TO: Members of the Press

FROM: Bryan Griffin, Director of Communications, Governor Ron DeSantis

DATE: Thursday, October 3, 2024

RE: Executive Orders 24-212 & 24-213 and DBPR Order 2024-9

Today, Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order (EO) 24-212 and Executive Order (EO) 24-213. Governor DeSantis also directed the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) to issue Order 2024-09. Executive Order 24-213 issues directives to the Florida National Guard, Florida State Guard, Department of Transportation, and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to take certain actions to mitigate potential disruptions caused by ongoing port strikes to the supply chain and those recovering from Hurricane Helene. Executive Order 24-212 pertains to actions to ensure election activities are not disrupted by Hurricane Helene. DBPR Order 2024-9 pertains to alleviating rental length restrictions for individuals seeking shelter who lost their homes due to Hurricane Helene.

To read Executive Order 24-212, click here.

To read Executive Order 24-213, click here.

To read DBPR Order 2024-09, click here.

STATE OF FLORIDA
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 24-213
(Emergency Management -Amending Executive Order 24-208 -Hurricane Helene)

WHEREAS, on September 23, 2024, I issued Executive Order 24-208, declaring a state of emergency for forty-one counties across the State of Florida due to the dangers presented by Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine; and

WHEREAS, on September 24, 2024, I issued Executive Order 24-209, extending the state of emergency to sixty-one counties across the State of Florida due to the dangers presented by Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine; and

WHEREAS, on October 1, 2024, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) rejected an offer from the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) on a Master Contract, leading to an organized strike (ILA Strike) at all seaports along the East and Gulf Coasts of the United States where its members are employed; and

WHEREAS, the ILA Strike is shutting down portions of the largest four of Florida’s sixteen seaports – JAXPORT, Port Tampa Bay, Port Everglades, and PortMiami – at a time when the State of Florida is working to recover from the impacts of Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 hurricane; and

 WHEREAS, the shutdown at our ports will disrupt supply chains and delay the delivery of critical commodities and materials, including lumber, steel, construction materials, vehicle parts, electronics, machinery, perishable food products, apparel, home goods, and medical equipment; and

 WHEREAS, such delays will also cause inventory shortages, thereby forcing shippers and businesses to seek alternative supply routes, including routes outside of the State of Florida; and

WHEREAS, commodity shortages and higher consumer prices will uniquely and acutely harm the people of Florida, many of whom will need commodities, materials, and consumer goods to recover and rebuild from the impacts of Hurricane Helene; and

WHEREAS, the economic impacts will be felt across Florida’s sixteen deepwater seaports, which produce 900,000 direct and indirect jobs, annually provide more than $117 billion in economic value, and handled over 114.2 million tons of cargo in 2023; and

WHEREAS, an amendment to Executive Order 24-208, as amended by Executive Order 24-209, is necessary because these disruptions have the potential to hinder efforts to recover from the impacts of Hurricane Helene; and

WHEREAS, as Governor of Florida, I am responsible to meet the dangers presented to the State of Florida and its people by this emergency.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, RON DESANTIS, Governor of Florida, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Article IV, section 1, subsections (a) and (d) of the Florida Constitution, as well as chapter 252 and sections 250.06(4) and (5) of the Florida Statutes, as amended, promulgate the following Executive Order, to take immediate effect:

Section 1. Section 1 of Executive Order 24-208, as amended by Executive Order 24-209, is amended to read as follows:

Because of the foregoing conditions, which are projected to constitute a major disaster, I declare that a state of emergency exists in Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington counties.  I further declare a state of emergency in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties for the limited purpose of responding to any disruptions caused by the ILA Strike referenced in Executive Order 24-213.

Section 2.  Subsection 2.E. of Executive Order 24-208, as amended by Executive Order 24-209, is amended to read as follows:

E. Designate Deputy State Coordinating Officers and Deputy State Disaster Coordinators, as necessary.  In addition, I hereby direct the State Coordinating Officer to designate the Secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation as the Deputy State Coordinating Officer for the limited purpose of responding to any disruptions caused by the ILA Strike referenced in Executive Order 24-213.

Section 3. Section 3 of Executive Order 24-208, as amended by Executive Order 24-209, is amended to read as follows:

Section 3. I order the Adjutant General to activate the Florida National Guard, as needed, to deal with this emergency and to respond to any disruptions caused by the ILA Strike referenced in Executive Order 24-213.  I further order the Director of the State Guard to activate the Florida State Guard, as needed, to respond to this emergency and to any disruptions caused by the ILA Strike referenced in Executive Order 24-213.

Section 4. Subsections 4.M., 4.N., and 4.O. of Executive Order, 24-208, as amended by Executive Order 24-209, are added to read as follows:

M. For purposes of responding to any disruptions caused by the ILA Strike referenced in Executive Order 24-213, I direct the Secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation (DOT) to take the following actions:

1) Waive the collection of tolls and other fees and charges provided in section 338.155, Florida Statutes, for commercial motor vehicles using the Florida Turnpike, toll facilities, and other public highways, to the extent needed, to expedite the movement of goods impacted by the ILA Strike from seaports to intermodal logistics centers, distribution centers, and delivery points; and

2) Waive the size and weight restrictions provided in sections 316.515(1)-(3), 316.535(1) and (3), 316.545(2) and (4), and 316.550(1), Florida Statutes, for divisible loads on any vehicles transporting all goods from seaports in the State of Florida and establish alternate size and weight restrictions for all such vehicles for the duration of the emergency.  DOT shall issue permits for these vehicles and may impose special conditions on those permits; and

3) Upon request and in coordination with the Florida Highway Patrol, manage the flow of traffic from all seaports in the State of Florida and adjacent roads and highways, as needed, to expedite the continued flow of goods not impacted by the ILA Strike from impacted seaports to intermodal logistics centers, distribution centers, railways, delivery points, and airports; and

4) Consistent with Florida law, convene a seaport operations task force with all seaports in the State of Florida and other maritime stakeholders to study the potential economic or operational impacts of labor disruptions at seaports in the State of Florida and to consider all logistical and operational options for mitigating such impacts.  The task force shall issue a report no later than July 1, 2025, providing recommendations to mitigate future labor disruptions at seaports in the State of Florida.

N. For purposes of responding to any disruptions caused by the ILA Strike referenced in Executive Order 24-213, I direct the Executive Director of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) to take the following actions:

1) Upon request, provide dedicated law enforcement escorts from the Florida Highway Patrol for commercial motor vehicles to ensure the continuous and expedited movement of goods, fuel, container shipments, and cargo; and

2) Suspend the registration requirements in sections 316.545(4)(a) and 320.0715, Florida Statutes, for commercial motor vehicles operating in or entering the State of Florida to transport goods affected by the ILA Strike; and

3) Waive the hours-of-service requirements for commercial motor vehicles operating in or entering the State of Florida to transport goods affected by the ILA Strike; and

4) Suspend the licensing and registration requirements agreed to in the International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA), codified pursuant to chapter 207, Florida Statutes, and the International Registration Plan (IRP), codified pursuant to section 320.0715, Florida Statutes, for motor carriers or drivers operating commercial motor vehicles that are properly registered in other jurisdictions and that are transporting people, supplies, equipment, or providing other assistance to ease supply chain disruptions caused by the ILA Strike.

O. For purposes of responding to any disruptions caused by the ILA Strike referenced in Executive Order 24-213, the Secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Secretary of the Florida Department of Commerce (COM) may withhold approval of any project recommended or submitted to the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council for any seaport not acting in good faith with the provisions of this Executive Order, provided that such withholding is consistent with law.

Section 5. Except as amended herein, Executive Order 24-208, as amended by Executive Order 24-209, is ratified and reaffirmed.

Section 6. This Executive Order is effective immediately and shall expire upon the expiration of Executive Order 24-208.