Florida Senate - 2020                                    SB 1232
       
       
        
       By Senator Rouson
       
       
       
       
       
       19-01488-20                                           20201232__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Florida Climate and Resiliency
    3         Research Program; creating s. 403.9119, F.S.;
    4         establishing the program within the Department of
    5         Environmental Protection; providing for program
    6         purpose and participants; requiring the program to
    7         submit the Florida Resiliency Plan to the Governor and
    8         Legislature at specified intervals; providing plan
    9         requirements; directing the department to coordinate
   10         and oversee the program and provide staff support;
   11         providing an effective date.
   12          
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Section 403.9119, Florida Statutes, is created
   16  to read:
   17         403.9119 Florida Climate and Resiliency Research Program.—
   18         (1) The Florida Climate and Resiliency Research Program, an
   19  interagency program, is established within the Department of
   20  Environmental Protection for the purpose of assisting the state
   21  in understanding, assessing, predicting, and responding to the
   22  effects of climate change.
   23         (2) The program shall prepare an assessment that analyzes,
   24  integrates, evaluates, and interprets the effects of climate
   25  change on the natural environment, land and water resources,
   26  biological diversity, agriculture, energy production and use,
   27  economic growth, employment, financial risk, disaster
   28  preparedness, human health and welfare, and transportation
   29  within the state, as well as current trends in climate change,
   30  both human induced and natural, and projected major trends for
   31  the subsequent 25 to 100 years.
   32         (3) The program shall consist of the following
   33  participants:
   34         (a) The executive director of the Fish and Wildlife
   35  Conservation Commission or his or her designee.
   36         (b) The Commissioner of Agriculture or his or her designee.
   37         (c) The chair of the Public Service Commission or his or
   38  her designee.
   39         (d) The Chief Financial Officer or his or her designee.
   40         (e) The coordinator of the Office of Economic and
   41  Demographic Research or his or her designee.
   42         (f) The executive director of the Department of Economic
   43  Opportunity or his or her designee.
   44         (g) The director of the Division of Emergency Management or
   45  his or her designee.
   46         (h) The Surgeon General or his or her designee.
   47         (i) The Secretary of Transportation or his or her designee.
   48         (j) The Chief Science Officer of the Office of
   49  Environmental Accountability and Transparency.
   50         (k) Three representatives from nongovernmental
   51  organizations that are not included in this subsection who have
   52  expertise in public health, energy, planning, land management,
   53  or conservation.
   54         (l) A representative from the Florida Climate Institute.
   55         (m) A representative from each of the following Florida
   56  climate collaboratives:
   57         1. The Public-Private Regional Resiliency Committee.
   58         2. The Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact.
   59         3. The Tampa Bay Regional Resilience Coalition.
   60         4. The East Central Florida Regional Resilience
   61  Collaborative.
   62  
   63  Additional representatives from resiliency coalitions may be
   64  included in the program as such coalitions are established.
   65         (4) Beginning January 1, 2021, and at least once every 4
   66  years thereafter, the program shall deliver the Florida
   67  Resiliency Plan to the Governor, the President of the Senate,
   68  and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The plan shall
   69  include the program’s assessment of the effects of climate
   70  change in the state and recommendations on strategies to
   71  mitigate those effects and improve resiliency throughout the
   72  state. Each version of the plan must have a specific focus that
   73  is determined by the program. The focus of the initial plan must
   74  be sea-level rise and coastal resiliency.
   75         (5) The Secretary of Environmental Protection and the Chief
   76  Resilience Officer shall jointly coordinate and oversee the
   77  program, and the department shall provide staff support to
   78  assist the program in the performance of its duties.
   79         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.