Florida Senate - 2018                              CS for SB 316
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Ethics and Elections; and Senator Stewart
       
       
       
       
       
       582-03191-18                                           2018316c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Environmental Regulation
    3         Commission; amending s. 20.255, F.S.; requiring the
    4         Governor to appoint a new member to the commission
    5         within a certain timeframe after the occurrence of a
    6         vacancy; providing an effective date.
    7          
    8  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    9  
   10         Section 1. Subsection (6) of section 20.255, Florida
   11  Statutes, is amended to read:
   12         20.255 Department of Environmental Protection.—There is
   13  created a Department of Environmental Protection.
   14         (6) There is created as a part of the Department of
   15  Environmental Protection an Environmental Regulation Commission.
   16         (a) The commission shall be composed of seven residents of
   17  this state appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by
   18  the Senate. In making appointments, the Governor shall provide
   19  reasonable representation from all sections of the state.
   20  Membership shall be representative of agriculture, the
   21  development industry, local government, the environmental
   22  community, lay citizens, and members of the scientific and
   23  technical community who have substantial expertise in the areas
   24  of the fate and transport of water pollutants, toxicology,
   25  epidemiology, geology, biology, environmental sciences, or
   26  engineering.
   27         (b) The Governor shall, within 90 days after the occurrence
   28  of a vacancy on the commission, appoint a new member, subject to
   29  confirmation by the Senate.
   30         (c) The Governor shall appoint the chair, and the vice
   31  chair shall be elected from among the membership. All
   32  appointments shall be for 4-year terms.
   33         (d) The Governor may at any time fill a vacancy for the
   34  unexpired term. The members of the commission shall serve
   35  without compensation, but shall be paid travel and per diem as
   36  provided in s. 112.061 while in the performance of their
   37  official duties. Administrative, personnel, and other support
   38  services necessary for the commission shall be furnished by the
   39  department. The commission may employ independent counsel and
   40  contract for the services of outside technical consultants.
   41         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.