Senate Bill sb1026e1

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  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the aerospace industry;

  3         creating the Commission on the Future of Space

  4         in Florida; providing for membership and

  5         organization of the commission; providing

  6         procedures for action by the commission;

  7         authorizing the commission to appoint an

  8         executive director; providing for

  9         administrative and staff assistance from the

10         Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic

11         Development; providing for compensation of

12         consultants; providing duties of the

13         commission; requiring the commission to

14         identify, examine, and review certain

15         information related to aerospace and the

16         aerospace industry; authorizing the commission

17         to appoint technical advisory committees;

18         authorizing reimbursement of travel expenses;

19         requiring a certain number of meetings in

20         various regions of the state; directing certain

21         agencies and requesting other agencies to

22         render assistance and cooperation; requiring

23         preliminary and final reports; requiring the

24         Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic

25         Development to prepare legislative

26         recommendations consistent with the report;

27         abolishing the commission; providing an

28         expiration date; providing appropriations;

29         amending s. 331.405, F.S.; amending a

30         definition; providing an effective date.

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 1         WHEREAS, the aerospace industry comprises an important

 2  segment of Florida's present and future economy, and

 3         WHEREAS, intense nationwide and international

 4  competition for the future development of this industry is

 5  already underway, and

 6         WHEREAS, the diversification of Florida's commercial,

 7  civil, and military aerospace industry and the strengthening

 8  of Florida's space-related research and development

 9  initiatives, including initiatives related to commercial,

10  civil, and military space, are critical components of the

11  future of Florida's aerospace industry, and

12         WHEREAS, Florida must ensure that the state is

13  optimally positioned for NASA's new Vision for Space

14  Exploration, and

15         WHEREAS, effective action and the necessary

16  coordination of Florida's space-related resources must be

17  based on a reliable assessment of the present climate for the

18  aerospace industry in the state, and

19         WHEREAS, the Legislature finds there is a need to

20  comprehensively consider the various options available for

21  legislative action related to the multibillion-dollar

22  aerospace industry in this state, NOW, THEREFORE,

23  

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

25  

26         Section 1.  Commission on the Future of Space in

27  Florida.--

28         (1)  The Commission on the Future of Space in Florida

29  is created. The commission shall be composed of 15 voting

30  members, 9 of whom are appointed by the Governor, 3 of whom

31  are appointed by the President of the Senate, and 3 of whom


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 1  are appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

 2  In consultation with the Florida Congressional Delegation, the

 3  Governor shall appoint two members of the delegation or their

 4  designees to serve as ex officio, nonvoting members of the

 5  commission. In addition, the Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of

 6  Transportation, executive director of the Florida Space

 7  Authority, and director of the Agency for Workforce Innovation

 8  or their designees shall serve as ex officio, nonvoting

 9  members of the commission. The Governor's appointments must

10  include one appointment from each of the following groups:

11         (a)  Aerospace manufacturing.

12         (b)  Aerospace operations and maintenance.

13         (c)  Aerospace finance.

14         (d)  Aerospace research.

15         (e)  Aerospace defense.

16         (f)  Commercial aerospace services.

17         (g)  An aerospace business with fewer than 250

18  employees.

19         (h)  Enterprise Florida, Inc.

20         (i)  Aerospace education.

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22  The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of

23  Representatives shall each select one appointee from three of

24  the groups listed in paragraphs (a)-(i) and, in addition,

25  shall each appoint one member from their respective chambers

26  of the Legislature to serve as ex officio, nonvoting members.

27  Appointments under this subsection shall be made before July

28  31, 2005, and the first meeting shall be held no later than

29  September 1, 2005. The chair of the commission shall be

30  elected from among the voting members by majority vote of the

31  membership at its first meeting. Meetings shall be held upon


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 1  the call of the chair but not less frequently than monthly.

 2  Any vacancy occurring in the membership of the commission

 3  shall be filled in the same manner as the original

 4  appointment.

 5         (2)  Each voting member of the commission is entitled

 6  to one vote, and action of the commission requires a majority

 7  vote of the voting members present. Action may not be taken if

 8  less than a majority of all voting members is present.

 9         (3)  The commission may appoint an executive director

10  who shall report to the commission and serve at its pleasure.

11  The Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development shall

12  provide the commission and the executive director with staff

13  assistance. The Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic

14  Development may, upon the request of the commission, pay

15  compensation to consultants if such costs can be funded from

16  the appropriation provided for in this act.

17         (4)  The commission shall:

18         (a)  Identify the current and future opportunities in

19  aerospace operations, aerospace transport, aerospace

20  education, aerospace tourism, and other aerospace areas and

21  make recommendations for how the state can capitalize on such

22  opportunities.

23         (b)  Review current federal, state, and local laws,

24  ordinances, and rules that affect the aerospace industry in

25  the state and recommend actions that will promote growth and

26  diversification of the industry.

27         (c)  Examine the state's space-related policies and

28  programs and recommend needed changes, including the possible

29  restructuring of state space-related entities.

30         (d)  Examine the ways in which aerospace industries,

31  including the component elements of manufacturing, assembly,


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 1  marketing, servicing, maintenance, logistical support, human

 2  resources, and related research and development, can be

 3  attracted to locate permanently or expand in the state and

 4  recommend actions that can be taken by the state and local

 5  governments to accomplish this goal, including, but not

 6  limited to, possible financing alternatives.

 7         (e)  Review existing studies to evaluate aerospace in

 8  the state, identify underserved resources, and recommend

 9  actions that can be taken to improve the competitiveness,

10  availability, efficiency, and economy of the aerospace

11  industry of the state.

12         (f)  Identify federal aid available to improve the

13  state's aerospace infrastructure and services and recommend

14  strategies to obtain such aid.

15         (g)  Determine whether the state's secondary and

16  postsecondary schools are producing graduates who meet the

17  workforce needs of the state's aerospace industry and

18  recommend strategies to improve meeting those needs.

19         (5)  The commission may appoint technical advisory

20  committees. Commission members and the members of any

21  technical advisory committees may not receive remuneration for

22  their services, but members other than public officers and

23  employees are entitled to be reimbursed by the Office of

24  Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development for travel and per

25  diem expenses in accordance with section 112.061, Florida

26  Statutes. Public officers and employees shall be reimbursed

27  for travel and per diem expenses by their respective agencies

28  in accordance with section 112.061, Florida Statutes.

29         (6)  The commission must hold at least five public

30  hearings in different regions of the state to solicit input

31  from the public on the future of space in the state.


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 1         (7)  All agencies under the control of the Governor are

 2  directed and all other agencies are requested to render

 3  assistance and cooperation to the commission.

 4         (8)  The commission shall prepare a preliminary report

 5  of its findings and recommendations by January 16, 2006, and a

 6  final report with specific recommendations by January 30,

 7  2006. The Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development

 8  shall prepare legislative recommendations consistent with the

 9  commission's reports for consideration by the Legislature at

10  the 2006 Regular Session. Copies of the reports shall be

11  submitted to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and

12  the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

13         (9)  The commission is abolished, and this section

14  expires, on May 31, 2006.

15         Section 2.  The sum of $300,000 is appropriated from

16  the State Transportation Trust Fund to the Department of

17  Transportation for transfer into the Economic Development

18  Trust Fund in the Executive Office of the Governor, Office of

19  Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development for Fiscal Year

20  2005-2006.  The sum of $300,000 is appropriated from the

21  Economic Development Trust Fund to the Executive Office of the

22  Governor, Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development

23  for Fiscal Year 2005-2006 for the purpose of implementing this

24  act.

25         Section 3.  Section 331.405, Florida Statutes, is

26  amended to read:

27         331.405  Definitions.--As used in this part:

28         (1)  "Account" means the account established pursuant

29  to s. 331.415.

30         (2)  "Aerospace" means the industry concerned with the

31  design and manufacture of aircraft, rockets, missiles,


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 1  spacecraft, satellites, space vehicles, space stations, space

 2  and defense facilities, or components thereof, and equipment,

 3  systems, facilities, simulators, programs, and activities

 4  related thereto.

 5         (3)  "Authority" means the Florida Space Authority

 6  created by s. 331.302.

 7         (4)  "Board" means the governing body of the

 8  corporation.

 9         (5)  "Corporation" means the Florida Aerospace Finance

10  Corporation.

11         (6)  "Domiciled in this state" means registered to do

12  business in Florida.

13         (7)  "Financial institution" has the same meaning as in

14  s. 655.005(1)(h).

15         (8)  "Financing agreement" has the same meaning as in

16  s. 331.303(10).

17         (9)  "Member" means an individual appointed to be a

18  member of the board.

19         (10)  "President" means the chief executive officer of

20  the corporation.

21         Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.

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