CS for CS for SB 538                             First Engrossed
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       2020538e1
       
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to emergency management; creating s.
    3         252.381, F.S.; providing that certain informational
    4         meetings or calls coordinated by a federal, state, or
    5         local emergency management agency related to any
    6         federal, state, or local response to a declared
    7         disaster are not considered public meetings if certain
    8         conditions are met; providing for construction;
    9         creating s. 252.351, F.S.; defining the term “office”;
   10         requiring the State Watch Office within the Division
   11         of Emergency Management to create a list of reportable
   12         incidents; requiring a political subdivision to report
   13         incidents contained on the list to the office;
   14         authorizing the office to establish guidelines a
   15         political subdivision must follow to report an
   16         incident; requiring the office to annually provide the
   17         list of reportable incidents to each political
   18         subdivision; providing an effective date.
   19          
   20  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   21  
   22         Section 1. Section 252.381, Florida Statutes, is created to
   23  read:
   24         252.381 Informational meetings or calls.—Any informational
   25  meeting, conference call, or video call coordinated by a
   26  federal, state, or local emergency management agency and related
   27  to any federal, state, or local response to a declared disaster
   28  is not a public meeting requiring public notice when two or more
   29  members of a county or municipality governing body that
   30  exercises local emergency management powers attend such an
   31  informational meeting or a call occurring within 14 days of the
   32  date that the declaration is issued by either the Governor or
   33  the Federal Government; provided, however, that such governing
   34  body members may not discuss or undertake any official action
   35  except as otherwise authorized by law. Nothing in this section
   36  is intended to prohibit making a meeting described in this
   37  section open to the public.
   38         Section 2. Section 252.351, Florida Statutes, is created to
   39  read:
   40         252.351Mandatory reporting of certain incidents by
   41  political subdivisions.—
   42         (1)For purposes of this section, the term “office” means
   43  the State Watch Office established within the division pursuant
   44  to s. 14.2016.
   45         (2)The office, to aid in its mission of serving as a
   46  clearinghouse for emergency-related information across all
   47  levels of government, shall create and maintain a list of
   48  reportable incidents. The list must include, but is not limited
   49  to, the following events:
   50         (a)Major fires, including wildfires, commercial or
   51  multiunit residential fires, and industrial fires.
   52         (b)Search and rescue operations, including structure
   53  collapse or urban search and rescue response.
   54         (c)Bomb threats or threats to inflict harm on a large
   55  number of people or significant infrastructure, a suspicious
   56  device, or device detonation.
   57         (d)Natural hazards and severe weather, including
   58  earthquakes, landslides, or ground subsidence or sinkholes.
   59         (e)Public health and population protective actions,
   60  including public health hazards, evacuation orders, or emergency
   61  shelter openings.
   62         (f)Animal or agricultural events, including suspected or
   63  confirmed animal disease, suspected or confirmed agricultural
   64  disease, crop failure, or food supply contamination.
   65         (g)Environmental concerns, including an incident of
   66  reportable pollution release as required in s. 403.077(2).
   67         (h)Nuclear power plant events, including events in process
   68  or that have occurred that indicate a potential degradation of
   69  the level of safety of the plant or that indicate a security
   70  threat to facility protection.
   71         (i)Major transportation events, including aircraft or
   72  airport incidents, passenger or commercial railroad incidents,
   73  major road or bridge closures, or marine incidents involving a
   74  blocked navigable channel of a major waterway.
   75         (j)Major utility or infrastructure events, including dam
   76  failure or overtopping, drinking water facility breach, or major
   77  utility outages or disruptions involving transmission lines or
   78  substations.
   79         (k)Military events, when information regarding such
   80  activity is provided to a political subdivision.
   81         (3)As soon as practicable following its initial response
   82  to an incident, a political subdivision shall provide
   83  notification to the office that an incident specified on the
   84  list of reportable incidents has occurred within its
   85  geographical boundaries. The office may establish guidelines
   86  specifying the method and format a political subdivision must
   87  use when reporting an incident.
   88         (4)Beginning December 1, 2020, and by December 1 every
   89  year thereafter, the office must provide the list of reportable
   90  incidents to each political subdivision.
   91         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.