FL S1496

Authorizes the Department of State to partner with Orange, St. Johns, and Miami-Dade Counties to design, construct, and operate three Florida Museums of History, with each museum to be owned and managed by locally designated entities

Creates a Florida Museum of History Advisory Committee within the Department of State, with members appointed by the Governor, Senate President, House Speaker, Secretary of State, and Florida Legislative Black Caucus to guide museum planning and design

Requires the Legislature to provide at least $1 million to each of the three counties for financial feasibility studies evaluating visitation potential, infrastructure readiness, and capacity to match 50% of state funding from local sources

Caps state appropriations for construction at $75 million total, with each location eligible for up to one-third ($25 million), contingent on local entities matching at least 50% through public, philanthropic, or private sources

Mandates each museum include at least 10,000 square feet of exhibition space, with 33% dedicated to Florida history topics including tourism, military, agriculture, and space exploration, plus exhibition halls covering Black history, Hispanic history, the Civil Rights Movement, and HBCUs