Bill Text: FL S1360 | 2020 | Regular Session | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Endangered and Threatened Species
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Failed) 2020-03-14 - Died in Appropriations [S1360 Detail]
Download: Florida-2020-S1360-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Endangered and Threatened Species
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Failed) 2020-03-14 - Died in Appropriations [S1360 Detail]
Download: Florida-2020-S1360-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2020 SB 1360 By Senator Rodriguez 37-01306-20 20201360__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to the Florida Endangered and 3 Threatened Species Act; amending s. 379.2291, F.S.; 4 revising legislative intent; revising definitions; 5 directing the Fish and Wildlife Conservation 6 Commission to protect certain declassified species; 7 prohibiting the commission and the Department of 8 Environmental Protection from considering certain 9 costs when designating a species as endangered or 10 threatened; amending s. 581.185, F.S.; revising 11 criteria for placement of species on the Regulated 12 Plant Index by the Department of Agriculture and 13 Consumer Services; directing the department, in 14 consultation with the Endangered Plant Advisory 15 Council, to protect certain declassified species; 16 prohibiting the department from considering certain 17 costs when designating a species as endangered or 18 threatened; providing an effective date. 19 20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 21 22 Section 1. Subsections (2), (3), and (4) of section 23 379.2291, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 24 379.2291 Endangered and Threatened Species Act.— 25 (2) DECLARATION OF POLICY.—The Legislature recognizes that 26 the State of Florida harbors a wide diversity of fish and 27 wildlife and that it is the policy of this state to conserve and 28 wisely manage these resources, with particular attention to 29 those species designateddefinedby the Fish and Wildlife 30 Conservation Commission, the Department of Environmental 31 Protection, or the United States Department of Interior, or 32 successor agencies, as being endangered or threatened. As 33 Florida has more endangered and threatened species than any 34 other continental state, it is the intent of the Legislature to 35 provide for research and management to conserve and protect 36 these species as a natural resource. 37 (3) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section: 38 (a) “Fish and wildlife” means any member of the animal 39 kingdom, including, but not limited to, any mammal, fish, bird, 40 amphibian, reptile, mollusk, crustacean, arthropod, or other 41 invertebrate. 42 (b) “Endangered species” means any species of fish and 43 wildlife naturally occurring in Florida, whose prospects of 44 survival are in jeopardy due to modification or loss of habitat; 45 overuseoverutilizationfor commercial, sporting, scientific, or 46 educational purposes; disease; predation; inadequacy of 47 regulatory mechanisms; or other natural or manmade factors 48 affecting its continued existence, including climate change. 49 (c) “Threatened species” means any species of fish and 50 wildlife naturally occurring in Florida which may not be in 51 immediate danger of extinction, but which exists in such small 52 populations as to become endangered if it is subjected to 53 increased stress as a result of further modification of its 54 environment, including climate change. 55 (4) INTERAGENCY COORDINATION.— 56 (a) The commission shall be responsible for research and 57 management of freshwater and upland species and for research and 58 management of marine species. 59 (b) Recognizing that citizen awareness is a key element in 60 the success of this plan, the commission and the Department of 61 Education are encouraged to work together to develop a public 62 education program with emphasis on, but not limited to, both 63 public and private schools. 64 (c) The commission, in consultation with the Department of 65 Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Department of Economic 66 Opportunity, or the Department of Transportation, may establish 67 reduced speed zones along roads, streets, and highways to 68 protect endangered and threatened speciesor threatened species. 69 (d) Notwithstanding declassification under the federal 70 Endangered Species Act of 1973, the commission shall continue to 71 protect species that meet the definition of endangered or 72 threatened under subsection (3), as determined by the 73 commission. 74 (e) The commission and the Department of Environmental 75 Protection may not consider the economic cost of protecting a 76 species as a factor in designating the species as endangered or 77 threatened. 78 Section 2. Subsection (5) of section 581.185, Florida 79 Statutes, is amended to read: 80 581.185 Preservation of native flora of Florida.— 81 (5) REVIEW.— 82 (a) Beginning in 1984, and every 4 years thereafter, the 83 department and the Endangered Plant Advisory Council shall 84 conduct a comprehensive review of this section and of the 85 Regulated Plant Index, as provided in rules of the department,86shall be made by the department and the Endangered Plant87Advisory Council at 4-year intervals. 88 (b) The department shall consider any species of plant that 89 should be placed on the Regulated Plant Index which is in danger 90 of disappearing from its native habitat within the foreseeable 91 future throughout all or a significant portion of the range of 92 the species because of: 93 1. Present or threatened destruction, modification, or 94 curtailment of the range of the species. 95 2. OveruseOverutilizationof the species for commercial, 96 scientific, or educational purposes. 97 3. Disease or predation. 98 4. Any other natural or manmade factor affecting the 99 continued existence of the species, including climate change. 100 (c) In carrying out reviews and arriving at recommendations 101 under paragraphs (a) and (b), the department and the advisory 102 council shall use the best scientific and commercial data 103 available and shall consult with interested persons and 104 organizations. 105 (d) Notwithstanding declassification under the federal 106 Endangered Species Act of 1973, the department shall continue to 107 protect species that meet the definition of endangered or 108 threatened under subsection (2), as determined by the department 109 in consultation with the advisory council. 110 (e) The department may not consider the economic cost of 111 protecting a species as a factor in designating the species as 112 endangered or threatened. 113 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.