Florida Statutes § 186.007 — State comprehensive plan; preparation; revision.

186.007 State comprehensive plan; preparation; revision.—(1) The Executive Office of the Governor shall prepare a proposed state comprehensive plan which provides long-range guidance for the orderly social, economic, and physical growth of the state. The plan shall be composed of goals, objectives, and policies that are briefly stated in plain, easily understandable words and that give specific policy direction to state and regional agencies. The goals, objectives, and policies shall be statewide in scope and shall be consistent and compatible with each other. The state comprehensive plan shall not include a land use map. (2) In preparing the goals, objectives, and policies of the state comprehensive plan, the Executive Office of the Governor shall analyze the problems, opportunities, and needs associated with growth and development in this state, particularly those problems, opportunities, and needs related to land use, water resources, and transportation system development. The Executive Office of the Governor shall document present conditions and trends, forecast future conditions and trends based on expected growth patterns, and identify needs. Such conditions, trends, and needs shall be used to prepare goals, objectives, and policies designed to preserve and enhance the quality of life of the citizens of this state. (3) In the state comprehensive plan, the Executive Office of the Governor may include goals, objectives, and policies related to the following program areas: economic opportunities; agriculture; employment; public safety; education; health concerns; social welfare concerns; housing and community development; natural resources and environmental management; energy; global climate change; recreational and cultural opportunities; historic preservation; transportation; and governmental direction and support services. (4)(a) The Executive Office of the Governor shall prepare statewide goals, objectives, and policies related to the opportunities, problems, and needs associated with growth and development in this state, which goals, objectives, and policies shall constitute the growth management portion of the state comprehensive plan. In preparing the growth management goals, objectives, and policies, the Executive Office of the Governor initially shall emphasize the management of land use, water resources, and transportation system development. (b) The purpose of the growth management portion of the state comprehensive plan is to establish clear, concise, and direct goals, objectives, and policies related to land development, water resources, transportation, and related topics. In doing so, the plan should, where possible, draw upon the work that agencies have invested in the Florida Transportation Plan, the Florida water plan, and similar planning documents. (5)(a) The Executive Office of the Governor shall prepare a separate portion of the state comprehensive plan related to the long-term infrastructure and capital outlay needs of the state. This portion shall be prepared based upon a comprehensive assessment of needs conducted by the Executive Office of the Governor, and it shall be updated annually as part of the budgeting process prescribed by chapter 216. The assessment shall provide estimates by area of the future infrastructure needs of the state that result from expected growth patterns and shall include recommendations for directing state expenditures to particular areas of the state in order to implement the growth management goals, objectives, and policies of the state comprehensive plan. (b) All capital outlay recommendations submitted to the Legislature in the Governor’s budget request must be consistent with the goals, objectives, and policies of the state comprehensive plan and the long-term infrastructure and capital outlay portion when adopted. (6) The adopted state comprehensive plan shall provide, in addition to other criteria established by law, standards and criteria for the review and approval of state agency strategic plans and strategic regional policy plans. (7) In preparing and revising the state comprehensive plan, the Executive Office of the Governor shall, to the extent feasible, consider studies, reports, and plans of each department, agency, and institution of state and local government, each regional planning agency, and the Federal Government and shall take into account the existing and prospective resources, capabilities, and needs of state and local levels of government. (8) The revision of the state comprehensive plan is a continuing process. Each section of the plan shall be reviewed and analyzed biennially by the Executive Office of the Governor in conjunction with the planning officers of other state agencies significantly affected by the provisions of the particular section under review. In conducting this review and analysis, the Executive Office of the Governor shall review and consider, with the assistance of the state land planning agency and regional planning councils, the evaluation and appraisal reports prepared pursuant to s. 186.511. Any necessary revisions of the state comprehensive plan shall be proposed by the Governor in a written report and be accompanied by an explanation of the need for such changes. If the Governor determines that changes are unnecessary, the written report must explain why changes are unnecessary. The proposed revisions and accompanying explanations may be submitted in the report required by s. 186.031. Any proposed revisions to the plan shall be submitted to the Legislature as provided in s. 186.008(2) at least 30 days prior to the regular legislative session occurring in each even-numbered year.