Florida Senate - 2026                                      SB 34
       
       
        
       By Senator Sharief
       
       
       
       
       
       35-00005-26                                             202634__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Historic Cemeteries Program;
    3         amending s. 267.21, F.S.; requiring local governments
    4         to approve applications from historic African-American
    5         cemeteries to change the land use category and zoning
    6         district of excess vacant land under certain
    7         conditions; providing an effective date.
    8  
    9         WHEREAS, the State of Florida recognizes the work done by
   10  the University of South Florida’s Black Cemetery Network to
   11  reclaim black histories that have been underrepresented, to
   12  redress the exploitation and erasure of these African-American
   13  cemeteries due to urban redevelopment and land use practices,
   14  and to restore dignity to these cemeteries and honor the
   15  deceased, and
   16         WHEREAS, the Black Cemetery Network has identified and
   17  registered 35 sites in Florida, and
   18         WHEREAS, the Legislature passed House Bill 49 during the
   19  2023 Regular Session, and it was signed into law by the Governor
   20  on May 25, 2023, creating the Historic Cemeteries Program, and
   21         WHEREAS, the Historic Cemeteries Program provides grants to
   22  eligible cemeteries for preservation efforts; however, some of
   23  these cemeteries have vacant land that could be sold to help
   24  fund the long-term maintenance and upkeep of such cemeteries,
   25  ensuring that the grants are used for the initial preservation
   26  efforts of these cemeteries, NOW, THEREFORE,
   27  
   28  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   29  
   30         Section 1. Present subsection (3) of section 267.21,
   31  Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (4), and a new
   32  subsection (3) is added to that section, to read:
   33         267.21 Historic Cemeteries Program.—
   34         (3) If a historic African-American cemetery with excess
   35  vacant land sells or enters into a contract to sell such land
   36  for the express purpose of funding the cemetery’s long-term
   37  maintenance and upkeep, the local government where such cemetery
   38  is located must approve an application to change the land use
   39  designation and zoning of such land to match the most permissive
   40  land use category and zoning district adjacent to the excess
   41  property.
   42         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.