Florida SB 1496: Contraband Forfeiture

Bill Text

1496 
Florida Museum of History 
2026-01-08T10:13:25Z 
Requiring that each Florida Museum of History be owned, managed, and operated by a certain entity; creating the Florida Museum of History Advisory Committee within the Department of State for a certain purpose; requiring specified county commissions and local entities to create Florida Museum of History Boards; requiring the Legislature to provide specified funds to certain entities to conduct financial feasibility studies, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1496 

 By Senator Davis 

 5-01384B-26 20261496__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to the Florida Museum of History; 
 3 authorizing the Department of State to partner with 
 4 certain county commissions and local entities for a 
 5 specified purpose; requiring that each Florida Museum 
 6 of History be owned, managed, and operated by a 
 7 certain entity; creating the Florida Museum of History 
 8 Advisory Committee within the Department of State for 
 9 a certain purpose; requiring the committee to operate 
 10 in a manner consistent with certain provisions; 
 11 providing membership and duties of the committee; 
 12 requiring local entities to perform specified duties; 
 13 requiring specified county commissions and local 
 14 entities to create Florida Museum of History Boards; 
 15 providing for membership and duties of the boards; 
 16 requiring certain entities to develop and execute a 
 17 marketing plan to promote each Florida Museum of 
 18 History; authorizing designated local entities to 
 19 collaborate with certain local organizations and 
 20 bureaus; requiring the Legislature to provide 
 21 specified funds to certain entities to conduct 
 22 financial feasibility studies; providing requirements 
 23 for such studies; requiring that construction of each 
 24 museum be funded by specified appropriations; 
 25 providing requirements for the structures and 
 26 exhibitions of each Florida Museum of History; 
 27 providing an effective date. 
 28 
 29 WHEREAS, in 2023, the Legislature established the Florida 
 30 Museum of Black History Task Force to identify, evaluate, and 
 31 recommend potential locations for a leading world-class museum 
 32 dedicated to preserving, interpreting, and celebrating the 
 33 history, culture, and contributions of Black Floridians and 
 34 Black Americans, and 
 35 WHEREAS, the task force received applications from multiple 
 36 jurisdictions and, in April 2024, adopted previously developed 
 37 rankings that narrowed the field from 13 potential sites to 3: 
 38 Eatonville in Orange County, St. Augustine in St. Johns County, 
 39 and Opa-locka in Miami-Dade County, and 
 40 WHEREAS, due to limited resources, incomplete data, and a 
 41 narrowing legislative deadline, the task force reaffirmed these 
 42 rankings without conducting new feasibility, financial, or 
 43 comparative analyses of the three potential sites, and 
 44 WHEREAS, the task force voted on May 21, 2024, to recommend 
 45 St. Augustine in St. Johns County as the site for the future 
 46 Florida Museum of Black History, and 
 47 WHEREAS, on June 30, 2024, the Division of Historical 
 48 Resources, with input from the task force, issued a report 
 49 describing the recommendation as a preliminary roadmap and 
 50 requesting additional legislative funding to support feasibility 
 51 and economic impact studies for each of the three top-ranked 
 52 locations, and 
 53 WHEREAS, the Legislature recognizes that the task force 
 54 found no location with a clearly superior feasibility or 
 55 sustainability profile, underscoring the need for a 
 56 comprehensive, data-driven study before a final designation, and 
 57 WHEREAS, it is the intent of the Legislature that 
 58 comprehensive feasibility and economic impact studies be 
 59 completed and reviewed for the three top-ranked locations, in 
 60 Orange County, St. Augustine in St. Johns County, and Opa-locka 
 61 in Miami-Dade County, before any final site designation, 
 62 construction authorization, or allocation of state funds, and 
 63 WHEREAS, these studies must evaluate visitation potential, 
 64 infrastructure readiness, financial sustainability, and the 
 65 demonstrated capacity of each locality to provide at least a 50 
 66 percent local funding match through public, philanthropic, or 
 67 private sources, and 
 68 WHEREAS, a world-class museum is characterized by its 
 69 extraordinary collection of historical items and a thoughtfully 
 70 curated visitor experience, and 
 71 WHEREAS, these institutions serve as vital repositories of 
 72 our shared heritage, actively shaping our understanding of the 
 73 past, present, and future, and 
 74 WHEREAS, a world-class museum is not defined by a big 
 75 building or a famous name, but is an unparalleled combination of 
 76 an extraordinary and meticulously preserved collection and an 
 77 unforgettable