With bipartisan support, a House panel Monday gave initial approval to a plan to address flooding and sea-level rise in Florida, including spending up to $100 million a year on projects.
“We know right here in this committee that it’s time to act,” bill sponsor Demi Busatta Cabrera, R-Coral Gables, said before the House Environment, Agriculture & Flooding Subcommittee unanimously approved the measure (PCB EAF 21-02). “We can’t wait any longer.”
House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, has made the bill a priority and issued a statement after the vote saying the “success of our state is inextricably connected to the proper management of water.”
The bill includes several initiatives, including setting up a three-year Statewide Flooding and Sea Level Rise Resilience Plan that the Department of Environmental Protection would update annually.
The plan would include ranked projects that address risks of flooding and sea-level rise in coastal and inland areas, according to a House staff analysis. The bill also calls for the Department of Environmental Protection to provide grants to cities and counties for “resilience” planning.
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