The proposed bill, titled the Historic Florida Monuments and Memorials Protection Act, aims to safeguard historic monuments and memorials in Florida from removal, damage, or destruction by local governments. It establishes a new section in the Florida Statutes, defining key terms and outlining the legislative intent to preempt any local ordinances or regulations that contradict this protection. The bill declares that any such local actions are void and imposes liability on local governments and officials who violate this preemption. It also mandates that courts declare invalid any local regulations that infringe upon this law and provides for civil penalties against officials who knowingly violate it.

Additionally, the bill outlines the responsibilities of local governments in cases where a historic monument or memorial is removed or damaged, requiring them to restore or relocate the monument within three years. If they fail to do so, the state will step in to handle the restoration, withholding certain funding from the local government until reimbursement is made. The bill allows for temporary removal of monuments under specific circumstances, such as military necessity or construction projects, but requires that they be relocated to a site of similar prominence. The Department of State is tasked with overseeing these actions and may adopt rules to implement the provisions of the act.