Florida Senate - 2016                              CS for SB 310
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Fiscal Policy; and Senators Legg and
       Margolis
       
       594-02377-16                                           2016310c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the National Statuary Hall;
    3         providing for replacement of the statue of General
    4         Edmund Kirby Smith in the National Statuary Hall
    5         Collection at the United States Capitol; providing for
    6         selection of a prominent Florida citizen to be
    7         commemorated in the National Statuary Hall Collection;
    8         providing for selection of a sculptor to design the
    9         statue; requiring the Florida Council on Arts and
   10         Culture and the Department of State to estimate costs
   11         associated with the replacement of the statue;
   12         authorizing the council to raise funds to support such
   13         costs; providing for the deposit of funds raised into
   14         the Grants and Donations Trust Fund of the department;
   15         requiring the department to submit a report to the
   16         Governor and the Legislature by a specified date;
   17         specifying required content of the report; providing
   18         for submission of the state’s request to the United
   19         States Joint Committee on the Library of Congress for
   20         approval to replace the statue; providing an effective
   21         date.
   22  
   23         WHEREAS, pursuant to 2 U.S.C. s. 2131, each state is
   24  permitted to provide and furnish to the United States Capitol
   25  two statues, in marble or bronze, of deceased persons who have
   26  been prominent citizens of the state for placement in the
   27  National Statuary Hall Collection, and
   28         WHEREAS, currently, Florida has two statues, of Dr. John
   29  Gorrie and of General Edmund Kirby Smith, in the National
   30  Statuary Hall Collection, and
   31         WHEREAS, pursuant to 2 U.S.C. s. 2132, a state may request
   32  that the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress approve the
   33  replacement of any statue the state has provided for display in
   34  the National Statuary Hall Collection at the United States
   35  Capitol, NOW, THEREFORE,
   36  
   37  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   38  
   39         Section 1. (1) At its first annual meeting following the
   40  effective date of this act, the ad hoc committee of the Great
   41  Floridians Program within the Division of Historical Resources
   42  of the Department of State, as established under s.
   43  267.0731(1)(b), Florida Statutes, shall select, according to
   44  guidelines prescribed by the division, a prominent Florida
   45  citizen, who may include, but is not limited to, a person of
   46  distinguished civil or military service, to be commemorated in
   47  the National Statuary Hall Collection of the United States
   48  Capitol. The ad hoc committee shall submit its recommendation to
   49  the Division of Historical Resources and the Division of
   50  Cultural Affairs.
   51         (2) At its first meeting following the effective date of
   52  this act, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, as
   53  established under s. 265.285, Florida Statutes, shall select a
   54  sculptor, according to the guidelines prescribed by the
   55  Department of State and 2 U.S.C. s. 2131, with preference given
   56  to a sculptor from this state, to design a statue of the
   57  prominent Florida citizen selected pursuant to subsection (1)
   58  for replacement of the statue of General Edmund Kirby Smith in
   59  the National Statuary Hall Collection.
   60         (3) The Florida Council on Arts and Culture and the
   61  Department of State shall estimate the costs associated with the
   62  replacement of the statue, including the costs to design,
   63  construct, transport, and place the new statue; the removal and
   64  transfer of the current statue; and any unveiling ceremony for
   65  the new statue. The Florida Council on Arts and Culture may
   66  raise funds from private sources to fund the costs associated
   67  with the replacement of the statue. Funds raised must be placed
   68  in the Grants and Donations Trust Fund of the Department of
   69  State and may be used only for the limited purposes associated
   70  with statue replacement described in this subsection.
   71         (4) Based on the recommendations and findings of the ad hoc
   72  committee and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, the
   73  Department of State shall submit a report, by January 1, 2017,
   74  to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of
   75  the House of Representatives. The report must include, but is
   76  not limited to, the following:
   77         (a) The name of the prominent Florida citizen and the
   78  process used to select the prominent Florida citizen.
   79         (b) The name of the sculptor and the process used to select
   80  the sculptor.
   81         (c) An estimate of the total costs associated with
   82  replacement of the statue, including the costs to design,
   83  construct, transport, and place the new statue; the removal and
   84  transfer of the current statue; and any unveiling ceremony for
   85  the new statue.
   86         (5) In accordance with 2 U.S.C. s. 2132, upon the selection
   87  of a prominent Florida citizen under subsection (1) and a
   88  sculptor under subsection (2), the Legislature shall request by
   89  memorial that the United States Joint Committee on the Library
   90  of Congress approve the request to replace the statue of General
   91  Edmund Kirby Smith and that the Architect of the Capitol carry
   92  out the request. Upon adoption of the memorial by the
   93  Legislature and approval of the request in writing by the
   94  Governor, the memorial shall be submitted to the United States
   95  Joint Committee on the Library of Congress.
   96         Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.