SB0184 • 2026

Seaport Security

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Garcia
Last action: 2026-03-13
Official status: Senate - Died in Transportation
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass the Transportation committee in the Senate and died there, which means it will not become law as of now.

Seaport Security

This bill requires seaports to maintain an onsite fire station with staff and equipment available around the clock, a hazardous materials response team, and at least two operational fireboats.

What This Bill Does

Requires each seaport to maintain an onsite fire station that is staffed and operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Requiring fire stations to have a certified hazardous materials response team capable of immediate deployment.
Mandates that seaports keep at least two operational fireboats equipped and staffed to respond to fires and hazardous materials incidents on or adjacent to navigable waters.

Who It Names or Affects

Seaports in Florida
Fire departments serving seaports

Terms To Know

Hazardous materials response team: A group of trained firefighters who can handle dangerous chemicals or spills.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill did not pass the Transportation committee in the Senate and died there.
It is unclear how many seaports will be affected by this requirement.

Bill History

2026-03-13 Senate
• Died in Transportation
2026-01-13 Senate
• Introduced
2025-11-03 Senate
• Referred to Transportation; Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government; Fiscal Policy
2025-10-14 Senate
• Filed

Official Summary Text

Seaport Security; Requiring seaports to maintain an onsite fire station that is staffed and operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; requiring fire stations to have a certified hazardous materials response team with specified capabilities; requiring seaports to maintain a specified number of operational fireboats able to respond to fires and hazardous materials incidents in specified areas, etc.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Florida Senate
-
2026

SB 184

By
Senator Garcia

36-00393-26 2026184__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to seaport security; amending s.
3 311.12, F.S.; requiring seaports to maintain an onsite
4 fire station that is staffed and operational 24 hours
5 a day, 7 days a week; requiring fire stations to have
6 a certified hazardous materials response team with
7 specified capabilities; requiring seaports to maintain
8 a specified number of operational fireboats able to
9 respond to fires and hazardous materials incidents in
10 specified areas; requiring the Division of State Fire
11 Marshal, in consultation with the Florida Ports
12 Council, to adopt certain rules; providing fines and
13 penalties; providing an effective date.
14
15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
16
17 Section 1. Present subsections (5) and (6) of section
18 311.12, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (6)
19 and (7), respectively, and a new subsection (5) is added to that
20 section, to read:
21 311.12 Seaport security.—
22
(5)
FIRE SAFETY.—

23
(a) Each seaport subject to this section shall maintain an

24
onsite fire station
under the authority of a fire department

25
recognized by the State Fire Marshal.

26
(b)
A
fire department station must be staffed, equipped,

27
and operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

28
(c)
A
fire station must
have
a certified hazardous

29
material
s
response team capable of immediate deployment to any

30
incident
on

sea
port property.

31
(d) Each seaport subject to this section shall maintain a

32
minimum of two operational fireboats, equipped and staffed to

33
respond to fires and hazardous materials incidents occurring on

34
or adjacent to navigable waters
of
the
sea
port.

35
(e) The Division of State Fire Marshal, in consultation

36
with the Florida Ports Council, shall adopt rules establishing

37
minimum standards for all of the following:

38
1. Staffing levels and qualifications.

39
2. Equipment and apparatus requirements, including

40
fireboats.

41
3. Training, including hazardous materials certification.

42
4. Mutual aid coordination with adjacent jurisdictions and

43
regional response teams.

44
(f)
A seaport’s f
ailure to comply with this subsection may

45
result in fines imposed by the Department of Financial Services,

46
ineligibility for state port funding, or suspension of port

47
operations
,
as determined by the department.

48 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.