Florida Senate - 2026                                     SB 184
       
       
        
       By Senator Garcia
       
       
       
       
       
       36-00393-26                                            2026184__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to seaport security; amending s.
    3         311.12, F.S.; requiring seaports to maintain an onsite
    4         fire station that is staffed and operational 24 hours
    5         a day, 7 days a week; requiring fire stations to have
    6         a certified hazardous materials response team with
    7         specified capabilities; requiring seaports to maintain
    8         a specified number of operational fireboats able to
    9         respond to fires and hazardous materials incidents in
   10         specified areas; requiring the Division of State Fire
   11         Marshal, in consultation with the Florida Ports
   12         Council, to adopt certain rules; providing fines and
   13         penalties; providing an effective date.
   14          
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Present subsections (5) and (6) of section
   18  311.12, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (6)
   19  and (7), respectively, and a new subsection (5) is added to that
   20  section, to read:
   21         311.12 Seaport security.—
   22         (5) FIRE SAFETY.—
   23         (a) Each seaport subject to this section shall maintain an
   24  onsite fire station under the authority of a fire department
   25  recognized by the State Fire Marshal.
   26         (b) A fire department station must be staffed, equipped,
   27  and operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
   28         (c) A fire station must have a certified hazardous
   29  materials response team capable of immediate deployment to any
   30  incident on seaport property.
   31         (d) Each seaport subject to this section shall maintain a
   32  minimum of two operational fireboats, equipped and staffed to
   33  respond to fires and hazardous materials incidents occurring on
   34  or adjacent to navigable waters of the seaport.
   35         (e) The Division of State Fire Marshal, in consultation
   36  with the Florida Ports Council, shall adopt rules establishing
   37  minimum standards for all of the following:
   38         1. Staffing levels and qualifications.
   39         2. Equipment and apparatus requirements, including
   40  fireboats.
   41         3. Training, including hazardous materials certification.
   42         4. Mutual aid coordination with adjacent jurisdictions and
   43  regional response teams.
   44         (f) A seaport’s failure to comply with this subsection may
   45  result in fines imposed by the Department of Financial Services,
   46  ineligibility for state port funding, or suspension of port
   47  operations, as determined by the department.
   48         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.