Florida Senate - 2016                                    SB 1544
       
       
        
       By Senator Clemens
       
       27-01368A-16                                          20161544__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to weather impacts; creating s.
    3         252.3655, F.S.; creating an interagency workgroup to
    4         share information, coordinate ongoing efforts, and
    5         collaborate on initiatives relating to weather events;
    6         defining the term “weather events”; providing for
    7         specified agencies to select liaisons to the
    8         workgroup; designating the director of the Division of
    9         Emergency Management or the director’s designee as the
   10         liaison to and coordinator of the workgroup; requiring
   11         the workgroup to prepare a specified annual report;
   12         requiring the workgroup to submit the report to the
   13         Governor and the Legislature; requiring the director
   14         of the division or the director’s designee to post the
   15         report on the division’s website; requiring each
   16         agency liaison to post the report on the respective
   17         agency’s website; providing an effective date.
   18          
   19  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   20  
   21         Section 1. Section 252.3655, Florida Statutes, is created
   22  to read:
   23         252.3655 Weather interagency workgroup.—
   24         (1)(a) An interagency workgroup is created for the purpose
   25  of sharing information on the current and potential impacts of
   26  weather events throughout the state, coordinating the ongoing
   27  efforts of state agencies in addressing the impacts of weather
   28  events, and collaborating on statewide initiatives to address
   29  the impacts of weather events. As used in this section, the term
   30  “weather events” includes, but is not limited to, extreme heat,
   31  drought, wildfire, sea-level change, high tides, storm surge,
   32  saltwater intrusion, stormwater runoff, flash floods, inland
   33  flooding, and coastal flooding.
   34         (b) The head of each executive department, the executive
   35  director of each water management district, the Florida Public
   36  Service Commission, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation
   37  Commission, the Department of Military Affairs, the Office of
   38  Insurance Regulation of the Financial Services Commission, the
   39  Office of Financial Regulation of the Financial Services
   40  Commission, and the Board of Governors of the State University
   41  System shall select from within such agency a person to be
   42  designated as the agency liaison to the workgroup. The director
   43  of the Division of Emergency Management or the director’s
   44  designee shall serve as the liaison to and coordinator of the
   45  workgroup. The workgroup may meet in person or by teleconference
   46  as often as the workgroup deems necessary to share information,
   47  leverage resources, coordinate ongoing efforts, and prepare an
   48  annual report pursuant to this section.
   49         (2)(a) The workgroup is responsible for preparing an annual
   50  report that shall, at a minimum:
   51         1. Assess the relevance, level, and significance of current
   52  agency efforts to address the impacts of weather events.
   53         2. Create a uniform vulnerability assessment based on
   54  current scientific literature to identify and evaluate potential
   55  weather impacts that the agencies have not addressed.
   56         3. Strategize and prioritize ongoing efforts to address the
   57  impacts of weather events.
   58         (b) In preparing the report, the workgroup is encouraged to
   59  seek out state and national academic resources.
   60         (3)(a) By January 1, 2017, and each year thereafter, the
   61  workgroup shall issue a report on the current initiatives of the
   62  workgroup in coordinating and developing efforts to address the
   63  current and potential impacts of weather events. The report
   64  shall be submitted to the Governor, the President of the Senate,
   65  and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
   66         (b) The director of the Division of Emergency Management or
   67  the director’s designee is responsible for posting the
   68  workgroup’s annual report on the division’s website.
   69         (c) Each agency liaison is responsible for posting the
   70  workgroup’s annual report on the respective agency’s website.
   71         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.