Florida Senate - 2022                                    SB 1454
       
       
        
       By Senator Ausley
       
       
       
       
       
       3-00939A-22                                           20221454__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Office of the Blue Economy;
    3         amending s. 20.60, F.S.; establishing the office
    4         within the Department of Economic Opportunity;
    5         creating s. 288.93, F.S.; defining the term “blue
    6         economy”; providing duties of the office; authorizing
    7         the department to adopt rules; amending s. 403.928,
    8         F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made by the
    9         act; creating s. 403.9303, F.S.; requiring the Office
   10         of Economic and Demographic Research to conduct a
   11         biennial evaluation of the blue economy for inclusion
   12         in a certain assessment; providing requirements for
   13         the evaluation; providing an effective date.
   14          
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section
   18  20.60, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   19         20.60 Department of Economic Opportunity; creation; powers
   20  and duties.—
   21         (3)(a) The following divisions and offices of the
   22  Department of Economic Opportunity are established:
   23         1. The Division of Strategic Business Development.
   24         2. The Division of Community Development.
   25         3. The Division of Workforce Services.
   26         4. The Division of Finance and Administration.
   27         5. The Division of Information Technology.
   28         6. The Office of the Secretary.
   29         7. The Office of Economic Accountability and Transparency,
   30  which shall:
   31         a. Oversee the department’s critical objectives as
   32  determined by the secretary and make sure that the department’s
   33  key objectives are clearly communicated to the public.
   34         b. Organize department resources, expertise, data, and
   35  research to focus on and solve the complex economic challenges
   36  facing the state.
   37         c. Provide leadership for the department’s priority issues
   38  that require integration of policy, management, and critical
   39  objectives from multiple programs and organizations internal and
   40  external to the department; and organize and manage external
   41  communication on such priority issues.
   42         d. Promote and facilitate key department initiatives to
   43  address priority economic issues and explore data and identify
   44  opportunities for innovative approaches to address such economic
   45  issues.
   46         e. Promote strategic planning for the department.
   47         8.The Office of the Blue Economy.
   48         Section 2. Section 288.93, Florida Statutes, is created to
   49  read:
   50         288.93Office of the Blue Economy.—
   51         (1)For purposes of this section, the term “blue economy”
   52  means the economic uses of ocean and coastal resources with a
   53  focus on sustainable practices that benefit the long-term
   54  outlook of relevant industry sectors and the competitive
   55  positioning of the state in a global economy affected by climate
   56  change, including, but not limited to, maritime industries such
   57  as shipyards, marinas, marine terminals, piers, fishing,
   58  aquaculture, seafood processing, commercial diving, and marine
   59  transportation; floating and amphibious housing; tourism; and
   60  outdoor recreational activities, including, but not limited to,
   61  boating, and industry sectors dependent on such activities.
   62         (2)The Office of the Blue Economy shall:
   63         (a)Support the state’s economy by connecting the state’s
   64  ocean and coastal resources to economic development strategies
   65  that enhance or contribute to the blue economy with a focus on
   66  research and development, technological innovation, emerging
   67  industries, strategic business recruitment, public and private
   68  funding opportunities, and workforce training and education.
   69         (b)Survey state universities and Florida College System
   70  institutions on the development of academic research relating to
   71  the blue economy across all disciplines. The office shall
   72  encourage collaboration between state universities and Florida
   73  College System institutions with overlapping areas of academic
   74  research. The office shall publish on the department’s website
   75  information on such collaboration and the current research
   76  inventory.
   77         (c)Collaborate with relevant industries to identify
   78  economic challenges that may be solved through innovation in the
   79  blue economy by commercializing or otherwise providing public
   80  access to academic research and resources.
   81         (d)Develop and facilitate a pipeline of academic research,
   82  commercialization, accelerator programs, and start-up funding.
   83         (e)Publish on the department’s website reports on the
   84  number, growth, and average wages of jobs included in the blue
   85  economy. Such reports shall identify and address any relevant
   86  labor shortages projected by the Labor Market Estimating
   87  Conference pursuant to s. 216.136(7).
   88         (f)Educate other state and local entities on the interests
   89  of the blue economy by participating in the development and
   90  implementation of policies relating to the state’s use of ocean
   91  and coastal resources, including, but not limited to, long-term
   92  sustainability, best practices, conservation efforts, ocean and
   93  coastal health, restoration and protection of coral reefs, and
   94  beach renourishment.
   95         (g)Communicate the state’s role as an integral component
   96  of the blue economy by promoting the state on national and
   97  international platforms and other appropriate forums as the
   98  premier destination for convening on pertinent subject matters.
   99         (3)The department may adopt rules to administer this
  100  section.
  101         Section 3. Paragraph (f) is added to subsection (1) of
  102  section 403.928, Florida Statutes, to read:
  103         403.928 Assessment of water resources and conservation
  104  lands.—The Office of Economic and Demographic Research shall
  105  conduct an annual assessment of Florida’s water resources and
  106  conservation lands.
  107         (1) WATER RESOURCES.—The assessment must include all of the
  108  following:
  109         (f)Biennially, beginning on January 1, 2023, the
  110  evaluation of the state’s blue economy required under s.
  111  403.9303.
  112         Section 4. Section 403.9303, Florida Statutes, is created
  113  to read:
  114         403.9303Blue economy evaluation.—
  115         (1)Beginning January 1, 2023, the Office of Economic and
  116  Demographic Research shall conduct a biennial evaluation of the
  117  state’s blue economy for inclusion in its annual assessment
  118  conducted pursuant to s. 403.928.
  119         (2)The evaluation must include the following:
  120         (a)The historical and current contributions to the state’s
  121  economy from maritime industries, including, but not limited to:
  122         1.Shipyards, marinas, marine terminals, piers, fishing,
  123  aquaculture, seafood processing, commercial diving, and marine
  124  transportation.
  125         2.Floating and amphibious housing.
  126         3.Tourism.
  127         4.Outdoor recreational activities, including, but not
  128  limited to, boating, and industry sectors dependent on such
  129  activities.
  130         (b)Appropriate economic comparisons to other states to
  131  identify comparative advantages and disadvantages.
  132         (c)The identification and discussion of any growing,
  133  emerging, or new industries that fit within the blue economy
  134  structure.
  135         (d)Beginning January 1, 2025, an analysis of the
  136  contributions of the blue economy to the state, including, but
  137  not limited to, the economic benefits, as defined in s.
  138  288.005(1), of the efforts undertaken by the Office of the Blue
  139  Economy pursuant to s. 288.93.
  140         Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.