THE BILL ITSELF
SB 184
Seaport Security
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 184 By Senator Garcia 36-00393-26 2026184__
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A bill to be entitled
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An act relating to seaport security; amending s.
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311.12, F.S.; requiring seaports to maintain an onsite
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fire station that is staffed and operational 24 hours
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a day, 7 days a week; requiring fire stations to have
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a certified hazardous materials response team with
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specified capabilities; requiring seaports to maintain
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a specified number of operational fireboats able to
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respond to fires and hazardous materials incidents in
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specified areas; requiring the Division of State Fire
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Marshal, in consultation with the Florida Ports
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Council, to adopt certain rules; providing fines and
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penalties; providing an effective date.
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Section 1. Present subsections (5) and (6) of section
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311.12, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (6)
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and (7), respectively, and a new subsection (5) is added to that
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section, to read:
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311.12 Seaport security.—
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(5) FIRE SAFETY.—
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(a) Each seaport subject to this section shall maintain an
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onsite fire station under the authority of a fire department
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recognized by the State Fire Marshal.
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(b) A fire department station must be staffed, equipped,
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and operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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(c) A fire station must have a certified hazardous
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materials response team capable of immediate deployment to any
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incident on seaport property.
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(d) Each seaport subject to this section shall maintain a
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minimum of two operational fireboats, equipped and staffed to
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respond to fires and hazardous materials incidents occurring on
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or adjacent to navigable waters of the seaport.
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(e) The Division of State Fire Marshal, in consultation
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with the Florida Ports Council, shall adopt rules establishing
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minimum standards for all of the following:
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1. Staffing levels and qualifications.
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2. Equipment and apparatus requirements, including
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fireboats.
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3. Training, including hazardous materials certification.
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4. Mutual aid coordination with adjacent jurisdictions and
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regional response teams.
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(f) A seaport’s failure to comply with this subsection may
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result in fines imposed by the Department of Financial Services,
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ineligibility for state port funding, or suspension of port
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operations, as determined by the department.
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Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.