SESSION WATCH
Died HOUSE · SESSION 2026

No. CS/CS/CS/HB 1177

Spaceport Operations and Space Florida
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SPONSOR
Commerce Committee; Transportation & Economic Development Budget Subcommittee; Ways & Means Committee; Sirois
FILED BY
Tyler Sirois — District 31, Republican [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
DIED IN
Rules

Filed under Transportation.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Spaceport Operations and Space Florida; Requires governing board of certain seaports to coordinate with Space Florida for specified purposes; provides that Space Florida is not agency & is not subject to certain bidding & contract procedures under certain conditions; requires Space Florida to employ full-time business development director for specified purposes; revises membership of Space Florida board of directors.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Exempts Space Florida's self-funded contracts from state competitive-bidding rules.

Space Florida no longer has to follow the state's professional-services and construction competitive-bidding rules when it pays with its own, nonappropriated funds.

Seaports within five miles of a nearby spaceport must coordinate with Space Florida before changing their strategic plans, to avoid conflicting with Space Florida's business plan.

Space Florida must hire a full-time business development director focused on specific spaceport territories, including areas like advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft.

The Jacksonville Aviation Authority gets its own seat among the board's appointed members, instead of sharing a single nonvoting seat with two other groups.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Certain seaports must coordinate with Space Florida on strategic plan changes majors. 311.14

AIA seaport governing board within five miles of a 'strategic spaceport hub' must coordinate with Space Florida before changing its strategic plan, so the change does not conflict with Space Florida's business plan.

“must coordinate with Space Florida to ensure that the change does not conflict with Space Florida's business plan” bill text, line 27 →
§ 2 Space Florida exempted from bidding rules for self-funded purchases majors. 331.302

AISpace Florida is exempted from the state's professional-services competitive-negotiation law and its construction-contracting bid law, but only when it pays with nonappropriated funds and attests in writing that the funds are nonappropriated.

“is not subject to s. 255.20 when it purchases professional services or construction services, or both, using nonappropriated state funds” bill text, line 36 →
§ 3 Space Florida must hire a full-time business development director moderates. 331.3051

AISpace Florida must employ a full-time business development director for specific spaceport territories, focused on growing activities such as horizontal launch, advanced air mobility, and unmanned aerial vehicles at those sites.

“Employ a full-time business development director for the spaceport territories identified in s. 331.304(2), (3), (6), and (7)” bill text, line 50 →
§ 4 Jacksonville Aviation Authority gets its own board paragraph moderates. 331.3081

AIThe Jacksonville Aviation Authority is dropped from the list of entities sharing one nonvoting, ex officio board seat and instead receives its own separate paragraph among the board's other appointed members.

“A representative of the Jacksonville Aviation Authority, appointed by the Governor” bill text, line 224 →
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in Rules
3/5/2026
Received
3/5/2026
Referred to Rules
3/5/2026
In Messages
3/5/2026
CS passed; YEAS 107, NAYS 0
3/5/2026
Read 3rd time
3/5/2026
Added to Third Reading Calendar
3/5/2026
Read 2nd time
3/2/2026
1st Reading (Committee Substitute 3)
3/2/2026
Bill added to Special Order Calendar (3/5/2026)
3/2/2026
Bill referred to House Calendar
3/2/2026
CS Filed
3/2/2026
Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)
3/2/2026
Reported out of Commerce Committee
2/26/2026
Favorable with CS by Commerce Committee
2/24/2026
Added to Commerce Committee agenda
2/20/2026
Added to Commerce Committee agenda
2/17/2026
Now in Commerce Committee
2/17/2026
Referred to Commerce Committee
2/16/2026
1st Reading (Committee Substitute 2)
2/16/2026
CS Filed
2/16/2026
Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)
2/16/2026
Reported out of Transportation & Economic Development Budget Subcommittee
2/16/2026
Favorable with CS by Transportation & Economic Development Budget...
2/12/2026
Added to Transportation & Economic Development Budget Subcommittee agenda
2/12/2026
Now in Transportation & Economic Development Budget Subcommittee
2/12/2026
Referred to Commerce Committee
2/12/2026
Referred to Transportation & Economic Development Budget Subcommittee
2/11/2026
1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1)
2/11/2026
CS Filed
2/11/2026
Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)
2/10/2026
Reported out of Ways & Means Committee
2/10/2026
Favorable with CS by Ways & Means Committee
2/6/2026
PCS added to Ways & Means Committee agenda
1/15/2026
Now in Ways & Means Committee
1/15/2026
Referred to Commerce Committee
1/15/2026
Referred to Transportation & Economic Development Budget Subcommittee
1/15/2026
Referred to Ways & Means Committee
1/13/2026
1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
1/7/2026
Filed
34 EARLIER →
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 311.14
+79 / −0
s. 331.302
+45 / −0
s. 331.3051
+50 / −1
s. 331.3081
+15 / −5
s. 331.3081
+0 / −0
STAFF ANALYSES