Florida SB 1656: School Breakfast Programs

Bill Text

1656 
Designation of the Official State Flagship 
2026-01-09T09:16:53Z 
Redesignating the official state flagship as the S.S. American Victory, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1656 

 By Senator Burgess 

 23-01102-26 20261656__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to the designation of the official 
 3 state flagship; amending s. 15.0465, F.S.; 
 4 redesignating the official state flagship as the S.S. 
 5 American Victory; providing an effective date. 
 6 
 7 WHEREAS, built in 1944, the S.S. American Victory is one of 
 8 only four operational World War II merchant vessels left in the 
 9 United States and served in World War II, the Korean War, and 
 10 the Vietnam War, and 
 11 WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory is an interactive 
 12 maritime museum located in Tampa, and 
 13 WHEREAS, the United States’ entry into World War II 
 14 transformed American history and directly affected more than 
 15 250,000 Floridians who served on active duty, and 
 16 WHEREAS, of these brave Floridians, more than 3,500 gave 
 17 their lives in defense of the United States during World War II, 
 18 and 
 19 WHEREAS, Florida is the ideal location for the S.S. 
 20 American Victory, as the tourism industry caters to nationwide 
 21 visitors who can experience firsthand what it was like to serve 
 22 on board the ship, and 
 23 WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory is a 455-foot steamship 
 24 that was launched on May 24, 1945, during the largest ship 
 25 building effort in United States history, and 
 26 WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory set sail from the United 
 27 States into the treacherous waters of the Pacific Ocean awaiting 
 28 orders for the invasion of Japan, and 
 29 WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory assisted the war effort 
 30 during the final days of World War II by transporting military 
 31 equipment, troops, ammunition, and supplies for the Allied 
 32 Forces, and 
 33 WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory sailed around the world 
 34 delivering provisions, industrial materials, machinery, and raw 
 35 materials after the war under the auspices of the Marshall Plan 
 36 to countries devastated by the destruction of World War II, and 
 37 WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory transported cargo, fuel, 
 38 and ammunition during the Korean War, and 
 39 WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory repatriated 260 
 40 casualties, including three fallen Floridians, Army Private P.C. 
 41 White, Marine Second Lieutenant Robert C. Craig, and Marine 
 42 Private First Class Joseph T. Jacobs, to the United States 
 43 during the Korean War, and 
 44 WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory was reactivated to 
 45 service in 1966 to support the Vietnam War and conducted 12 
 46 voyages supporting the war effort by transporting military 
 47 equipment, troops, ammunition, and supplies, and 
 48 WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory sailed from the James 
 49 River Reserve Fleet on March 13, 1985, to participate in the 
 50 United States’ Victory Ship Validation Program, a program 
 51 designed to gauge the time and expense necessary to reactivate 
 52 victory-class ships, which enabled the S.S. American Victory to 
 53 be brought back to full operational status and to perform sea 
 54 trials after restoration, and 
 55 WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory was then transferred by 
 56 an act of Congress from the Maritime Administration to The 
 57 Victory Ship, Inc., in her home port of Tampa, and 
 58 WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory has been a landmark 
 59 destination for the past 25 years within Tampa and was 
 60 recognized as a National Historic Place in 2002, and 
 61 WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory acts as a preeminent 
 62 location for military retirement or promotion ceremonies, 
 63 marriage ceremonies, and many other types of celebrations, and 
 64 WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory actively supports 
 65 military charities and foundations such as America’s Gold Star 
 66 Families, Warrior Ethos, Florida 4 Warriors, The Mission 
 67 Continues, the Navy SEAL Foundation, and the Green Beret 
 68 Foundation, and 
 69 WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory continually supports 
 70 community organizations and foundations such as Visit Tampa Bay, 
 71 Leadership Florida, Leadership Tampa Bay, Leadership Tampa, the 
 72 Maritime Alliance, Propeller Club – Port of Tampa, and Friends 
 73 of the Tampa Riverwalk, and 
 74 WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory has acted as a primary 
 75 platform for thousands of training hours for a wide range of 
 76 organizations over her 25 years in Tampa, and 
 77 WHEREAS, the S.S. American Victory has hosted all branches 
 78 of the Department of Defense as well as Special Operations 
 79 Command and Central Command; Department of Justice agencies such 
 80 as the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, 
 81 Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement 
 82 Administration; Department of Ho