TALLAHASSEE -- - The House Economic Development Policy Committee unanimously passed State Rep. Dorothy L. Hukill’s bill Wednesday to help keep Florida at the forefront of cutting edge space technology, her staff announced.
House Bill 69 creates a multiuniversity institute that would provide research and development of new space technologies. The institute will partner with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), NASA, and other Federal agencies in pioneering new space transportation technology and will work closely with academic institutions throughout the state to provide ground-breaking research. As NASA prepares to transition to the next generation of space flight vehicles, House Bill 69 will better position Florida to remain the world leader in new space research and technology.
“This legislation not only provides for state-of-the-art space research, it creates and saves jobs,” said Hukill, R-Port Oange, whose district includes Southeast Volusia. “We have the brightest people in the country working right here in our own backyard. Florida can’t afford to lose these high-tech jobs.”
The importance of today’s vote will be highlighted later tonight, as Space Shuttle Discovery prepares to launch possibly Sunday, leaving only eight scheduled missions before NASA shuts down the shuttle program.
The bill has been cosponsored by 27 other House Members. The Senate sponsor is Sen. Evelyn Lynn, R-Ormond Beach.