Example Of "How Unified Collaboration Can Expedite The
Process"
Swift efforts by state leadership
and the aerospace industry resulted in the FAA's Office of
Commercial Space Transportation acknowledgment of the State of
Florida as a nation's leader in developing robust legislative and
space transportation incentives that foster commercial space
industry growth.
Space Florida tells ANN the FAA report was released last week,
just as pre-session hearings and space-related bills are being
drafted for the upcoming legislative session, beginning March 4,
2009.
During the 2008 Space Day in Tallahassee, Florida's aerospace
community advocated for legislative action to create Informed
Consent legislation. More than 80 companies and organizations
participated in the largest ever unified community effort showing
paramount support for the industry.
As a result, Governor Charlie Crist, Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottcamp,
former state Senator and current Congressman Bill Posey, and the
Florida legislature set the bar for rapid response by passing key
legislation, the new Informed Consent Bill, allowing the State's
aerospace recruiting arm, Space Florida, to provide incentives that
only two states offer -- Florida and Virginia.
"According to the FAA State Support for Commercial Space
Activities, these aggressive actions took other states and much of
the industry by surprise, given the speed in which it was
accomplished," said Steve Kohler, president of Space Florida. "This
is a perfect example of how unified collaboration can expedite the
process, and speaks to the value the leadership of Florida places
on sustaining and growing the commercial launch industry in our
State. It also showcases the unified efforts of the space
community, partner organizations, and others to advocate its
importance."
The outcome in terms of regulatory incentives was the 2008
Spaceflight Informed Consent legislation, allowing spaceflight
entities to be exempt from liability for injury or death of a
spaceflight participant. A similar Virginia bill passed three years
ago contained a five-year sunset clause; the Florida bill passed in
2008 has a 10-year sunset provision.
"It is Space Florida's mission to develop the next generation of
commercial space business, providing the incentives necessary to
bring that business to Florida, maintaining the United States'
preeminent role in the space industry," said Kohler.