Florida Senate - 2024 CS for SB 716
By the Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability;
and Senator Rodriguez
585-02363-24 2024716c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Florida Women’s Historical
3 Marker Initiative; providing a short title; creating
4 s. 267.0744, F.S.; establishing the Florida Women’s
5 Historical Marker Initiative within the Division of
6 Historical Resources of the Department of State;
7 providing the purpose of the initiative; requiring the
8 Florida Historical Marker Program to place a certain
9 number of historical markers over a certain time
10 period; establishing the Women’s Historical Marker
11 Selection Committee; providing for duties, membership
12 and expiration of the committee; requiring the
13 committee to conduct its own research and solicit
14 public input in recommending women to be recognized;
15 providing criteria for recognition by the initiative;
16 providing an effective date.
17
18 WHEREAS, the significant contributions of Florida women are
19 noticeably absent from the more than 1,200 historical markers in
20 Florida which honor historic places, people, and events, with
21 fewer than 20 women recognized, and
22 WHEREAS, Florida is home to world-renowned women
23 scientists, writers, educators, pilots, oceanographers,
24 designers, conservationists, and athletes, most of whom have not
25 been honored with a historical marker, and
26 WHEREAS, inspired by the achievements of the women who have
27 gone before them, the women and girls of Florida, through the
28 Florida Women’s Historical Marker Initiative, will see
29 themselves reflected in the state’s history and gain
30 encouragement in the development and fulfillment of their own
31 aspirations, NOW, THEREFORE,
32
33 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
34
35 Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Florida Women’s
36 Historical Marker Initiative.”
37 Section 2. Section 267.0744, Florida Statutes, is created
38 to read:
39 267.0744 Florida Women’s Historical Marker Initiative.—
40 (1) The Florida Women’s Historical Marker Initiative is
41 established within the division. The purpose of the initiative
42 is to recognize the contributions of 100 women, living or
43 deceased, to the history of this state with the placement of
44 historical markers by the Florida Historical Marker Program.
45 (2) The Florida Historical Marker Program shall place 100
46 historical markers, recognizing one woman for each marker,
47 throughout the state within the next 10 years, with 10 markers
48 placed each year. The first 10 markers must be placed by
49 December 31, 2025. The final marker must be placed by December
50 31, 2034.
51 (3)(a) The Women’s Historical Marker Selection Committee,
52 an advisory committee as defined in s. 20.03(5) is created
53 within the division. The purpose of the committee is to provide
54 guidance and recommendations to the Secretary of State regarding
55 the women who should be recognized by the initiative.
56 (b) The committee must recommend at least 25 women for
57 recognition each fiscal year.
58 (c) From the women recommended by the committee, the
59 Secretary of State shall select 100 women to be recognized under
60 this initiative.
61 (4)(a) The committee shall be composed of 11 members
62 appointed by the Secretary of State. The committee shall consist
63 of:
64 1. Two noted Florida historians.
65 2. One member of the Florida Commission on the Status of
66 Women.
67 3. One member of the Division of Historical Resources.
68 4. One member of the State Historical Marker Council.
69 5. Six members of the general public.
70 (b) The members shall be appointed for 2-year terms, except
71 for an appointment to fill an unexpired term, in which event the
72 appointments shall be for the remainder of the unexpired term
73 only. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the
74 committee shall operate in a manner consistent with s. 20.052.
75 (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 20.03 limiting the
76 duration of a committee to 3 years, the committee shall expire
77 no later than June 30, 2028, or 30 days after the Secretary of
78 State has selected 100 women under this section.
79 (d) In recommending women to be recognized by the
80 initiative, the committee shall conduct its own research and
81 solicit input from the general public.
82 (5)(a) For a woman to be recommended by the Women’s
83 Historical Marker Committee, she must have been born in, resided
84 in, or been employed in this state and must have significantly
85 contributed to the State of Florida, her county, or her specific
86 community.
87 (b) A woman recognized for a specific contribution or
88 achievement may be living, but such contribution or achievement
89 must have occurred more than 30 years before such recognition. A
90 woman may be recognized for her lifetime achievement, but such
91 woman must have been deceased for at least 30 years before such
92 recognition.
93 (c) At least one woman from each of the state’s 67 counties
94 must be recognized.
95 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.