Florida Museum of History

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A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to the Florida Museum of History; 2
authorizing the Department of State to partner with 3
certain county commissions and local entities for a 4
specified purpose; requiring each Florida Museum of 5
History to be owned, managed, and operated by a 6
certain entity; establishing the Florida Museum of 7
History Advisory Committee; providing membership and 8
duties of the committee; requiring each county 9
commission and local entity to create a Florida Museum 10
of History Board; providing for membership and duties 11
of the operating board; requiring that certain 12
entities develop and execute a marketing plan to 13
promote each Florida Museum of History; requiring 14
financial feasibility studies; providing for funding 15
from specific sources for certain purposes; providing 16
requirements for the Florida Museum of History; 17
providing an effective date. 18
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WHEREAS, in 2023, the Legislature established the 20
Florida Museum of Black History Task Force to identify, 21
evaluate, and recommend potential locations for a leading 22
world-class museum dedicated to preserving, interpreting, 23
and celebrating the history, culture, and contributions of 24
Black Floridians and Black Americans, and 25

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WHEREAS, the task force received applications from 26
multiple jurisdictions and, in April 2024, adopted 27
previously developed rankings that narrowed the field from 28
thirteen potential sites to three: Eatonville in Orange 29
County, St. Augustine in St. Johns County, and Opa-locka in 30
Miami-Dade County, and 31
WHEREAS, due to limited resources, incomplete data, 32
and a narrowing legislative deadline, the task force 33
reaffirmed these rankings without conducting new 34
feasibility, financial, or comparative analyses of the 35
three potential sites, and 36
WHEREAS, the task force voted on May 21, 2024, to 37
recommend St. Augustine in St. Johns County as the site for 38
the future Florida Museum of Black History, and 39
WHEREAS, on June 30, 2024, the Division of Historical 40
Resources, with input from the task force, issued a report 41
describing the recommendation as a preliminary roadmap and 42
requesting additional legislative funding to support 43
feasibility and economic impact studies for each of the 44
three top-ranked locations, and 45
WHEREAS, the Legislature recognizes that the task 46
force found no location with a clearly superior feasibility 47
or sustainability profile, underscoring the need for a 48
comprehensive, data-driven study before a final 49
designation, and 50

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WHEREAS, it is the intent of the Legislature that 51
comprehensive feasibility and economic impact studies be 52
completed and reviewed for the three top-ranked locations 53
in Orange County, St. Augustine in St. Johns County, and 54
Opa-locka in Miami-Dade County before any final site 55
designation, construction authorization, or allocation of 56
state funds, and 57
WHEREAS, these studies shall evaluate visitation 58
potential, infrastructure readiness, financial 59
sustainability, and the demonstrated capacity of each 60
locality to provide at least a 50 percent local funding 61
match through public, philanthropic, or private sources, 62
and 63
WHEREAS, a world-class museum is characterized by its 64
extraordinary collection of historical items and a 65
thoughtfully curated visitor experience, and 66
WHEREAS, these institutions serve as vital 67
repositories of our shared heritage, actively shaping our 68
understanding of the past, present, and future, and 69
WHEREAS, a world-class museum is not defined by a big 70
building or a famous name, but is an unparalleled 71
combination of an extraordinary and meticulously preserved 72
collection and an unforgettable, thoughtfully curated 73
visitor experience that transcends mere viewing, inviting 74
deep engagement and reflection, and 75

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WHEREAS, the Florida Museum of History is intended to 76
be more than a museum about slavery and the Civil Rights 77
Movement in America, and 78
WHEREAS, the Florida Museum of History is envisioned 79
as a unifying, cultural, and educational institution of 80
statewide significance, with the capacity to advance 81
understanding, unity, and economic opportunity for 82
residents and visitors alike, and 83
WHEREAS, establishing and sustaining the Florida 84
Museum of History will require a shared commitment from 85
state, local, and private partners, and 86
WHEREAS, at least 50 percent of total project funding 87
should come from local and regional public, philanthropic, 88
and private sources to ensure community ownership and 89
fiscal balance, and 90
WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that this partnership 91
structure, balancing state investment with strong local 92
commitment, is essential to ensure that the museum's 93
establishment is both equitable and fiscally responsible, 94
and 95
WHEREAS, it is the intent of the Legislature that the 96
Florida Museum of History operate as a statewide 97
institution with collaborative governance that reflects 98
Florida's geographic and cultural diversity and fosters 99
partnerships among local governments, educational 100

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institutions, and cultural organizations throughout the 101
state, and 102
WHEREAS, the Legislature reaffirms its commitment to 103
supporting a museum that honors the history and 104
achievements of Black Floridians, advances public 105
understanding, stimulates tourism and economic opportunity, 106
and stands as a lasting symbol of unity and progress for 107
future generations, NOW, THEREFORE, 108
109
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 110
111
Section 1. (1) The Department of State may partner with 112
the county commissions of Orange, St. Johns, and Miami-Dade 113
Counties, and each local entity designated by the commissions to 114
design, construct, operate, and manage Florida Museums of 115
History in Orange, St. Johns, and Miami-Dade Counties. Once 116
constructed, each Florida Museum of History must be owned, 117
managed, and operated by the local entity designated by the 118
respective county commission. 119
(2)(a) The Florida Museum of History Advisory Committee, a 120
committee as defined in s. 20.03, Florida Statutes, is created 121
within the Department of State to guide and assist with 122
planning, designing, and constructing each Florida Museum of 123
History. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the 124
committee shall operate in a manner consistent with s. 20.052, 125

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Florida Statutes. 126
(b) The Florida Museum of History Advisory Committee shall 127
consist of the following members, who must have expertise in 128
Florida history, Black History, curation, architecture, and 129
museum design: 130
1. One member appointed by the Governor. 131
2. One member appointed by the President of the Senate. 132
3. One member appointed by the Speaker of the House of 133
Representatives. 134
4. One member appointed by the Secretary of the Department 135
of State. 136
5. The executive director of the Florida Tourism Industry 137
Marketing Corporation. 138
6. The chair and vice chair of the Florida Legislative 139
Black Caucus, who are not required to have expertise in Florida 140
history, Black History, curation, architecture, and museum 141
design. The chair and vice chair of the Florida Legislative 142
Black Caucus, in lieu of serving on the Florida Museum of 143
History Advisory Committee, may each appoint one person who has 144
expertise in Black History, Florida history, curation, 145
architecture, and museum design to serve on the Florida Museum 146
of History Advisory Committee. 147
(c) The Florida Museum of History Advisory Committee, in 148
partnership with each designated local entity, shall provide 149
guidance and direction in choosing the architects, museum 150

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designers, curators, and other contractors to design, construct, 151
operate, and manage each Florida Museum of History. To that end, 152
such local entities shall: 153
1. Procure architectural design services. 154
2. Procure construction management services based upon the 155
final architectural designs and construction budgets. 156
3. Provide recommendations for the operation and 157
administration of the museums. 158
4. Ensure that each museum is operated as a hybrid model 159
by a nonprofit entity in combination with the respective county 160
commission, which may include a state agency, a local 161
governmental entity, or a college or university. 162
5. Consider relevant operational models, including the: 163
a. Avron B. Fogelman Sports Museum in Boca Raton. 164
b. Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in 165
Detroit, Michigan. 166
c. Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville. 167
e. Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts and 168
Culture in Charlotte, North Carolina. 169
f. John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota. 170
g. Meek-Eaton Black Archives, Research Center and Museum 171
in Tallahassee. 172
h. Museum of Florida History in Tallahassee. 173
i. National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. 174
j. Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum in Miami. 175

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6. Develop a collections management policy to care for, 176
preserve, and curate the museums' collections as well as 177
collections that may be loaned to the museums. 178
7. Develop and maintain curatorial policies and practices 179
consistent with generally accepted professional museum 180
standards, including collections management, exhibition 181
development, research, and interpretation. Qualified 182
professionals shall make curatorial decisions in accordance with 183
such standards and applicable law. Oversight by governing bodies 184
shall apply only to matters of fiscal accountability, public 185
transparency, and compliance with state requirements. Such 186
oversight shall not extend to the review, approval, or direction 187
of specific curatorial content, exhibitions, or interpretive 188
materials. 189
(d) The Florida Museum of History Advisory Committee shall 190
make recommendations that include educational materials relating 191
to the role of African American participation in defending and 192
preserving this state and the United States, including the 193
contributions of the residents of Fort Mose, the Tuskegee 194
Airmen, and African-American veterans. 195
(3)(a) Each county commission, in partnership with the 196
designated local entity, must create a Florida Museum of History 197
Board for each museum in Orange, St. Johns, and Miami-Dade 198
Counties. Each county commission, in partnership with the 199
designated local entity, shall appoint no more than 11 members 200

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to the board governing that museum. Each member must have 201
experience in at least one of the following areas: 202
1. Florida History or Black History; 203
2. Museum curation; 204
3. Architecture; 205
4. Museum design; or 206
5. Philanthropy. 207
(b) Each Florida Museum of History Board shall appoint an 208
operating board of directors, consisting of scholarly experts 209
and other key stakeholders representing community organizations, 210
to provide program support for each museum. 211
(4) Each Florida Museum of History Board, in consultation 212
with the respective county commission, shall: 213
(a) Develop a plan for the museum to acquire archival 214
materials and artifacts. 215
(b) Develop plans for permanent and temporary exhibitions 216
in consultation with colleagues from other institutions and 217
external content experts. 218
(c) Develop programs and educational materials, including 219
topics that support the mission of the Florida Museum of 220
History, in consultation with the Department of Education and 221
other external stakeholders. 222
(d) Provide educational materials that complement and 223
support required history instruction provided in public schools 224
in accordance with s. 1003.42(2)(h), Florida Statutes. 225

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(e) Create a transition plan for the museum to become 226
financially self-sufficient. 227
(5) The Florida Museum of History Advisory Committee, in 228
partnership with the designated local entities, the Florida 229
Tourism Marketing Corporation, and the local visitor and 230
convention bureaus, shall develop and execute a marketing plan 231
to promote each Florida Museum of History. The designated local 232
entities may collaborate with local destination marketing 233
organizations or convention and visitors bureaus. 234
Section 2. (1) The Legislature shall provide at least $1 235
million each to the county commissions of Orange, St. Johns, and 236
Miami-Dade Counties to conduct a financial feasibility study for 237
each respective Florida Museum of History location. In each such 238
location, the financial feasibility study shall: 239
(a) Evaluate the visitation potential, infrastructure 240
readiness, and financial sustainability of the area. 241
(b) Evaluate each location's capacity to match at least 50 242
percent of funding provided by the Legislature, using public, 243
philanthropic, or private sources. 244
(c) Assess the likelihood that the location will become 245
financially self-sufficient within 3 years after the museum's 246
opening, without additional financial support from the 247
Legislature. 248
(d) Be used to determine the appropriate size and the 249
square footage of the museums for each respective location based 250

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on tourism markets, funding capacity, funding availability, 251
operational sustainability, and ensure adequate capacity for 252
robust programming and future expansion. 253
(2)(a) The construction of each Florida Museum of History 254
shall be funded by both local and state appropriations. 255
(b) The Legislature shall appropriate no more than $75 256
million for the construction of the Florida Museums of History. 257
Each location may qualify for up to one-third of the funds 258
provided by the state. 259
(c) Each county commission, in partnership with its 260
designated local entity, shall match at least 50 percent of 261
funding provided by the Legislature, using public, 262
philanthropic, or private sources. 263
(d) Estimates for recurring operational costs shall be 264
developed during the building design, site development, and 265
construction process. 266
(e) In addition to receiving funds as set forth in 267
paragraph (a), the Florida Museum of History Board shall seek to 268
raise private funds, gifts, donations, and solicit grants, to 269
augment any recurring funding received. The museum shall earn 270
revenue from general admission fees, ticketed programming and 271
events, retail partnerships, and facility rentals. An endowment 272
shall be created to support the acquisition, research, and care 273
of collections obtained from across the network of museums that 274
exist in this state. 275

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Section 3. (1) The Florida Museum of History is intended 276
to be a leading world-class cultural arts and history museum, 277
and must consist of: 278
(a) At least 10,000 square feet of exhibition space 279
capable of supporting all the functions of a leading world-class 280
museum, including collections care and storage, exhibits, 281
programs, large public events, large rental events, and a 282
repository for genealogical and archival materials with 283
appropriate space for public research. 284
(b) An archival and storage facility for items donated to 285
the Florida Museum of History at each location, as well as 286
historical documents and items and educational materials. 287
(2) Each Florida Museum of History Board must ensure that 288
at least 33 percent of the museum's exhibition space is 289
dedicated to the history of this state, including: 290
(a) The history and impact of tourism, including 291
attractions, historical sites, and tourist destinations such as 292
Disney World, Silver Springs, Universal Studios, and this 293
state's beaches. 294
(b) The history and presence of the United States 295
military, including military bases and installations in the 296
state. 297
(c) The history and impact of agriculture on the state's 298
economy. 299
(d) The history of space exploration and the impact of the 300

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National Aeronautics and Space Administration and related 301
activities on this state. 302
(3) Each Florida Museum of History Board must consider 303
creating exhibition halls and spaces for: 304
(a) Florida's African American museums. 305
(b) Florida's Hispanic museums. 306
(c) Florida's Jewish Holocaust museums. 307
(d) African Americans in the military. 308
(e) African Americans and women in aviation. 309
(f) African Americans and women in space. 310
(g) The history of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement 311
in this state and the United States. 312
(h) An exhibition hall of life-sized statues or a statue 313
garden of significant individuals in the history of this state 314
and the United States. 315
(i) A library and archives of this state's Governors to 316
include 3D-printed life-sized statues of the Governors. 317
(j) A Presidential Hall of Statues. 318
(k) The history of the Civil War in this state. 319
(l) The history of reconstruction in this state. 320
(m) The impact of Henry Morrison Flagler in this state. 321
(n) A portrait gallery featuring portraits of historical 322
and significant individuals who have impacted Florida. 323
(o) The history of Black towns, cities, and settlements in 324
this state. 325

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(p) The history of the migration of the citizens of the 326
Caribbean to this state, including Cubans, Haitians, and 327
Jamaicans. 328
(q) A portrait gallery and archives of Black and Hispanic 329
elected officials in this state. 330
(r) The history of Historically Black Colleges and 331
Universities in this state, including the life of Mary McCleod 332
Bethune and Bethune Cookman University, and the United States. 333
(s) A gallery of Black art that includes paintings, 334
posters, prints, glass works, quilts, and figurines. 335
(t) The history of Orange County, St. Johns County, or 336
Miami-Dade County. 337
(u) The history of the Town of Eatonville and author Zora 338
Neale Hurston. 339
(v) Historically significant and influential persons 340
including artists, musicians, poets, and athletes, and 341
historical events, including Black History events in this state 342
and the United States. 343
(w) The history of Black entrepreneurs, scientists, 344
inventors and inventions in this state and the United States. 345
(x) The history of the Tuskegee Airmen and the history of 346
the Tuskegee Airmen in this state. 347
(y) The history of baseball in this state, including the 348
major leagues, the Negro Baseball League, the minor leagues, and 349
spring training. 350

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(z) The impact of Cuban immigrants in this state. 351
Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 352