Florida Senate - 2016 CS for SB 1544
By the Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and
Domestic Security; and Senators Clemens, Bullard, and Soto
583-02863-16 20161544c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to natural hazards; creating s.
3 252.3655, F.S.; creating an interagency workgroup to
4 share information, coordinate ongoing efforts, and
5 collaborate on initiatives relating to natural
6 hazards; defining the term “natural hazards”;
7 requiring certain agencies to designate liaisons to
8 the workgroup; designating the director of the
9 Division of Emergency Management or his or her
10 designee as the liaison to and coordinator of the
11 workgroup; specifying duties and responsibilities of
12 each liaison and the workgroup; requiring the division
13 to prepare an annual report; specifying report
14 requirements; requiring each agency liaison to ensure
15 that the report is posted on his or her agency’s
16 website; requiring the workgroup to submit the report
17 to the Governor and the Legislature; providing an
18 effective date.
19
20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
21
22 Section 1. Section 252.3655, Florida Statutes, is created
23 to read:
24 252.3655 Natural hazards interagency workgroup.—
25 (1)(a) An interagency workgroup is created for the purpose
26 of sharing information on the current and potential impacts of
27 natural hazards throughout the state, coordinating the ongoing
28 efforts of state agencies in addressing the impacts of natural
29 hazards, and collaborating on statewide initiatives to address
30 the impacts of natural hazards. As used in this section, the
31 term “natural hazards” includes, but is not limited to, extreme
32 heat, drought, wildfire, sea-level change, high tides, storm
33 surge, saltwater intrusion, stormwater runoff, flash floods,
34 inland flooding, and coastal flooding.
35 (b) Each agency within the executive branch of state
36 government, each water management district, and the Florida
37 Public Service Commission shall select from within such agency a
38 person to be designated as the agency liaison to the workgroup.
39 (c) The director of the Division of Emergency Management or
40 his or her designee shall serve as the liaison to and
41 coordinator of the workgroup.
42 (d) Each liaison shall provide information from his or her
43 respective agency on the current and potential impacts of
44 natural hazards to his or her agency, agency resources available
45 to mitigate against natural hazards, and efforts made by the
46 agency to address the impacts of natural hazards.
47 (e) The workgroup shall meet in person or by teleconference
48 on a quarterly basis to share information, leverage agency
49 resources, coordinate ongoing efforts, and provide information
50 for inclusion in the annual progress report submitted pursuant
51 to subsection (2).
52 (2)(a) On behalf of the workgroup, the Division of
53 Emergency Management shall prepare an annual progress report on
54 the implementation of the state’s hazard mitigation plan,
55 developed and submitted in accordance with 42 U.S.C. s. 5165 and
56 any implementing regulations, as it relates to natural hazards.
57 At a minimum, the annual progress report must:
58 1. Assess the relevance, level, and significance of current
59 agency efforts to address the impacts of natural hazards; and
60 2. Strategize and prioritize ongoing efforts to address the
61 impacts of natural hazards.
62 (b) Each liaison is responsible for ensuring that the
63 workgroup’s annual progress report is posted on his or her
64 agency’s website.
65 (c) By January 1, 2018, and each year thereafter, the
66 workgroup shall submit the annual progress report to the
67 Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
68 House of Representatives.
69 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.