Florida Senate - 2023 SB 1020
By Senator Wright
8-00597-23 20231020__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to monuments; creating s. 265.009,
3 F.S.; providing legislative intent; establishing the
4 Florida Space Exploration Monument; providing for
5 administration of the monument by the Department of
6 Management Services; providing for the creation of a
7 design contest and selection committee; requiring the
8 department to develop a plan for the design,
9 placement, and cost of the monument; requiring the
10 plan to be submitted to the Governor and the
11 Legislature by a specified date; amending s. 265.111,
12 F.S.; requiring the department to limit participation
13 in design competitions for monuments on the Capitol
14 Complex or at other state-owned buildings to sculptors
15 and artists who are domiciled in this state; providing
16 an effective date.
17
18 WHEREAS, Florida’s history with space exploration can be
19 traced back to 1865, when Jules Verne envisioned the state as
20 the launch site of the “Columbiad” cannon in his popular novel
21 From the Earth to the Moon, and
22 WHEREAS, in 1950, a rocket known as “Bumper 8” became the
23 first rocket launched from Cape Canaveral, and
24 WHEREAS, in 1969, the National Aeronautics and Space
25 Administration (NASA) and the crew of Apollo 11 undertook the
26 first mission that would land humans on the surface of the moon
27 after launching from the John F. Kennedy Space Center located on
28 Merritt Island on Florida’s east coast, and
29 WHEREAS, Florida continues to be home to the Cape Canaveral
30 Spaceport, consisting of NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center and
31 the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and
32 WHEREAS, the state maintains a robust commercial aerospace
33 industry and highly trained workforce that have contributed
34 technical and scientific knowledge that has allowed Florida to
35 continue to serve as the launch pad of the United States’
36 achievements in space, and
37 WHEREAS, the establishment of the Florida Space Exploration
38 Monument would not only commemorate the past achievements and
39 contributions of individuals who have made this state a leader
40 in space exploration, but would also serve in the future to
41 inspire individuals to help maintain this state’s role as such,
42 NOW, THEREFORE,
43
44 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
45
46 Section 1. Section 265.009, Florida Statutes, is created to
47 read:
48 265.009 Florida Space Exploration Monument.—
49 (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to recognize the
50 importance of the role of this state, and its past, current, and
51 future contributions, in space exploration; to honor this
52 state’s residents for their role in humanity’s most daring
53 journey of space exploration; and to honor the contribution of
54 all individuals and their families who have gone unrecognized
55 for their impact on the United States’ achievements in space.
56 (2) There is established the Florida Space Exploration
57 Monument.
58 (a) The monument is administered by the Department of
59 Management Services.
60 (b) The department, in consultation with Space Florida,
61 shall establish a contest for individuals who wish to submit a
62 design for the monument. The department and Space Florida shall
63 appoint a selection committee to choose the design of the
64 monument.
65 (c) The department shall develop a plan for the design,
66 placement, and cost of the monument. The plan must include the
67 designation of an appropriate public area for the monument on
68 the premises of the Capitol Complex as defined in s. 281.01, not
69 including the State Capital Circle Office Complex. The
70 department shall consider the recommendations of the Florida
71 Historical Commission as required pursuant to ss. 265.111 and
72 267.0612(9) and shall coordinate with the Division of Historical
73 Resources of the Department of State in developing the plan. The
74 plan must also include the dates for the design contest and the
75 timeframe for the selection committee to review and select a
76 design. The department shall submit the plan to the Governor,
77 the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
78 Representatives by July 1, 2024.
79 Section 2. Subsection (4) is added to section 265.111,
80 Florida Statutes, to read:
81 265.111 Capitol Complex; monuments.—
82 (4) The Department of Management Services shall limit
83 participation in any competitions between sculptors or artists
84 for the design of a monument on the Capitol Complex, or at any
85 other state buildings where a similar competition is being
86 conducted, to sculptors and artists who are domiciled in this
87 state.
88 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.