TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) – The Senate on Tuesday continued moving forward with a proposal that would put a resiliency office directly under Gov. Ron DeSantis and take steps to determine how to brace the state highway system against rising sea levels.
The bill (SB 1940), which was unanimously approved by the Senate Agriculture, Environment and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, would expand on a 2021 measure to combat rising sea levels.
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“We want to make sure that in the event of rising seas, we are ready for whatever flooding could happen there,” bill sponsor Sen. Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, said.
In addition to placing the Statewide Office of Resiliency in the governor’s office and directing the Department of Transportation to develop a resilience action plan for the state highway system, the proposal would require a prioritized list of resilience projects and require a database of facilities – medical centers, utilities, emergency operations centers and airports – threatened by rising sea levels. Last year, lawmakers approved a measure that called for spending up to $100 million a year on projects to address flooding and sea-level rise.
A priority of House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, the law also created a grant program for local governments.
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Brodeur’s proposal seeks to open the grant program to water management districts, drainage districts, erosion control districts and flood control districts and would put an emphasis on small counties and cities.
The proposal needs approval from the Appropriations Committee before it could go to the full Senate.
A similar measure (HB 7053) will go before the House State Affairs Committee on Wednesday.
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