Florida Senate - 2020 SB 7042
By the Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability
585-02434-20 20207042__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to state university facility
3 designations; amending s. 1001.706, F.S.; requiring
4 the Board of Governors to adopt regulations regarding
5 the naming or renaming of state university facilities;
6 specifying elements that must be addressed in the
7 naming or renaming process; providing applicability;
8 defining the term “facility”; amending s. 1013.79,
9 F.S.; deleting a prohibition against the naming of
10 facilities in a certain manner; repealing chapter 73
11 370, Laws of Florida, relating to the designation of a
12 Florida State University facility; providing
13 legislative intent; amending s. 267.062, F.S.;
14 conforming a cross-reference; providing effective
15 dates.
16
17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19 Section 1. Effective July 1, 2020, paragraph (i) is added
20 to subsection (7) of section 1001.706, Florida Statutes, to
21 read:
22 1001.706 Powers and duties of the Board of Governors.—
23 (7) POWERS AND DUTIES RELATING TO PROPERTY.—
24 (i)1. The Board of Governors shall adopt regulations
25 governing the naming or renaming of any facility. Such
26 regulations must specify the procedural requirements regarding
27 transparency, public engagement, gift-related considerations,
28 approval, and other transparency and accountability requirements
29 deemed appropriate by the Board of Governors, and the respective
30 responsibilities of the Board of Governors, state university
31 boards of trustees, and university presidents.
32 2. The regulations adopted pursuant to this paragraph apply
33 when the Board of Governors or a state university seeks to
34 initially name a facility or seeks to rename or remove the name
35 of a facility previously designated in a law that was
36 subsequently repealed by the Legislature.
37 3. If a state university seeks to rename or remove the name
38 of a facility previously designated in a law, the state
39 university must comply fully with the regulations adopted
40 pursuant to this paragraph before seeking legislative action to
41 repeal the law that designated the name of the facility. Actions
42 by the state university to rename or remove the name of a
43 facility in these instances must be contingent upon such
44 legislative action.
45 4. For purposes of this paragraph, the term “facility”
46 means a building, road, bridge, park, recreational complex, or
47 another similar resource used by a state university and situated
48 on real property the title of which is vested in the Board of
49 Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund or for which
50 funds were appropriated by the Legislature to acquire or to make
51 improvements thereon.
52 Section 2. Effective July 1, 2020, subsection (11) of
53 section 1013.79, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
54 1013.79 University Facility Enhancement Challenge Grant
55 Program.—
56 (11) The surveys, architectural plans, facility, and
57 equipment shall be the property of the State of Florida. A
58 facility constructed pursuant to this section may be named in
59 honor of a donor at the option of the university and the Board
60 of Governors. No facility shall be named after a living person
61 without prior approval by the Legislature.
62 Section 3. Chapter 73-370, Laws of Florida, is repealed.
63 Section 4. The Legislature intends that the repeal of
64 chapter 73-370, Laws of Florida, by this act does not constitute
65 a legislative position regarding the ultimate disposition of the
66 original designation of the facility. Rather, the Legislature
67 recognizes the Florida State University’s transparent,
68 collaborative, and thorough review process, which resulted in
69 the recommendation by the President’s Advisory Panel on
70 University Namings and Recognitions which precipitated this
71 repeal, and further intends that the Florida State University is
72 solely responsible for faithful implementation of the panel’s
73 recommendations regarding this issue.
74 Section 5. Effective July 1, 2020, subsection (3) of
75 section 267.062, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
76 267.062 Naming of state buildings and other facilities.—
77 (3) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1) or s.
78 1013.79(11), any state building, road, bridge, park,
79 recreational complex, or other similar facility of a state
80 university may be named for a living person by the university
81 board of trustees in accordance with regulations adopted by the
82 Board of Governors of the State University System.
83 Section 6. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
84 act, this act shall take effect upon becoming a law.