Bill Text: FL S7028 | 2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Military Installations
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (N/A - Dead) 2013-03-18 - Submit as committee bill by Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security (SB 1784) [S7028 Detail]
Download: Florida-2013-S7028-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2013 (PROPOSED COMMITTEE BILL) SPB 7028
FOR CONSIDERATION By the Committee on Military and Veterans
Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security
583-01777B-13 20137028__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to military installations; amending s.
3 288.980, F.S.; providing legislative findings;
4 providing functions of the Military Base Protection
5 Program; authorizing the Department of Economic
6 Opportunity to annually recommend nonconservation
7 lands to acquire through fee simple purchase or less
8 than-fee interest purchase to the Board of Trustees of
9 the Internal Improvement Trust Fund for the purpose of
10 preventing the encroachment of military installations;
11 requiring the board of trustees to also consider land
12 acquisition recommendations of the Florida Defense
13 Support Task Force; authorizing funds appropriated to
14 the Military Base Protection Program to be used for
15 land acquisition to prevent or reduce encroachment of
16 military installations; amending s. 253.025, F.S.;
17 authorizing the board of trustees to acquire certain
18 nonconservation lands to buffer a military
19 installation against encroachment; providing an
20 effective date.
21
22 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
23
24 Section 1. Subsections (1) and (2) of section 288.980,
25 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
26 288.980 Military base retention; legislative intent; grants
27 program.—
28 (1)(a) It is the intent of this state to provide the
29 necessary means to assist communities with military
30 installations in supporting and sustaining those installations.
31 It is further the intent to encourage communities to initiate a
32 coordinated program of response and plan of action in advance of
33 future actions of the federal government relating to
34 realignments and closures. It is critical that communities
35 develop and implement strategies to preserve and protect
36 military installations. The Legislature hereby recognizes that
37 the state needs to coordinate all efforts that can support
38 military installations throughout the state. The Legislature,
39 therefore, declares that providing such assistance to support
40 the defense-related initiatives within this section is a public
41 purpose for which public money may be used.
42 (b) The Florida Defense Alliance, an organization within
43 Enterprise Florida, Inc., is designated as the organization to
44 ensure that Florida, its resident military bases and missions,
45 and its military host communities are in competitive positions
46 as the United States continues its defense realignment and
47 downsizing. The defense alliance shall serve as an overall
48 advisory body for defense-related activity of Enterprise
49 Florida, Inc. The Florida Defense Alliance may receive funding
50 from appropriations made for that purpose administered by the
51 department.
52 (c) The Legislature finds that encroachment of military
53 installations has been identified by local, state, and federal
54 leaders as a critical issue in protecting, preserving, and
55 enhancing military installations in this state. Encroachment can
56 be detrimental to the current and future missions of military
57 installations due to the incompatible use of adjacent land. The
58 Legislature recognizes the unique need to secure lands that may
59 present an encroachment threat to a military installation, but
60 which has no conservation value.
61 (2)(a) The Military Base Protection Program is created. The
62 function of the Military Base Protection Program includes, but
63 is not limited to:
64 1. Securing nonconservation lands to serve as a buffer to
65 protect military installations against encroachment; and
66 2. Supporting local community efforts to engage in service
67 partnerships with military installations.
68 (b) The department may, pursuant to s. 253.025(18),
69 annually submit a list to the Board of Trustees of the Internal
70 Improvement Trust Fund of nonconservation lands to acquire,
71 subject to a specific appropriation, through fee simple purchase
72 or through perpetual, less-than-fee interest purchase, for the
73 purpose of buffering a military base against encroachment. The
74 Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund shall
75 also consider the recommendations of the Florida Defense Support
76 Task Force, created in s. 288.987, when selecting
77 nonconservation lands to purchase for the purpose of securing
78 and protecting a military installation against encroachment.
79 This paragraph does not preclude the acquisition of such lands
80 through fee simple purchase or through perpetual, less-than-fee
81 interest purchase, for the purpose of buffering a military base
82 against encroachment by local governments.
83 (c) Funds appropriated to this program may be used to
84 address emergent needs relating to mission sustainment,
85 encroachment reduction or prevention, and base retention. All
86 funds appropriated for the purposes of this program are eligible
87 to be used for matching of federal funds. The department shall
88 coordinate and implement this program.
89 Section 2. Subsection (18) is added to section 253.025,
90 Florida Statutes, to read:
91 253.025 Acquisition of state lands for purposes other than
92 preservation, conservation, and recreation.—
93 (18) The board of trustees may acquire nonconservation
94 lands from the annual list submitted by the Department of
95 Economic Opportunity pursuant to s. 288.980(2)(b) for the
96 purpose of buffering a military base against encroachment.
97 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.
