60H-6.007. Capitol Complex

(1) Overview. The Capitol Complex is the state’s legislative center and an architecturally and historically significant facility located in Tallahassee, Florida. The Historic Capitol is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

(2) Reservations of Capitol Complex Space. An Agency may request to reserve the use of Capitol Complex Space by submitting a Capitol Complex Space Use Application to the Department.

(a) Requestor. The request must come from the head of the Agency, or his or her designee. In the case of the Legislature, the head of the Agency is considered to be the Speaker of the House or the President of the Senate, and in the case of the Judiciary, the head of the Agency is considered to be the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Florida.

(b) Approval Criteria. To approve an application, the Department must determine that: (i) the physical characteristics of the requested space are appropriate for the requested use; (ii) the requested space is available on the requested date and time; (iii) the requested use is consistent with the Agency’s official purposes; and (iv) the requested use will not prohibit or limit governmental functions occurring during the date and time requested.

(c) Application Timeline. The Agency must submit the request to the Department as soon as practicable, but no later than ten business days prior to the requested reservation date. The Department will not accept requests that are submitted more than one year prior to the requested date.

(d) Use. If the reservation is granted, the Agency must comply with the requirements of this rule chapter and with the Use of Capitol Complex Guidelines and must vacate the space at the end of the reservation period. The Agency reserving the space may exclude the public from the reserved space for the period the space is reserved.

(3) News Conferences. The following locations at the Capitol Complex may be utilized for news conferences outside of the reservation process provided they are not otherwise reserved pursuant to subsection (2), above: any outdoor areas of the Capitol Complex and the Plaza Level Rotunda (as described in the Use of Capitol Complex Guidelines). Notwithstanding the restrictions in Rule 60H-6.011, F.A.C., manned freestanding displays are permitted in these spaces during such news conferences. Such news conferences in these spaces shall be limited to one hour. Such news conferences in the Plaza Level Rotunda are limited to hours where the building is otherwise open to the public.

(4) Lighting. Lighting the Historic Capitol in various colors to communicate a message of support for a cause or event or to celebrate a holiday or other important date is reserved for government speech only. No person may cause the Historic Capitol to be lit to communicate a message of support for a cause or event or to celebrate a holiday or other important date except that the Governor may direct the Department to light the Historic Capitol Building in various colors to communicate a message of support for a cause or event or to celebrate a holiday or other important date the Governor wishes to support.

(5) Additional Limitations. Because the Capitol Complex is often a destination for children learning about their State government, visual displays, sounds, and other actions that are harmful to minors (as defined in Section 847.001, F.S.) or include gratuitous violence or gore are not permitted in any indoor portion of the Capitol Complex. “Gratuitous violence or gore” means any depiction of severe bodily injury or blood, organs, or other bodily fluids, that is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the community as a whole and, taken as a whole, is without serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.

Rulemaking Authority 255.249(9), 255.503(11) FS. Law Implemented 255.249(1), 255.503(2), 272.03 FS. History–New 8-1-78, Formerly 13D-5.05, 13M-9.007, Amended 1-9-96, 3-2-17, 3-1-23.