Florida Senate - 2009 SB 2638
By Senator Detert
23-01713-09 20092638__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to state-federal relations; amending
3 s. 14.23, F.S.; revising legislative intent; providing
4 for direct access of the Legislative Committee on
5 Intergovernmental Relations to staff of the Office of
6 State-Federal Relations; expanding duties of the
7 office; providing for appointment of a Florida Federal
8 Grants Coordinator by the President of the Senate and
9 the Speaker of the House of Representatives; providing
10 that the coordinator serve at the pleasure of the
11 President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House
12 of Representatives; requiring the coordinator to
13 report to the committee; providing duties and
14 responsibilities of the coordinator; providing an
15 effective date.
16
17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19 Section 1. Section 14.23, Florida Statutes, is amended to
20 read:
21 14.23 State-Federal relations.—
22 (1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.—It is the intent of the Legislature
23 to establish mechanisms through which the legislative and
24 executive branches of state government can work together in a
25 cooperative alliance, to strengthen the state’s relationship
26 with our Congressional Delegation and with federal executive
27 branch agencies, to improve our position in relation to federal
28 legislative initiatives which have a fiscal impact or
29 substantive policy impact on the state, and to establish and
30 maintain a viable network and communications structure to
31 facilitate the transmittal of essential information between
32 executive and legislative branch state officials and
33 congressional and federal officials, and to take all necessary
34 steps to maximize the receipt of various federal funds by the
35 State of Florida. Florida’s Congressional Delegation is, in this
36 regard, the most important linkage in representing Florida’s
37 interests in the nation’s capital. Therefore, the mechanisms and
38 resources created herein, for the furtherance of the state’s
39 intergovernmental efforts, shall include the Congressional
40 Delegation and be available to meet its needs.
41 (2) CREATION OF THE OFFICE OF STATE-FEDERAL RELATIONS;
42 FLORIDA FEDERAL GRANTS COORDINATOR.—
43 (a) There is created, within the Executive Office of the
44 Governor, the Office of State-Federal Relations for the State of
45 Florida, hereinafter referred to as the “office,” to be located
46 in Washington, D.C. The office shall represent both the
47 legislative and executive branches of state government. The
48 Legislature and the Legislative Committee on Intergovernmental
49 Relations shall have direct access to the staff of the office.
50 (b) The duties of the office shall be determined by the
51 Governor, in consultation with the President of the Senate and
52 the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and shall include,
53 but not be limited to, the following:
54 1. To provide legislative and administrative liaison
55 between executive and legislative branch state officials and
56 federal officials and agencies and with Congress.
57 2. To provide grants assistance and advice to state
58 agencies.
59 a. In furtherance of this goal, the President of the Senate
60 and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint a
61 Florida Federal Grants Coordinator within the office who shall
62 have direct access to the staff of the office for necessary
63 support. The Florida Federal Grants Coordinator shall serve at
64 the pleasure of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of
65 the House of Representatives and shall report to the Legislative
66 Committee on Intergovernmental Relations.
67 b.(I) The Florida Federal Grants Coordinator shall ensure
68 that the Legislature and state agencies are kept informed of
69 grants-funding activities and opportunities in Washington, D.C.,
70 that will affect the state.
71 (II) The Florida Federal Grants Coordinator shall maintain
72 an economic information clearinghouse that includes federal
73 economic stimulus awards data and other federal awards data
74 received in this state. The Florida Federal Grants Coordinator
75 shall maintain continuous contact with all state agencies to
76 facilitate their federal funding efforts.
77 (III) In cooperation with the Chief Financial Officer, the
78 Florida Federal Grants Coordinator shall be responsible for
79 gathering information and data concerning the mortgage
80 foreclosure situation and the state and federal opportunities
81 available to remedy the situation. The Florida Federal Grants
82 Coordinator shall promote mediation and arbitration efforts
83 between lenders and borrowers to restructure loans.
84 3. To assist in the development and implementation of
85 strategies for the evaluation and management of the state’s
86 federal legislative program and intergovernmental efforts.
87 4. To facilitate the activities of Florida officials
88 traveling to Washington, D.C., in the performance of their
89 official duties.
90 (c) The head of the office shall be the director, who shall
91 be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Governor.
92 (3) COOPERATION.—For the purpose of centralizing the state
93 federal relations efforts of the state, state agencies and their
94 representatives shall cooperate and coordinate their state
95 federal efforts and activities with the office. The office
96 shall, in all matters vital to the Legislature, cooperate with
97 the Legislative Committee on Intergovernmental Relations. State
98 agencies which have representatives headquartered in Washington,
99 D.C., are encouraged to station their representatives in the
100 office.
101 (4)(a) NOMINATIONS TO FEDERAL REGIONAL FISHERIES MANAGEMENT
102 COUNCILS.—The Governor is prohibited from nominating for
103 appointment to any one of the federal fisheries management
104 councils established under 16 U.S.C. ss. 1801 et seq., as
105 amended, the name of any person who is, or who has been at any
106 time during the 24 months preceding such nomination, a lobbyist
107 for any entity of any kind whatsoever whose interests are or
108 could be affected by actions or decisions of such fisheries
109 management councils.
110 (b) For purposes of this section, the term “lobbyist” means
111 any natural person who is required to register pursuant to s.
112 11.045 or the equivalent federal statute and who, for
113 compensation, seeks, or sought during the preceding 24 months,
114 to influence the governmental decisionmaking of a reporting
115 individual or procurement employee, as those terms are defined
116 under s. 112.3148, or his or her agency, to encourage the
117 passage, defeat, or modification of any proposal or
118 recommendation by such reporting individual or procurement
119 employee or his or her agency.
120 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.