Florida Senate - 2024                                    SB 1360
       
       
        
       By Senator Gruters
       
       
       
       
       
       22-01157A-24                                          20241360__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Florida Red Tide Mitigation and
    3         Technology Development Initiative; amending s.
    4         379.2273, F.S.; requiring the initiative to develop
    5         certain deployment technologies and submit a report on
    6         the technologies to the Department of Environmental
    7         Protection; requiring the department to make certain
    8         determinations regarding the technologies within a
    9         specified time period; providing that the technologies
   10         are deemed approved for use in specified state waters
   11         under certain circumstances; extending the expiration
   12         date of the initiative; providing appropriations;
   13         providing an effective date.
   14          
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Present paragraphs (c) and (d) of subsection (2)
   18  of section 379.2273, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
   19  paragraphs (d) and (e), respectively, a new paragraph (c) is
   20  added to that subsection, and subsection (4) of that section is
   21  amended, to read:
   22         379.2273 Florida Red Tide Mitigation and Technology
   23  Development Initiative; Initiative Technology Advisory Council.—
   24         (2) The Florida Red Tide Mitigation and Technology
   25  Development Initiative is established as a partnership between
   26  the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute within the commission
   27  and Mote Marine Laboratory.
   28         (c) Upon successful completion of science-based laboratory
   29  testing of prevention, control, and mitigation approaches and
   30  technologies, the initiative shall develop field trial
   31  deployment technologies for the approaches and technologies.
   32  When the initiative develops a field trial deployment
   33  technology, the initiative shall submit a report with its
   34  findings to the department. Within 30 business days after
   35  receipt of the report, the department shall review the
   36  technology and approve, approve with conditions, or deny with
   37  explanation the use of the technology in state waters exhibiting
   38  red tide bloom concentrations of greater than 10,000 cells per
   39  liter. If the department fails to approve, approve with
   40  conditions, or deny with explanation a field trial deployment
   41  technology within 30 business days after receipt of the report,
   42  the technology shall be deemed approved for use in state waters
   43  exhibiting red tide bloom concentrations of greater than 10,000
   44  cells per liter.
   45         (4) This section expires June 30, 2027 2025.
   46         Section 2. For the 2025-2026 fiscal year and the 2026-2027
   47  fiscal year, the sum of $2 million is appropriated from the
   48  General Revenue Fund to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation
   49  Commission for the purpose of implementing s. 329.2273, Florida
   50  Statutes.
   51         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.