Florida Senate - 2020                                    SB 7042
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability
       
       
       
       
       
       585-02434-20                                          20207042__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to state university facility
    3         designations; amending s. 1001.706, F.S.; requiring
    4         the Board of Governors to adopt regulations regarding
    5         the naming or renaming of state university facilities;
    6         specifying elements that must be addressed in the
    7         naming or renaming process; providing applicability;
    8         defining the term “facility”; amending s. 1013.79,
    9         F.S.; deleting a prohibition against the naming of
   10         facilities in a certain manner; repealing chapter 73
   11         370, Laws of Florida, relating to the designation of a
   12         Florida State University facility; providing
   13         legislative intent; amending s. 267.062, F.S.;
   14         conforming a cross-reference; providing effective
   15         dates.
   16          
   17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   18  
   19         Section 1. Effective July 1, 2020, paragraph (i) is added
   20  to subsection (7) of section 1001.706, Florida Statutes, to
   21  read:
   22         1001.706 Powers and duties of the Board of Governors.—
   23         (7) POWERS AND DUTIES RELATING TO PROPERTY.—
   24         (i)1.The Board of Governors shall adopt regulations
   25  governing the naming or renaming of any facility. Such
   26  regulations must specify the procedural requirements regarding
   27  transparency, public engagement, gift-related considerations,
   28  approval, and other transparency and accountability requirements
   29  deemed appropriate by the Board of Governors, and the respective
   30  responsibilities of the Board of Governors, state university
   31  boards of trustees, and university presidents.
   32         2.The regulations adopted pursuant to this paragraph apply
   33  when the Board of Governors or a state university seeks to
   34  initially name a facility or seeks to rename or remove the name
   35  of a facility previously designated in a law that was
   36  subsequently repealed by the Legislature.
   37         3.If a state university seeks to rename or remove the name
   38  of a facility previously designated in a law, the state
   39  university must comply fully with the regulations adopted
   40  pursuant to this paragraph before seeking legislative action to
   41  repeal the law that designated the name of the facility. Actions
   42  by the state university to rename or remove the name of a
   43  facility in these instances must be contingent upon such
   44  legislative action.
   45         4.For purposes of this paragraph, the term “facility”
   46  means a building, road, bridge, park, recreational complex, or
   47  another similar resource used by a state university and situated
   48  on real property the title of which is vested in the Board of
   49  Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund or for which
   50  funds were appropriated by the Legislature to acquire or to make
   51  improvements thereon.
   52         Section 2. Effective July 1, 2020, subsection (11) of
   53  section 1013.79, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   54         1013.79 University Facility Enhancement Challenge Grant
   55  Program.—
   56         (11) The surveys, architectural plans, facility, and
   57  equipment shall be the property of the State of Florida. A
   58  facility constructed pursuant to this section may be named in
   59  honor of a donor at the option of the university and the Board
   60  of Governors. No facility shall be named after a living person
   61  without prior approval by the Legislature.
   62         Section 3. Chapter 73-370, Laws of Florida, is repealed.
   63         Section 4. The Legislature intends that the repeal of
   64  chapter 73-370, Laws of Florida, by this act does not constitute
   65  a legislative position regarding the ultimate disposition of the
   66  original designation of the facility. Rather, the Legislature
   67  recognizes the Florida State University’s transparent,
   68  collaborative, and thorough review process, which resulted in
   69  the recommendation by the President’s Advisory Panel on
   70  University Namings and Recognitions which precipitated this
   71  repeal, and further intends that the Florida State University is
   72  solely responsible for faithful implementation of the panel’s
   73  recommendations regarding this issue.
   74         Section 5. Effective July 1, 2020, subsection (3) of
   75  section 267.062, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   76         267.062 Naming of state buildings and other facilities.—
   77         (3) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1) or s.
   78  1013.79(11), any state building, road, bridge, park,
   79  recreational complex, or other similar facility of a state
   80  university may be named for a living person by the university
   81  board of trustees in accordance with regulations adopted by the
   82  Board of Governors of the State University System.
   83         Section 6. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
   84  act, this act shall take effect upon becoming a law.