.0625 Abrogation of offensive and derogatory geographic |
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place names.-- |
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(1) The Legislature finds that certain place names for |
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geographic sites are offensive or derogatory to the state's |
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people, history, and heritage. The state encourages tolerance |
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and understanding between all of its residents and these |
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geographic place names are a barrier to that effort. The |
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Legislature finds that these offensive or derogatory place names |
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should be replaced by names that reflect the state's people, |
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history, and heritage without resorting to offensive |
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stereotypes, names, words, or phrases. |
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(2) As used in this section, the term: |
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(a) "Commission" means the Florida Historical Commission |
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within the Department of State. |
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(b) "Geographic site" means a location or structure in |
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this state, and includes, but is not limited to, rivers, bodies |
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of water, roads, bridges, buildings, geographic features, and |
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parks. |
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(c) "Offensive or derogatory place name" means a name |
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deemed offensive on the basis of race, religion, creed, gender, |
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sexual orientation, or national origin. |
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(3) The commission shall assist the division in consulting |
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with state agencies and political subdivisions in order to |
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identify and inventory all public lands, waters, structures, and |
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other geographic sites having offensive or derogatory place |
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names. The commission shall also assist the division in |
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developing alternative names to replace offensive or derogatory |
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place names with place names that reflect the state's diversity |
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and culture. |
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(4)(a) Each state agency that owns or manages public |
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lands, waters, or structures in this state shall, by October 1, |
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2004, identify any geographic sites under its jurisdiction which |
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contain offensive or derogatory place names and inform the |
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commission of those geographic sites. The commission shall, by |
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January 1, 2005, recommend to the division a new name for each |
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geographic site to replace the offensive or derogatory place |
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name. The division shall, by March 1, 2005, choose a new name |
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for the geographic site. Thereafter, the agency shall ensure |
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that whenever the agency updates a map or replaces a sign, |
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interpretive marker, or any other marker because of wear or |
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vandalism, the offensive or derogatory place name is removed and |
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replaced with the name chosen by the division. |
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(b) Each political subdivision that owns or manages public |
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land, waters, or structures in this state shall, by October 1, |
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2004, identify any geographic sites under its jurisdiction which |
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contain offensive or derogatory place names and inform the |
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commission of those sites. The political subdivision shall at |
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the same time recommend a replacement name. The commission |
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shall, by January 1, 2005, recommend to the division a new name |
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for each geographic site to replace the offensive or derogatory |
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place name, giving preference to the name suggested by the |
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political subdivision. The division shall, by March 1, 2005, |
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choose a new name for the geographic site. Thereafter, the |
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political subdivision shall ensure that whenever it updates a |
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map or replaces a sign, interpretive marker, or any other marker |
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because of wear or vandalism, the offensive or derogatory place |
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name is removed and replaced with the name chosen by the |
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division. |
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(5) The division shall: |
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(a) Notify the Department of Transportation, the Office of |
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Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development, the Department of |
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Management Services, and any other entity that compiles |
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information for or develops maps or markers for the state of the |
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name change so that it may be reflected on subsequent editions |
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of any maps, informational literature, or markers produced by |
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those entities. |
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(b) Place a formal request with the United States Board on |
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Geographic Names to render a decision on the proposed name |
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change so that the new name will be reflected on all maps of the |
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United States Board on Geographic Names. |
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(6) This section does not apply to a geographic place name |
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that is the same as the name of a historic person or event or |
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that is a nonpejorative place name. |
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Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2004. |