---
type: "Bill"
title: "Coral Reefs"
description: "Coral Reefs"
jurisdiction: "us/states/fl"
legislature: "Florida Legislature"
session: "2018"
identifier: "HB 53"
citation: "Florida HB 53 (2018)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["reefs"]
status: "enacted"
chapter_law: "2018-30"
primary_sponsors: ["Jacobs"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 31
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2017-08-18"
last_action: "2018-03-21"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/a42be4dc-93f7-4880-a41c-e4519c42e6b7"
source_url: "http://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2018/00053/ByCategory"
source_hash: "364d41f13aea7cb2da2c2f127379e9976701af4ed18f02ab9dc71e507ef49e8c"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-fl"]
---

# Florida HB 53 (2018) — Coral Reefs

**Enacted** — Laws of Florida, Chapter 2018-30.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **H 53 Filed** (filed) — [source](http://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2018/53/BillText/Filed/PDF)
2. **H 53 er** (enrolled) — [source](http://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2018/53/BillText/er/PDF)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **107–0** (pass) · lower
- Favorable (Government Accountability Committee) — **21–0** (pass) · lower
- Favorable (Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee) — **11–0** (pass) · lower
- Favorable (Natural Resources & Public Lands Subcommittee) — **12–0** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **35–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Jacobs — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2017-08-18** Filed `filing`
- **2017-08-30** Referred to Natural Resources and Public Lands Subcommittee; Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee; Government Accountability Committee `referral-committee`
- **2017-10-05** On Committee agenda-- Natural Resources and Public Lands Subcommittee, 10/12/17, 8:00 am, 12 HOB
- **2017-10-12** Favorable by Natural Resources and Public Lands Subcommittee; YEAS 12 NAYS 0 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-10-12** Now in Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee
- **2017-11-08** On Committee agenda-- Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee, 11/15/17, 8:00 am, Morris Hall
- **2017-11-15** Favorable by Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee; YEAS 11 NAYS 0 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-11-15** Now in Government Accountability Committee
- **2018-01-09** Introduced `introduction`
- **2018-01-09** On Committee agenda-- Government Accountability Committee, 01/11/18, 10:30 am, Morris Hall
- **2018-01-11** Favorable by- Government Accountability Committee; YEAS 21 NAYS 0 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2018-01-11** Placed on Calendar
- **2018-01-18** Placed on Special Order Calendar, 01/24/18
- **2018-01-24** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2018-01-24** Placed on 3rd reading
- **2018-01-25** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2018-01-25** Passed; YEAS 107 NAYS 0
- **2018-01-31** In Messages
- **2018-01-31** Referred to Environmental Preservation and Conservation; Appropriations Subcommittee on the Environment and Natural Resources; Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2018-01-31** Received
- **2018-02-01** Withdrawn from Environmental Preservation and Conservation; Appropriations Subcommittee on the Environment and Natural Resources; Appropriations `withdrawal`
- **2018-02-01** Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
- **2018-02-01** Substituted for SB 232
- **2018-02-01** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2018-02-01** Placed on 3rd reading
- **2018-02-07** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2018-02-07** Passed; YEAS 35 NAYS 0
- **2018-02-08** Ordered enrolled
- **2018-03-09** Signed by Officers and presented to Governor
- **2018-03-19** Approved by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2018-03-21** Chapter No. 2018-30

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/a42be4dc-93f7-4880-a41c-e4519c42e6b7`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Florida legislature records).