American Flood Coalition Applauds Passage of Florida’s Statewide Flooding and Sea Level Rise Resilience Bill
WASHINGTON, DC — March 9, 2022 — The American Flood Coalition today applauds the Florida State Legislature for passing the Statewide Flooding and Sea Level Rise Resilience bill (HB 7053/SB 1940), which permanently establishes a statewide resilience office and creates the official position of Chief Resilience Officer under the Executive Office of the Governor.
“With the passage of the Statewide Flooding and Sea Level Rise Resilience bill, the State of Florida continues to elevate the critical issue of flood adaptation. Building on last year’s historic Always Ready law, this package formalizes a statewide resilience office and reflects Florida’s commitment to protecting people and communities from higher seas and more frequent flooding,” said Melissa Roberts, Executive Director of the American Flood Coalition.
AFC also applauds the new changes to the Department of Transportation, which will develop a resilience action plan, and the Department of Environmental Protection, which will now fund small local governments to get projects construction ready.
“Flooding affects communities of all sizes. With grants available for pre-construction, smaller communities on the frontlines of flooding will have resources to scope and plan resilience projects, with an eye toward the future,” said AFC Florida Director Kate Wesner.
The bill will further establish Florida as a leader in statewide resilience and adaptation. Last May, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Florida’s Always Ready law, which established a statewide resilience plan. Recently, the state dedicated hundreds of millions of dollars to addressing resilience through its budget.
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About the American Flood Coalition
The American Flood Coalition is a nonpartisan group that brings together cities, elected officials, military leaders, businesses, and civic groups to drive adaptation to higher seas, stronger storms, and more frequent flooding. The Coalition advances solutions that support flood-affected communities and protect our nation’s residents, economy, and military installations. AFC has over 280 members across 21 states, as well as 26 Federal Champions. For more on the organization’s work or how to become a member, visit floodcoalition.org.
The American Flood Coalition is an IRS Section 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The American Flood Coalition is not a Congressional Membership Organization and nothing on this website shall be read to imply official sponsorship by either the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate or any of their respective Members. Federal Champion is an honorary title awarded by the American Flood Coalition to recognize Members of Congress who have come together to drive adaptation to the reality of higher seas, stronger storms, and more frequent flooding.
