Florida Senate - 2019                                    SB 1056
       
       
        
       By Senator Rodriguez
       
       
       
       
       
       37-01980-19                                           20191056__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Florida Disaster Resilience
    3         Task Force; creating s. 373.469, F.S.; establishing
    4         the task force adjunct to the Department of
    5         Environmental Protection; providing the purpose and
    6         membership of the task force; requiring the appointees
    7         to be experts from specified subject areas; requiring
    8         a report to the Governor and the Legislature by a
    9         specified date; providing requirements for the report;
   10         requiring the department to post the report on the
   11         department’s website; providing for expiration of the
   12         task force; providing an effective date.
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Section 373.469, Florida Statutes, is created to
   17  read:
   18         373.469 Florida Disaster Resilience Task Force.—The Florida
   19  Disaster Resilience Task Force, a task force as defined in s.
   20  20.03, is established adjunct to the Department of Environmental
   21  Protection.
   22         (1) The purpose of the task force is to evaluate ways to
   23  protect this state’s remaining coastal ecosystems and natural
   24  habitats, increase coastal community resilience in the face of
   25  sea-level rise, and apply the best available science as to sea
   26  level rise and its anticipated impacts.
   27         (2)(a) The task force shall consist of the following seven
   28  members:
   29         1. The Secretary of Environmental Protection or his or her
   30  designee.
   31         2. Two members appointed by the Governor.
   32         3. Two members appointed by the President of the Senate.
   33         4. Two members appointed by the Speaker of the House of
   34  Representatives.
   35         (b) The appointments must be made from individuals who have
   36  expertise in any of the following areas: climatology, hydrology,
   37  economics, marine fisheries, law enforcement and emergency
   38  management, estuary programs, oceanography or coastal ocean
   39  science, and ecology or environmental biology.
   40         (3) By July 1, 2022, the task force shall submit to the
   41  Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
   42  House of Representatives, a report that contains all of the
   43  following:
   44         (a) An assessment of the anticipated impacts to this state
   45  due to sea-level rise.
   46         (b) Recommendations for stronger, more protective standards
   47  and the implementation and enforcement of such standards for
   48  coastal development, wetlands protection, shoreline armoring,
   49  and storm recovery, as it relates to sea-level rise.
   50         (c) Recommendations for adaptive measures to respond to
   51  sea-level rise, including, but not limited to, protecting and
   52  connecting terrestrial and aquatic habitats to allow animal and
   53  plant species to migrate as temperatures change; protect and
   54  restore habitat on which already stressed animal and plant
   55  species depend to maintain the integrity of natural communities
   56  and to protect the ecological services they provide, including
   57  flood control, drinking water supply protection, and
   58  purification of water and the air; identify and monitor early
   59  effects of climate change on animals, plants, and natural
   60  communities; and integrate climate change adaptation strategies
   61  into state environmental plans.
   62         (d) Recommendations for statutory changes necessary to
   63  implement any of the recommendations in this subsection.
   64         (4) The department shall post a copy of the report in a
   65  prominent location on its website.
   66         (5) The task force and this section shall expire July 1,
   67  2022.
   68         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.