Senate Panel Removes Overlapping Seaport Security Measures

The Senate Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations voted unanimously Wednesday to pass a bill removing several seaport security measures passed by the state in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Federal seaport security laws passed after those provisions were enacted created unnecessary regulations.

Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, is sponsoring the bill, which removes statewide minimum security standards and bars ports from charging fees for access cards or background checks besides those needed to comply with federal access security measures.

"We actually passed the state security program before there was a federal program. So we didn't deliberately create duplication," Latvala said.