Seaport Security Legislation Introduced in the Florida Senate: The end of FUPAC or more double standards?
- By Martha HarbinPledging to work to address Florida's duplicative port security requirements, the Florida Senate Committee on Military Affairs and Domestic Security voted Tuesday to introduce legislation opposed by the maritime industry in its current form.
Proposed Committee Bill 7054 attempts to bring Florida's port security laws more in line with federal laws governing issuance of Transportation Worker Identity Certification (TWIC) cards, yet retains requirements for seaports to conduct Florida criminal background checks on port workers.
Senators on the committee unanimously condemned Florida's requirement as an example of excessive governmental regulation impeding economic activity, but noted that if the proposed committee bill was not introduced, there would be no legislative vehicle available to address the maritime industry's concerns.
Representatives of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement defended the current law and the draft legislation emphasizing that the proposal removes the requirement for a separate Florida identification card yet admitting that it continues to require a separate Florida criminal background check.
The Florida Maritime Leadership Coalition emphasized to the committee that focusing on whether or not a separate card is required is a red herring and that the real issue is the additional costs associated with obtaining the Florida criminal background check, an expensive requirement that is not imposed at seaports in other states and places Florida's ports at a competitive disadvantage to ports in other states.
The FMLC also presented the committee with a letter outlining the maritime industry's concerns with the draft bill signed by the coalition's board of directors: Chairman Stan Payne, director of Port Canaveral; Coalition Director Bruce Brecheisen, executive vice president of Seaboard Marine; and Coalition Director Darryl Payne, President of the International Longshoremen's Association, Chapter 1526. (A copy of the letter is available in the News & Notes section of this website.)
The committee will debate this legislation again at its next meeting in two weeks. FMLC will work to keep the maritime industry informed as this legislation works its way through the process, and encourages those businesses and individuals impacted by the FUPAC requirements to contact members of the committee and, if at all possible, travel to Tallahassee to attend this hearing.
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