Bill creating Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway awaits Florida Senate approval

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Legislation establishing Florida State Road A1A as Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway awaits Florida Senate approval, following the House’s passage of the bill.

Reps. Chuck Clemons, R-Newberry, and Jim Mooney, R-Islamorada sponsored the House legislation, HB 91, while Sen. Lauren Book, D-Davie, filed the Senate’s identical companion, SB 84.

The bill would name the the state road that occasionally runs on and off of U.S. Highway 1, along the beaches of Florida’s Atlantic coast, after the Florida music icon Jimmy Buffett.

The road runs through various parts of Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, Brevard, Volusia, Flagler, St. Johns, Duval, and Nassau Counties..

The House passed its version on Thursday, 119-0. Although it has completed all of its committee stops, the Senate version has not been picked up by the chamber for consideration yet.

“[…] James William Buffet heard the siren song of the sunshine state in the early 1970s and over the course of the last 50 plus years, went from busking the streets in Key West for nickels and dimes, to being the architect of a diverse, big enterprise, all over the globe,” Clemons said while the bill was being read on the floor.

“His success is the American dream,” he said. “His success is a testament to what can be built with just a six string, an idea and talent that lends itself to a catchy song.”

Mooney said that it was an “honor” to be Buffett’s representative in the legislature and that that the bill memorializing the singer was dear to his heart.

Buffett passed away Sept. 1, 2023 at age 76.