Florida Senate - 2020                                     SB 826
       
       
        
       By Senator Mayfield
       
       
       
       
       
       17-00936A-20                                           2020826__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to marina evacuations; amending s.
    3         327.59, F.S.; prohibiting vessels under a specified
    4         weight from remaining in certain marinas that have
    5         been deemed not suitable for refuge during a hurricane
    6         after the issuance of a hurricane watch or warning for
    7         the waters of the marina; providing for civil
    8         penalties; providing an effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 327.59, Florida
   13  Statutes, is amended, and subsection (5) is added to that
   14  section, to read:
   15         327.59 Marina evacuations.—
   16         (1) Except as provided in this section After June 1, 1994,
   17  marinas may not adopt, maintain, or enforce policies pertaining
   18  to evacuation of vessels which require vessels to be removed
   19  from marinas following the issuance of a hurricane watch or
   20  warning, in order to ensure that protecting the lives and safety
   21  of vessel owners is placed before interests of protecting
   22  property.
   23         (5) Upon the issuance of a hurricane watch or warning
   24  affecting the waters of marinas located in a deepwater seaport,
   25  vessels under 500 gross tons may not remain in the waters of
   26  such marinas that have been deemed not suitable for refuge
   27  during a hurricane. After the hurricane watch or warning has
   28  been issued, the owner or operator of any vessel that has not
   29  been removed, pursuant to an order from the seaport, from the
   30  waters of the marina may be subject to the penalties under s.
   31  313.22(3).
   32         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.