Senate Bill sb0232c1

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    Florida Senate - 2005                            CS for SB 232

    By the Committee on Domestic Security; and Senator Constantine





    583-1431-05

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to emergency management;

  3         amending s. 252.32, F.S.; providing that it is

  4         the policy of the Legislature to encourage

  5         counties and municipalities to explore the use

  6         of emerging technologies for the purpose of

  7         disseminating information to the public before,

  8         during, and after an emergency or natural

  9         disaster; requiring the Department of Community

10         Affairs to compile a list of potential sources

11         of grant funds and disseminate the list to all

12         counties and municipalities so that they may

13         use the list as a guide for applying for

14         grants; amending s. 252.38, F.S.; authorizing a

15         county or municipality to establish a volunteer

16         disaster assistance recovery program;

17         authorizing advisory committees to negotiate

18         voluntary compliance standards and agreements

19         with local businesses; authorizing a county or

20         municipality to require that a representative

21         of a private utility be present at the local

22         emergency operations center for purposes of

23         coordination during an emergency or natural

24         disaster; providing an effective date.

25  

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

27  

28         Section 1.  Subsection (3) is added to section 252.32,

29  Florida Statutes, to read:

30         252.32  Policy and purpose.--

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2005                            CS for SB 232
    583-1431-05




 1         (3)  The Legislature, as a matter of public policy,

 2  encourages counties and municipalities to explore the use of

 3  emerging technologies as a means of disseminating information

 4  to the public before, during, and after an emergency or

 5  natural disaster. Use of the Internet, e-mail, text messaging,

 6  and emergency telephone notification should be considered in

 7  formulating strategies and plans for public communications. In

 8  order to support efforts to increase the use of emerging

 9  technologies, the Department of Community Affairs shall

10  compile a list of potential grant fund sources from federal

11  and state agencies and from private entities. The department

12  shall disseminate this list to all counties and municipalities

13  so that the counties and municipalities may use the list as a

14  guide for applying for grants.

15         Section 2.  Paragraphs (c) and (d) are added to

16  subsection (3) of section 252.38, Florida Statutes, to read:

17         252.38  Emergency management powers of political

18  subdivisions.--Safeguarding the life and property of its

19  citizens is an innate responsibility of the governing body of

20  each political subdivision of the state.

21         (3)  EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT POWERS; POLITICAL

22  SUBDIVISIONS.--

23         (c)  A county or municipality may establish a volunteer

24  disaster assistance recovery program within the county or

25  municipality for the purpose of facilitating and improving

26  communications between emergency managers and the public in

27  the event of an emergency or natural disaster, and for the

28  purpose of delivering supplies and services through

29  prearranged agreements with local businesses. Local

30  governments may form disaster assistance recovery advisory

31  committees to negotiate voluntary compliance standards and

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    Florida Senate - 2005                            CS for SB 232
    583-1431-05




 1  agreements with local businesses for the provision of goods

 2  and services in the period immediately preceding, during, and

 3  immediately after a declared emergency. The members of the

 4  disaster assistance recovery advisory committee shall include,

 5  but need not be limited to, residents of the county or

 6  municipality and owners of businesses that are located within

 7  the county or municipality.

 8         (d)  Pursuant to s. 252.41, a county or municipality

 9  may require a representative of a private utility company be

10  present at its local emergency operations center for purposes

11  of coordination during an actual emergency or natural disaster

12  if other adequate means of coordination cannot be readily

13  established.

14         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

15  law.

16  

17          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
18                              SB 232

19                                 

20  Expresses legislative encouragement to counties and
    municipalities to explore the use of emerging technologies to
21  improve communications between emergency managers and the
    public. In order to support the increased use of these
22  technologies, requires the Department of Communities Affairs
    to prepare a list of grant funding sources and disseminate the
23  list to all counties and municipalities.

24  Permissively authorizes counties and municipalities to
    establish volunteer disaster assistance recovery programs.
25  Counties and municipalities may form disaster assistance
    recovery committees made up of community residents and
26  business owners for the purpose of setting voluntary
    compliance standards and negotiating prearranged agreements
27  for delivery of goods and services in an emergency situation.

28  Permissively authorizes counties and municipalities to require
    a private utility company representative be present in its
29  emergency operations center for coordination purposes if
    desired.
30  

31  

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