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Florida Senate
-
2026
SB 916
By
Senator Mayfield
19-00721B-26 2026916__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to spaceport operations; amending s.
3 331.303, F.S.; defining the terms “quintimodal
4 transportation hub” and “spaceport director or
5 commander”; amending s. 331.3051, F.S.; requiring
6 Space Florida, in coordination with specified
7 entities, to enhance and promote the development and
8 use of quintimodal transportation hubs in this state;
9 creating s. 331.3052, F.S.; providing powers and
10 duties of spaceport operators; providing construction;
11 amending ss. 330.41, 331.310, and 692.201, F.S.;
12 conforming cross-references; providing an effective
13 date.
14
15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
16
17 Section 1. Subsections (15) through (17) and (18) through
18 (21) of section 331.303, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as
19 subsections (16) through (18) and (20) through (23),
20 respectively, and new subsections (15) and (19) are added to
21 that section to read:
22 331.303 Definitions.—
23
(15)
“Quintimodal transportation hub” means a spaceport
24
territory within which interconnected transportation facilities
25
are available to move people or property by means of road,
26
railroad, airport, seaport, and spaceport facilities.
27
(19)
“Spaceport director or commander” means the individual
28
designated by the governing body, agency, or military authority
29
of a spaceport territory to administer the operations,
30
maintenance, safety, and local agreements of that facility.
31 Section 2. Subsections (16) and (17) of section 331.3051,
32 Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (17) and (18),
33 respectively, and a new subsection (16) is added to that section
34 to read:
35 331.3051 Duties of Space Florida.—Space Florida shall:
36
(16)
In coordination with the Department of Transportation,
37
metropolitan planning organizations, and local governments,
38
enhance and promote the development and use of quintimodal
39
transportation hubs in this state.
40 Section 3. Section 331.3052, Florida Statutes, is created
41 to read:
42
331.3052
Powers and duties of spaceport operators.—
43
(1)
Notwithstanding any other provision of this part,
44
authority over the operational oversight, management, and day
45
to-day administration of each spaceport shall be vested in the
46
spaceport director or commander for that facility.
47
(2)
Space Florida shall be responsible for statewide
48
strategic planning, financing, economic development, and
49
intergovernmental coordination, but may not exercise direct
50
control over local operational decisions unless:
51
(a)
Specifically requested in writing by the spaceport
52
director or commander; or
53
(b)
Required to comply with applicable federal law or
54
regulation.
55
(3)
Each spaceport shall develop and maintain an
56
operational governance plan consistent with Space Florida’s
57
statewide strategic plan. Such plan must be submitted annually
58
to Space Florida, but is not subject to approval by Space
59
Florida.
60
(4)
This section does not diminish Space Florida’s
61
authority to finance, lease, or own spaceport facilities or to
62
coordinate economic development initiatives across multiple
63
spaceport territories.
64 Section 4. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section
65 330.41, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
66 330.41 Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act.—
67 (2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this act, the term:
68 (b) “Critical infrastructure facility” means any of the
69 following, if completely enclosed by a fence or other physical
70 barrier that is obviously designed to exclude intruders, or if
71 clearly marked with a sign or signs which indicate that entry is
72 forbidden and which are posted on the property in a manner
73 reasonably likely to come to the attention of intruders:
74 1. A power generation or transmission facility, substation,
75 switching station, or electrical control center.
76 2. A chemical or rubber manufacturing or storage facility.
77 3. A water intake structure, water treatment facility,
78 wastewater treatment plant, or pump station.
79 4. A mining facility.
80 5. A natural gas or compressed gas compressor station,
81 storage facility, or natural gas or compressed gas pipeline.
82 6. A liquid natural gas or propane gas terminal or storage
83 facility.
84 7. Any portion of an aboveground oil or gas pipeline.
85 8. A refinery.
86 9. A gas processing plant, including a plant used in the
87 processing, treatment, or fractionation of natural gas.
88 10. A wireless or wired communications facility, including
89 the tower, antennas, support structures, and all associated
90 ground-based equipment.
91 11. A seaport as listed in s. 311.09(1), which need not be
92 completely enclosed by a fence or other physical barrier and
93 need not be marked with a sign or signs indicating that entry is
94 forbidden.
95 12. An inland port or other facility or group of facilities
96 serving as a point of intermodal transfer of freight in a
97 specific area physically separated from a seaport.
98 13. An airport as defined in s. 330.27.
99 14. A spaceport territory as defined in
s. 331.303
s.
100
331.303(19)
.
101 15. A military installation as defined in 10 U.S.C. s.
102 2801(c)(4) and an armory as defined in s. 250.01.
103 16. A dam as defined in s. 373.403(1) or other structures,
104 such as locks, floodgates, or dikes, which are designed to
105 maintain or control the level of navigable waterways.
106 17. A state correctional institution as defined in s.
107 944.02 or a contractor-operated correctional facility authorized
108 under chapter 957.
109 18. A secure detention center or facility as defined in s.
110 985.03, or a moderate-risk residential facility, a high-risk
111 residential facility, or a maximum-risk residential facility as
112 those terms are described in s. 985.03(44).
113 19. A county detention facility as defined in s. 951.23.
114 20. A critical infrastructure facility as defined in s.
115 692.201.
116 Section 5. Paragraph (e) of subsection (2) of section
117 331.310, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
118 331.310 Powers and duties of the board of directors.—
119 (2) The board of directors shall:
120 (e) Prepare an annual report of operations as a supplement
121 to the annual report required under
s. 331.3051(18)
s.
122
331.3051(17)
. The report must include, but not be limited to, a
123 balance sheet, an income statement, a statement of changes in
124 financial position, a reconciliation of changes in equity
125 accounts, a summary of significant accounting principles, the
126 auditor’s report, a summary of the status of existing and
127 proposed bonding projects, comments from management about the
128 year’s business, and prospects for the next year.
129 Section 6. Paragraph (i) of subsection (2) of section
130 692.201, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
131 692.201 Definitions.—As used in this part, the term:
132 (2) “Critical infrastructure facility” means any of the
133 following, if it employs measures such as fences, barriers, or
134 guard posts that are designed to exclude unauthorized persons:
135 (i) A spaceport territory as defined in
s. 331.303
s.
136
331.303(19)
.
137 Section 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.