Today, Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law Senate Bill 1954. This comprehensive legislation will ensure a coordinated approach to Florida’s coastal and inland resiliency.
The new program will enhance our efforts to protect our inland waterways, coastlines, shores, and coral reefs, which serve as invaluable natural defenses against sea-level rise.
Additionally, this bill and the 2021-2022 budget are part of the largest investment in the state’s history – over $640 million – to support efforts to ensure state and local communities are prepared to deal with the impacts of sea-level rise, intensified storms, and flooding.
- $12.5 million for the Resilient Coastlines Initiative for resilience projects and coral reef protection.
- $29 million for establishment and planning efforts of the Resilient Florida Grant Program.
- $500 million in federal funding for implementation of statewide resilience projects through the Statewide Flooding and Sea Level Rise Resilience Plan.
- $100 million for Resilient Florida Grant Program projects in partnership with local communities, beginning in 2022.
“Since day one, the resiliency of our state has been a top priority for my administration,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “This legislation will allow us to build on historic investments and progress by ensuring communities have the resources they need for resilience planning and project implementation as well as creating a framework for a cohesive, coordinated approach to address the impacts of sea-level rise, intensified storms, and localized flooding.”
“When Governor DeSantis and I were elected in 2018, we made protecting Florida’s environment one of the top priorities of our administration,” said Lt. Governor Jeanette Nuñez. I applaud the Legislature for unanimously voting to protect our coastal communities and waterways from the threats of storm surge and tidal flooding. As Floridians, we have a solemn responsibility to protect our natural treasures. Today, we put Floridians first. We are proud of our efforts to mitigate the effects of flooding and sea-level rise for future generations to come.”
For the first time ever, Senate Bill 1954 requires the development of the Comprehensive Statewide Flood Vulnerability and Sea Level Rise Data Set, led by the Chief Science Officer.
Additionally, it facilitates the development of statewide sea level rise projections and other data necessary to determine the risks to inland and coastal communities. The data set is to be completed by July 1, 2022, and the Comprehensive Statewide Flood Vulnerability and Sea Level Rise Assessment is to be completed by July 1, 2023. The Statewide Flooding and Sea Level Rise Resilience Plan is to be submitted by Dec. 1, 2023.
This bill authorizes local governments to develop Regional Resilience Coalitions to allow communities to join in resilience planning efforts and share technical assistance.
It also creates the Florida Flood Hub for Applied Research and Innovation at the University of South Florida to coordinate efforts between the academic and research institutions of Florida.