Port Legislation Passes in Florida House and Senate

From The Maritime Executive dated May 4, 2011

A bill that would put a stop to requiring port workers, including truck drivers, to have state security clearance finally passed through the Senate on Monday, after its House counterpart already passed that would help ease the flow of Florida transportation. Currently, the legislation waits to be approved by Governor Rick Scott, though it is thought to be signed by Scott without a hitch, as he had previously stated he will sign the bill. If Scott approves as planned, logistics companies have projected that it will save around $200 per employee by joining the rest of the country in only requiring federal security clearance to the port workers and truck drivers. The legislation would require Florida to create a Florida Department of Transportation Secretary with economic development. Also, it would require port projects to be approved in less than 60 days, as opposed to the current timeframe that can leave approval lingering for more than 2 years.

The proposed bill would create a statewide transportation plan that addresses road, port and rail needs.

This legislation is great for those of us that have to obtain yearly port passes at unreasonable cost, when we already have our TWIC cards.

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