No. CS/SB 1422
Filed under Environment & Water.
Coral Reefs; Revising legislative findings; providing a legislative designation, etc.
Plain English Summary
AI-GENERATEDA new legislative finding says healthy coral reefs reduce damage from storms, high waves, sea level rise, and flooding, and describes reef restoration for risk reduction, known as CR4, as an active strategy tied to FEMA hazard-mitigation support.
The bill formally designates coral reefs statewide as critical natural infrastructure and a nature-based solution, and separately declares protecting corals and reef-associated hardbottom in Broward, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach Counties to be in the public interest.
To make room for the new material, existing subsections are renumbered, and the compensation methodology and civil-penalty schedule for reef damage are unchanged in substance but are shifted to new subsection numbers.
AIA new subsection designates coral reefs statewide as critical natural infrastructure and a nature-based solution, and specifically designates protecting corals, coral reefs, and coral reef-associated hardbottom in five named counties as being in the public interest.
AIA new legislative finding states that healthy coral reefs protect coastal property from climate-related risks and describes coral reef restoration for risk reduction, called CR4, as an active strategy connected to FEMA's hazard mitigation assistance grant programs.