Florida Senate - 2024 CS for CS for SB 716
By the Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and
Economic Development; the Committee on Governmental Oversight
and Accountability; and Senators Rodriguez and Stewart
606-03109-24 2024716c2
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 Florida Women’s Historical
11 Marker Selection Committee; providing for duties,
12 membership and expiration of the committee; requiring
13 the 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 authorizing a position and providing an appropriation;
17 providing an effective date.
18
19 WHEREAS, the significant contributions of Florida women are
20 noticeably absent from the more than 1,200 historical markers in
21 Florida which honor historic places, people, and events, with
22 fewer than 20 women recognized, and
23 WHEREAS, Florida is home to world-renowned women
24 scientists, writers, educators, pilots, oceanographers,
25 designers, conservationists, and athletes, most of whom have not
26 been honored with a historical marker, and
27 WHEREAS, inspired by the achievements of the women who have
28 gone before them, the women and girls of Florida, through the
29 Florida Women’s Historical Marker Initiative, will see
30 themselves reflected in the state’s history and gain
31 encouragement in the development and fulfillment of their own
32 aspirations, NOW, THEREFORE,
33
34 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
35
36 Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Florida Women’s
37 Historical Marker Initiative.”
38 Section 2. Section 267.0744, Florida Statutes, is created
39 to read:
40 267.0744 Florida Women’s Historical Marker Initiative.—
41 (1) The Florida Women’s Historical Marker Initiative is
42 established within the division. The purpose of the initiative
43 is to recognize the contributions of 100 women, living or
44 deceased, to the history of this state with the placement of
45 historical markers by the Florida Historical Marker Program.
46 (2) The Florida Historical Marker Program shall place 100
47 historical markers, recognizing one woman for each marker,
48 throughout the state within the next 10 years, with 10 markers
49 placed each year. The first 10 markers must be placed by
50 December 31, 2025. The final marker must be placed by December
51 31, 2034.
52 (3)(a) The Florida Women’s Historical Marker Selection
53 Committee, an advisory committee as defined in s. 20.03(5), is
54 created within the division. The purpose of the committee is to
55 provide guidance and recommendations to the Secretary of State
56 regarding the women who have made significant historical
57 contributions to this state and who should be recognized by the
58 initiative.
59 (b) The committee must recommend at least 25 women for
60 recognition each fiscal year.
61 (c) From the women recommended by the committee, the
62 Secretary of State shall select 100 women to be recognized under
63 this initiative.
64 (4)(a) The committee shall be composed of 11 members
65 appointed by the Secretary of State. The committee shall consist
66 of:
67 1. Two noted Florida historians.
68 2. One member of the Florida Commission on the Status of
69 Women.
70 3. One member of the Division of Historical Resources.
71 4. One member of the State Historical Marker Council.
72 5. Six members of the general public.
73 (b) The members shall be appointed for 2-year terms, except
74 for an appointment to fill an unexpired term, in which event the
75 appointments shall be for the remainder of the unexpired term
76 only. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the
77 committee shall operate in a manner consistent with s. 20.052.
78 (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 20.03 limiting the
79 duration of a committee to 3 years, the committee shall expire
80 no later than June 30, 2028, or 30 days after the Secretary of
81 State has selected 100 women under this section.
82 (d) In recommending women to be recognized by the
83 initiative, the committee shall conduct its own research and
84 solicit input from the general public.
85 (5)(a) For a woman to be recommended by the Florida Women’s
86 Historical Marker Committee, she must have been born in, resided
87 in, or been employed in this state and must have significantly
88 contributed to the State of Florida or her county or specific
89 community within this state.
90 (b) A woman recognized for a specific contribution or
91 achievement may be living, but such contribution or achievement
92 must have occurred more than 30 years before such recognition. A
93 woman may be recognized for her lifetime achievement, but such
94 woman must have been deceased for at least 30 years before such
95 recognition.
96 (c) At least one woman from each of the state’s 67 counties
97 must be recognized.
98 Section 3. For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, one full-time
99 equivalent position with associated salary rate of 40,352 is
100 authorized, and the sum of $123,000 in recurring funds and
101 $5,067 in nonrecurring funds from the General Revenue Fund is
102 appropriated to the Department of State, to implement and
103 administer the Florida Women’s Historical Marker Initiative as
104 created by this act.
105 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.