Florida Senate - 2020 SB 1260
By Senator Albritton
26-01141-20 20201260__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Florida Space Exploration
3 Monument; creating s. 265.008, F.S.; providing
4 legislative intent; establishing the Florida Space
5 Exploration Monument; providing for administration of
6 the monument by the Department of Management Services;
7 providing for the creation of a design contest and
8 selection committee; requiring the department to
9 develop a plan regarding the monument; requiring the
10 plan to be submitted to the Governor and the
11 Legislature by a specified date; providing an
12 effective date.
13
14 WHEREAS, Florida’s history with space exploration can be
15 traced back to 1865, when Jules Verne envisioned the state as
16 the launch site of the “Columbiad” cannon in his popular novel
17 From the Earth to the Moon, and
18 WHEREAS, in 1950, a rocket known as “Bumper 8” became the
19 first rocket launched from Cape Canaveral, and
20 WHEREAS, in 1969, the National Aeronautics and Space
21 Administration (NASA) and the crew of Apollo 11 undertook the
22 first mission that would land humans on the surface of the moon
23 after launching from the John F. Kennedy Space Center, and
24 WHEREAS, Florida continues to be home to the Cape Canaveral
25 Spaceport, consisting of NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center and
26 the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and
27 WHEREAS, the state maintains a robust commercial aerospace
28 industry and highly trained workforce, which has helped
29 contribute technical and scientific knowledge that has allowed
30 Florida to continue to serve as the launch pad of the United
31 States’ achievements in space, and
32 WHEREAS, the establishment of the Florida Space Exploration
33 Monument would not only commemorate the past achievements and
34 contributions of individuals who have made this state a leader
35 in space exploration, but would also serve in the future to
36 inspire individuals to help maintain this state’s role, NOW,
37 THEREFORE,
38
39 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
40
41 Section 1. Section 265.008, Florida Statutes, is created to
42 read:
43 265.008 Florida Space Exploration Monument.—
44 (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to recognize the
45 importance of the role of this state, and its past, current, and
46 future contributions, in space exploration; to honor the state’s
47 residents for their role in humanity’s most daring journey of
48 space exploration; and to honor the contribution of all
49 individuals and their families who have gone unrecognized for
50 their impact on the United States’ achievements in space.
51 (2) There is established the Florida Space Exploration
52 Monument.
53 (a) The monument is administered by the Department of
54 Management Services.
55 (b) The Department of Management Services, in consultation
56 with Space Florida, shall establish a contest for individuals
57 who wish to submit a design for the monument. The department and
58 Space Florida shall appoint a selection committee to choose the
59 design of the monument.
60 (c) The Department of Management Services shall develop a
61 plan for the design, placement, and cost of the monument. The
62 plan must include the designation of an appropriate public area
63 for the monument on the premises of the Capitol Complex, as
64 defined in s. 281.01, not including the State Capital Circle
65 Office Complex. The department shall consider the
66 recommendations of the Florida Historical Commission as required
67 pursuant to ss. 265.111 and 267.0612(9) and shall coordinate
68 with the Division of Historical Resources of the Department of
69 State in developing the plan. The plan must also include the
70 dates for the design contest and the timeframe for the selection
71 committee to review and select a design. The Department of
72 Management Services shall submit the plan to the Governor, the
73 President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
74 Representatives by March 9, 2021.
75 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.