2024 Legislative Session Final Report

2024 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

DEAR CITY OFFICIAL:

We are pleased to provide you with the Florida League of Cities’ 2024 Legislative Session Final Report. The report summarizes key legislation that the League tracked during this year’s session. It is important to note that the report includes only a partial list of the 1,902 bills that were filed during the session. Out of these bills, only 325 bills were passed by both chambers and presented to the Governor.

It is expected that many of the issues that did not pass this year will be debated during next year’s session. Thus, it is crucial for you to stay engaged in legislative advocacy yearround – especially during an election year. We encourage you to continue holding meetings with members of your local legislative delegation. This continual communication is essential for the League’s overall lobbying efforts, and it lays the foundation for our success as we prepare for the 2025 Legislative Session. Legislative committees will begin meeting this fall, and the 60-day session will convene on March 4, 2025.

If you have any questions or require additional information on these bills or any other bills, please don’t hesitate to contact the League’s Legislative Affairs team at 850.222.9684.

Thank you for your continuous support of the Florida League of Cities and our mission of local voices making local choices.

Respectfully,

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT

Greg Ross, Mayor, Cooper City

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT

Michael Blake, Mayor, Cocoa

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT

Holly D. Smith, Councilmember, Sanibel

DISTRICT DIRECTORS

(1) Mark Franks, Mayor, Shalimar

(1) J.B. Whitten, Mayor, Crestview

(2) Jake Hill, Vice Mayor, Lake City

(2) Thomas DeVille, Mayor, Penney Farms

(3) Don Burnette, Mayor, Port Orange

(3) Bill Partington, Mayor, Ormond Beach

(4) Mindy Gibson, Vice Mayor, Satellite Beach

(4) Sarah Stoeckel, Councilmember, Titusville

(5) Louie Davis, Mayor, Waldo

(5) Cal Rolfson, Councilmember, Mount Dora

(6) Nathan Blackwell, Mayor, St. Cloud

(6) Joseph McMullen, Commissioner, Oakland

(6) Rosemary Wilsen, Commissioner, Ocoee

(7) Sam Fite, Vice Mayor, Bowling Green

(7) Dorothea Taylor Bogert, Mayor, Auburndale

(8) Tyler Payne, Mayor, Treasure Island

(8) Trish Springer, Councilor, Seminole

(9) Ed Dodd, Mayor, Sebastian

(10) Brian Williams, Commissioner, Palmetto

(11) Joanne Ribble, Vice Mayor, Estero

(12) Kimberly Glas-Castro, Vice Mayor, Lake Park

(12) Lawrence Gordon, Vice Mayor, Haverhill

(12) Chelsea Reed, Mayor, Palm Beach Gardens

(13) Felicia Brunson, Mayor, West Park

(13) Traci L. Callari, Commissioner, Hollywood

(13) Joy Carter, Commissioner, Coral Springs

(13) Todd Drosky, Commissioner, Deerfield Beach

(13) Bob Mayersohn, Commissioner, Parkland

(13) Susan Starkey, Vice Mayor, Davie

(14) Joseph Corradino, Mayor, Pinecrest

(14) Karyn Cunningham, Mayor, Palmetto Bay

(14) Rodney Harris, Mayor, Miami Gardens

10 MOST POPULOUS CITIES

Vacancy, Jacksonville

Damian Pardo, Commissioner, Miami

Luis Viera, Councilman, Tampa

Robert Stuart, Commissioner, Orlando

Copley Gerdes, Council Member, St. Petersburg

Vacancy, Hialeah

Stephanie Morgan, Councilwoman, Port St. Lucie

Dianne Williams-Cox, Commissioner, Tallahassee

John Gunter, Mayor, Cape Coral

Dean Trantalis, Mayor, Fort Lauderdale

PAST PRESIDENTS

Scott Black, Commissioner, Dade City

Joy Cooper, Mayor, Hallandale Beach

Patricia Bates, Mayor, Altamonte Springs

Leo E. Longworth, Mayor, Bartow

Isaac Salver, Council Member, Bay Harbor Islands

Antonio “Tony” Ortiz, Commissioner, Orlando

Jolien Caraballo, Vice Mayor, Port St. Lucie

FCCMA EX-OFFICIO MEMBER

Michael Pleus, City Manager, DeLand

Jeannie Garner, Executive Director/CEO

Kraig Conn, General Counsel/Chief Legal Officer

Penny Mitchell, Board Relations Administrator

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2024 FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM

PRIORITIES

ENTERPRISE FUND TRANSFERS

The Florida League of Cities SUPPORTS the preservation of municipal authority to manage municipal revenue sources and realize a reasonable rate of return on their proprietary assets, investments and services.

LEGISLATIVE RATIFICATION OF STATEWIDE STORMWATER RULE

The Florida League of Cities SUPPORTS legislation to ratify the Department of Environmental Protection’s proposed Environmental Resource Permitting Rules for Stormwater Design and Operation Regulations, Chapters 62-330, Florida Administrative Code.

MOBILITY PLANS

The Florida League of Cities SUPPORTS legislation that defines and clarifies mobility plans in order to provide a clear and concise framework for Florida cities to acquire, construct and implement both traditional and alternative modes of transportation.

PUBLIC SAFETY RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION

The Florida League of Cities SUPPORTS legislation and state funding to enhance the recruitment and retention efforts to attract talent in public safety positions. The Florida League of Cities SUPPORTS legislation that eases certification barriers for sworn law enforcement officers and firefighters relocating to the State of Florida.

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE

The Florida League of Cities SUPPORTS legislation to make equitable essential investments to ensure that transportation infrastructure can effectively serve the needs of present and future residents and visitors. This includes identifying new revenue sources for statewide, regional and local transportation requirements while promoting and leveraging existing funding channels. We SUPPORT the introduction of a fee for alternative fuel vehicles to ensure they fairly contribute to transportation infrastructure costs. We also SUPPORT the

inflationary indexing of the Municipal Motor Vehicle Fuel Tax. A well-preserved transportation network not only inspires businesses to invest in our cities but also fuels job creation and economic development.

POLICY POSITIONS

PROPERTY ASSESSED CLEAN ENERGY (PACE)

The Florida League of Cities SUPPORTS legislation to clarify the term “local government” under the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program means a county, a municipality, a dependent special district or an intergovernmental entity that has jurisdiction only within the boundaries of the participating members of an interlocal agreement.

PROPERTY TAX PROTECTION

The Florida League of Cities SUPPORTS legislation that maintains an equitable property tax system while preserving a municipality’s ability to fund public infrastructure, police, fire, emergency services and other essential services. Any further erosions or exemptions on the current property tax structure will unfairly shift the tax burden to the business community, renters and others.

SHORT-TERM RENTALS

The Florida League of Cities SUPPORTS legislation that restores authority to local governments for the regulation of short-term rental properties as necessary for quality of life, public safety and the creation of fair lodging standards. The Florida League of Cities SUPPORTS legislation clarifying existing grandfathered municipal short-term rental ordinances can be amended without penalty. The Florida League of Cities OPPOSES legislation that preempts municipal authority as it relates to the regulation of short-term rental properties.

SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY

The Florida League of Cities SUPPORTS protecting Florida taxpayers by limiting the waiver of sovereign immunity on monetary damages recoverable in tort claims against government entities.

BILLS THAT PASSED

BUILDING CODE/CONSTRUCTION

Building Regulations (Opposed)

CS/CS/CS/HB 267 (Esposito) revises standards and time frames for the issuance of building permits by local governments, including the time frames for determining whether an application is complete, whether additional information is necessary for the application to be deemed complete and whether the application is approved or denied. The bill requires a local government to provide written notice to an applicant within five business days (reduced from 10) after receipt of an application advising the applicant what information, if any, is needed to deem the application complete. In addition, the bill requires a local government to approve, approve with conditions or deny a complete building permit application, as follows:

▸ Within 30 business days after receiving a complete and sufficient application if an applicant uses a local government plans reviewer to obtain the following building permits if the structure is less than 7,500 square feet: a single-family residential unit or dwelling, accessory structure, alarm, electrical, irrigation, landscaping, mechanical, plumbing or roofing

▸ Within 60 business days after receiving a complete and sufficient application if an applicant uses a local government plans reviewer to obtain the following building permits if the structure is 7,500 square feet or more: residential units, accessory structure, alarm, electrical, irrigation, landscaping, mechanical, plumbing or roofing

▸ Within 60 days after receiving a complete and sufficient application if an applicant uses a local government plans reviewer to obtain the following building permits: signs or nonresidential buildings that are less than 25,000 square feet

▸ Within 60 business days after receiving a complete and sufficient application if an applicant uses a local government plans reviewer to obtain the following building permits: multifamily residential not exceeding 50 units; site-plan approvals and subdivision plats not requiring public hearing or public notice; and lot grading and site alteration

▸ Within 12 business days after receiving a complete and sufficient application if an applicant uses a master building permit consistent with Section 553.794, Florida Statutes, to obtain a site-specific building permit

▸ Within 10 business days after receiving a complete and sufficient application for an applicant for a single-family residential dwelling applied for by a Florida-licensed contractor on behalf of a property owner who participates in a Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program, except as specified

▸ Within 10 business days for applicants using an engineer or architect private provider who affixes her or her professional seal to the required affidavit.

These time frames may be waived in writing by an applicant. A local government may not require waiver of the time frames as a condition precedent to reviewing a building permit application. The bill removes from current law the procedure by which local governments may make up to three requests for additional information from an applicant. If a local government fails to meet specified deadlines, it must reduce the building permit fee by 10% for each business day that it fails to meet the deadline, unless the parties agree in writing to a reasonable extension of time, the delay is caused by the applicant, or the delay is attributable to a force majeure event or other extraordinary circumstance. A local government does not have to reduce the fee if the local government provides written notice to the applicant within the appropriate time frame specifically identifying the reasons the application is deficient. If the applicant revises the application within 10 business days after receiving such notice, the local government has 10 business days to approve or deny the permit unless the applicant agrees to a longer period in writing. If the local government fails to issue or deny the permit within 10 days after receiving revisions, it must reduce the permit fee by 20% for each business day it fails to meet the deadline, unless the applicant agrees to a longer period.

The bill directs the Florida Building Commission to modify the Florida Building Code to state that

sealed drawings by a design professional are not required for the replacement of windows, doors or garage doors in an existing one- or two-family dwelling or townhouse under specified conditions. The bill defines “private provider firm” as a business entity that offers services under Chapter 553, Florida Statutes, to the public through licensees who are acting as agents, employees, officers or partners of the firm and specifies that a Florida-licensed building code administrator, an engineer or an architect may act as a private provider for an agent, employee or officer of a private provider firm. It prohibits a local building code enforcement agency from auditing the performance of a private provider until the agency has created standard auditing procedures as specified in the bill and provides that a private provider or private provider firm may not be audited more than four times in one year. Lastly, the bill requires the Commission to review standards for unvented attics before December 2024. (Branch)

Effective date: January 1, 2025.

Counties Designated as Areas of Critical State Concern (Monitored)

CS/CS/SB 1456 (Rodriguez) revises current law provisions relating to the Florida Keys and the City of Key West Areas of Critical State Concern. The bill: revises criteria for hurricane evacuation clearance times; allows land authorities to enforce income limitations on land conveyed for affordable housing, ensuring compliance through perpetual deed restrictions; grants exemptions to counties or municipalities designated as areas of critical state concern within the past five years from certain requirements regarding local housing assistance trust funds; permits counties designated as areas of critical state concern that levy tourist development and tourist impact taxes, to use surplus funds accumulated until September 30, 2024, for affordable housing initiatives. The usage is capped at $35 million and requires approval by the county commission. Affordable housing must be available to employees of private sector tourismrelated businesses, and any housing financed from the accumulated surplus must be used to provide affordable housing for a minimum of 99 years. (Branch)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Expedited Approval of Residential Building Permits (Opposed)

CS/CS/CS/SB 812 (Ingoglia) requires specified counties and municipalities to establish a program for subdivisions and planned communities with a two-step process for obtaining a preliminary and final plat. The program allows developers to obtain building permits and begin the construction process prior to the issuance of final plat. By October 1, 2024, counties with over 75,000 residents, and municipalities with over 10,000 residents and 25 acres or more of contiguous land designated in the municipal comprehensive plan as land that is agricultural or to be developed for residential purposes, must create the program. A county subject to the designation of the Florida Keys as an area of critical state concern in Section 380.0552, Florida Statutes, which is Monroe County, is exempt. The bill requires the governing body of municipalities and counties to create:

▸ A two-step application process for the adoption of a preliminary plat and for a final plat to expedite the issuance of building permits related to such plats. The application must allow an applicant to identify the percentage of planned homes that the governing body must issue, but not less than 50% of the applicable building permits for the residential subdivision or planned community indicated in the preliminary plat. By December 31, 2027, the program must be updated to increase the percentage to 75%.

▸ The governing body must maximize its administrative processes to expedite the review and approval of applications, plats, and plans under the program.

▸ A master building permit process consistent with existing master building permit application requirements for applicants seeking multiple building permits for residential subdivisions or planned communities. A master building permit issued pursuant to this requirement is valid for three consecutive years after its issuance or until the adoption of a new Building Code, whichever is earlier. After a new Florida Building Code is adopted, the applicant may apply for a new master building permit, which, upon approval, is valid for three consecutive years.

The bill allows an applicant to use a private provider to expedite the application process for building permits after a preliminary plat is approved

under the program. Additionally, the bill requires a governing body to establish a registry of at least three “qualified contractors,” as defined in the bill, whom the local government may use to supplement staff resources in ways determined by the governing body for processing and expediting the review of an application for a preliminary plat or related plans. Such qualified contractor may not have a conflict of interest with the applicant. The bill allows a governing body to work with appropriate local government agencies to issue an address and a temporary parcel identification number for lot lines and lot sizes based on the metes and bounds of the plat contained in an application. The bill allows an applicant to contract to sell, but not transfer ownership of, a residential structure or building located in the residential subdivision or planned community until the final plat is approved by the county or municipality’s governing body and recorded in the public records by the clerk of the circuit court. The bill provides that an applicant for a building permit may not obtain a temporary or final certificate of occupancy for each residential structure or building until the final plat is approved by the governing body and recorded in the public records. The bill requires an applicant to post a performance bond of up to 130% for infrastructure construction on a phase-by-phase basis. It also requires an applicant to indemnify and hold harmless the governing body and its agents and employees from damages accruing and directly related to the issuance of a building permit for a residential building or structure located in the residential subdivision or planned community before the approval and recording of the final plat by the governing body. This includes damage resulting from fire, flood, construction defects and bodily injury. However, such indemnification does not extend to governmental actions that infringe on the applicant’s vested rights.

An applicant has a vested right in a preliminary plat that has been approved with conditions by a governing entity, if all the following conditions are met:

▸ The applicant relies in good faith on the approved preliminary plat

▸ The applicant incurs obligations and expenses, commences construction of the residential subdivision or planned community, and is continuing in good faith with the development of the property.

Upon the establishment of an applicant’s vested rights a governing body may not make substantive changes to the preliminary plat without the applicant’s written consent.

The bill defines other terms used in the act including “applicant,” “final plat,” “local building official,” “plans” and “preliminary plat.” (Chapman)

Effective date: Upon becoming law.

Public Works Projects (Opposed)

CS/HB 705 (Shoaf) revises the definition of “public works project” in Section 255.0992, Florida Statutes, to include all projects that are paid for with local funds in addition to state-appropriated funds. As amended, the definition excludes the provision of goods, services or work incidental to the public works project, such as the provision of security services, janitorial services, landscaping services, maintenance services, transportation services or other services that do not require a construction contracting license or involve supplying or carrying construction materials for a public works project. Under current law, Section 255.0992 prohibits the state and political subdivisions from requiring bidders for public works projects to meet local preference, wages and employment benefit prerequisites. In addition to the revision of the “public works project” definition, the bill also clarifies that Section 255.0992(2)(a), which prohibits the state or any political subdivision that contracts for a public works project from preventing a contractor, subcontractor, supplier or carrier from participating in bidding based on geographic location, does not apply to a county or municipality that contracts for a public works project for which the county or municipality is the sole source of funding. (Branch)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

CYBERSECURITY

Cybersecurity (Monitored)

CS/CS/CS/HB 1555 (Giallombardo) revises the structure and mission of the Florida Center for Cybersecurity (also called “Cyber Florida”) under the University of South Florida. Among other things, the bill specifies that upon receiving a request from a state agency, Cyber Florida is authorized, but not required, to conduct, consult

on or otherwise assist any state-funded initiatives related to cybersecurity training and education for state and local government employees and increasing the cybersecurity effectiveness of the state and local government’s technology platforms and infrastructure. (Wagoner)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Cybersecurity Incident Liability (Supported)

CS/CS/HB 473 (Giallombardo) provides that a county or municipality, or any other political subdivision that substantially complies on a voluntary basis with the cybersecurity training, standards and notification protocols under Section 282.3185, Florida Statutes, is not liable in connection with a cybersecurity incident. The bill provides definitions for “covered entity” and “thirdparty agent” and provides that a covered entity or third-party agent that acquires, maintains, stores, processes or uses personal information is not liable in connection with a cybersecurity incident under specified circumstances. In addition, it specifies that failure of a county, municipality or political subdivision to substantially implement a cybersecurity program that complies with Section 282.3185 is not evidence of negligence and does not constitute negligence per se. In an action in connection with a cybersecurity incident, if the defendant is a county, municipality, political subdivision, covered entity or third-party agent covered by Section 768.401, the defendant has the burden of proof to establish substantial compliance. The revisions made by the bill apply to any suit filed on or after the effective date of the bill and to any class not certified on or before the effective date of the bill. (Wagoner)

Effective date: Upon becoming law.

ETHICS AND ELECTIONS

Artificial Intelligence Use in Political Advertising (Monitored)

CS/HB 919 (Rizo) creates Section 106.145, Florida Statutes. It defines “generative artificial intelligence” as a machine-based system capable of emulating input data to generate synthetic content. The bill requires certain political advertisements, electioneering communications, or other political advertisements containing content generated with generative artificial intelligence to

include a prominent disclaimer stating: “Created in whole or in part with the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)”. The disclaimer requirement applies if the generated content appears to depict a real person performing an action that did not actually occur, and the generated content was created with intent to injure a candidate or to deceive regarding a ballot issue, the political advertisement, electioneering communication or other advertisement. The disclaimer must meet specific requirements regarding font size, readability, and presentation across different types of media. Failure to include the required disclaimer is punishable as a first-degree misdemeanor, in addition to any civil penalties provided by law. The bill also allows any person to file a complaint with the Florida Elections Commission for violations, with provisions for expedited hearings. (O’Hara)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Ethics (Monitored)

CS/SB 7014 (Ethics and Elections) creates time frames for the completion of investigations of alleged ethics violations conducted by the Florida Commission on Ethics (Commission), modifies financial disclosure requirements relating to disclosure of identifying information of a legal client and imposes additional requirements on local government ethics regulations and procedures.

Time Frames:

The bill requires the Commission to begin its preliminary investigation of a complaint within 30 days of receiving a technically and legally sufficient complaint and to conclude its preliminary investigation within one year. The bill also provides time frames and procedures for the issuance of investigatory reports and requires counsel for the Commission to make a written probable cause recommendation to the Commission within 15 days after receiving an investigatory report and to schedule a probable cause hearing for the next Commission meeting for which notice requirements can be met. The bill provides time frames for transmittal of a probable cause order and requires the Commission to conduct an informal hearing within 75 days of the probable cause determination. It specifies that failure of the Commission to meet the time frames constitutes harmless error except as specified and tolls the timeframes pending resolution of any related criminal complaint.

Financial Disclosure:

The bill provides that if disclosure of identifying information regarding a source of income will violate a legal confidentiality or privilege, a filer who is also an attorney may indicate the income source is a “legal client” without providing further information.

Local Government Regulations:

If a local government has more stringent standards of conduct and disclosure for lobbyists, the bill specifies that any noncriminal complaint procedure relating to such standards must require a complaint be written and signed under oath by the complainant, require a complaint be based on personal knowledge or information other than hearsay, prohibit initiation of a complaint or investigation by the governing body or any entity created to enforce the standards, and establish a process for an alleged violator to recover costs and attorney fees against a person found to have filed a complaint with malicious intent to injure the reputation of a public officer employee, or candidate by filing the complaint with knowledge the complaint contains one or more false allegations or with reckless disregard for whether the complaint contains false allegations of fact material to a violation. The bill specifies that any local regulation or ordinance in conflict with these provisions is void.

Miscellaneous:

The bill provides that terms of Commission members are limited to two terms total rather than two successive terms. It adds candidates for public office to the categories of persons authorized to recover costs and attorney fees for defending against a maliciously filed ethics complaint. The bill provides that a written complaint filed with the Commission must be based upon personal knowledge or information other than hearsay. It authorizes an alleged violator to request a formal hearing before the Division of Administrative Hearings or to select an informal hearing with the Commission. It requires a vote of at least two-thirds of the members of the Commission to deviate from or reject a stipulation or settlement recommended by counsel representing the Commission. (O’Hara)

Effective date: Upon becoming law, except the provisions relating to new time frames for investigations and local ethics commissions are effective October 1, 2024.

FINANCE AND TAXATION

Annual Adjustment to Homestead Exemption Value (Opposed)

CS/HJR 7017 (Buchanan) proposes a constitutional amendment for the 2024 general election ballot relating to the second homestead exemption. The proposed amendment provides for annual adjustment of the exemption for inflation by indexing it to the consumer price index. The value of the exemption would be updated each January 1 based on the positive percentage change reported by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Chapman)

Effective date: Upon approval by Florida voters in the 2024 General Election.

Chief Financial Officer (Monitored)

CS/CS/CS/HB 989 (LaMarca) encompasses numerous changes to laws relating to the chief financial officer, the Department of Financial Services (DFS) and the Office of Financial Regulation. Among other things, the bill:

▸ Modifies provisions relating to firefighter cancer benefits to require that firefighters receive leave time and employee retention benefits equal to those provided for other injuries or illnesses sustained while on duty

▸ Eliminates quarterly reporting requirements and modifies reimbursement methods for workers’ compensation

▸ Mandates DFS approval of contracts exceeding $100,000 by specified guaranty associations and underwriting associations and requires competitive procurement of such contracts

▸ Requires DFS to establish consistent fire safety standards for mobile food dispensing vehicles

▸ Modifies laws regarding insurance adjusters and surplus lines agents and provisions regarding insurance policy renewal notices, fire safety regulations, warranty associations, bail bond agents and unclaimed property. (Cruz)

Effective date: Upon becoming law, except as specified.

Exemption of Homesteads (Opposed)

CS/HB 7019 (Buchanan) is the implementing bill for CS/HJR 7017, should the proposed constitutional amendment be approved by Florida voters. It would require an annual adjustment to the value

of certain homestead exemptions and require the Legislature to appropriate funds to offset reductions in ad valorem revenue experienced by fiscally constrained counties due to the annual inflation adjustment. (Chapman)

Effective date: On the effective date of the constitutional amendment proposed by HJR 7017.

Taxation (Monitored)

CS/HB 7073 (Ways & Means) is the Legislature’s annual “tax package” with numerous provisions addressing the levy and collection of local and state taxes. Provisions of interest to municipalities and counties include:

▸ Revises the Live Local Ad Valorem Tax Exemption for Newly Constructed Affordable Housing program authorized in Section 196.1978(3), Florida Statutes. Among other things, it provides that units used as a transient lodging establishment are not eligible for the exemption. In addition, it allows a taxing authority to opt out of the exemption for its levy by a two-thirds vote if a finding is made by a taxing authority that the most recently published Shimberg Center for Housing Studies Annual Report identifies that a county that is part of the jurisdiction of the taxing authority is within a metropolitan statistical area or region where the number of affordable and available units is greater than the number of renter households for the category titled “0-120 percent AMI.” The opt out is good for two years and may be reenacted if the above conditions are met. Projects that were granted an exemption prior to the adoption of an opt-out ordinance may continue to receive the exemption for each subsequent consecutive year that the owner applies for and is granted the exemption.

▸ Creates a new property tax exemption in Section 196.1978(4) for certain new, low-income affordable housing projects, effective beginning with the 2026 tax roll. A multi-family project must meet certain conditions to qualify for the exemption, including:

• Contain 70 or more units used to provide affordable housing to persons or families meeting certain low-income limits

• Are subject to a recorded land use restriction agreement with the Florida Housing Finance Corporation requiring

the units to provide affordable housing to persons or families meeting the low-income limits for a period of 99 years

• Are substantially completed within two years before the date of application.

• Are composed of an improvement to land where no previous improvement existed or the construction of a new improvement where an old improvement was removed

▸ Extends the time, from three years to five years, for a homestead property owner to start repair of damaged property to continue claiming homestead exemption and maintain a predamage assessment.

▸ Authorizes the Department of Revenue to offset reductions in ad valorem tax revenue experienced by fiscally constrained counties that were required to refund property taxes to taxpayers with certain uninhabitable residential properties due to disasters.

▸ Specifies procedures to address and remedy a discretionary sales surtax that was enacted, levied, and collected but was later adjudicated as unconstitutional under state or federal law.

▸ Modifies referenda requirements for local option food and beverage taxes by clarifying that in a referendum to adopt a local option food or beverage tax in a city or town that levies the municipal resort tax, the ordinance must pass by a majority vote of the voters voting in the election rather than by a majority of the registered voters.

▸ Revises the conditions under which back taxes, penalty and interest are due for certain improperly received exemption or assessment limitations.

▸ Adds certain equipment used for Biogas to the list that may be assessed as Renewable Energy Source Devices.

▸ Expands the Indigent Care and Trauma Center Surtax (Section 212.055(4)) to allow JacksonvilleDuval County to impose the surtax but removes the ability to enact the tax with an extraordinary vote and retains the referendum requirement.

▸ Provides for two 14-day Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holidays, a 14-day Back to School Sales Tax Holiday, a seven-day Tool Time Holiday and a Freedom Month Holiday where sales tax will not be due on certain admissions or outdoor recreational items. (Chapman)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Verification of Eligibility for Homestead Exemption (Monitored)

CS/HB 1161 (Arrington) requires the Department of Revenue to create a form that a property appraiser may use to provide a person with tentative verification of that person’s eligibility to receive an exemption related to the applicant’s status as a disabled veteran or surviving spouse after the purchase of homestead property. (Chapman)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

GENERAL GOVERNMENT

Broadband (Monitored)

HB 1147 (Tomkow) amends Section 288.9963, Florida Statutes, relating to the provision of broadband service to unserved or underserved areas. It extends the expiration date of a promotional rate ($1 per wireline attachment per pole per year) that municipal electric utilities are required to offer to broadband providers for pole attachments within a municipal electric utility service territory. The date is extended from July 1, 2024, to December 31, 2028. (Chapman)

Effective date: June 30, 2024.

License or Permit to Operate a Vehicle for Hire (Opposed)

HB 377 (Borrero) authorizes vehicle-for-hire operators with a valid license or permit from one county or municipality to operate in other areas without obtaining additional licensing, permitting or fees under specified conditions and excludes airports and seaports. The bill specifies that it does not grant specific authority to municipalities or counties to regulate or license vehicles for hire, which is preempted under Section 163.211, Florida Statutes (preemption of occupational licensing to the state). (Branch)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Local Government Actions (Monitored)

CS/CS/SB 1628 (Collins) modifies the exemptions to the current law requirement in Sections 125.66(3) and 166.041(4), Florida Statutes, which require municipalities and counties to provide a business impact estimate prior to ordinance adoption. The bill requires local governments to complete a business impact statement prior to adopting and

implementing a comprehensive plan amendment or land development regulation, other than those amendments initiated by a private party. In addition, the bill mandates that bond referenda above $500 million by counties, districts or municipalities must occur during general elections and updates provisions for the enactment of county and municipal ordinances. (O’Hara)

Effective date: October 1, 2024.

Lost and Abandoned Property (Monitored)

CS/HB 487 (Chaney) amends Section 705.103 of the Florida Statutes, which outlines procedures for law enforcement officers handling abandoned or lost property or a vessel that is present on public property or in public waters. Section 705.103 requires law enforcement to affix a notice to the property or vessel informing the owner that the property must be removed within a specified time, the consequences for failing to remove it, and, in the case of a vessel that has been designated derelict or a public nuisance, of the right to a hearing. This section also requires law enforcement to make reasonable efforts to obtain the name and address of the owner and any lienholder and to mail notice to the owner and lienholder. The bill changes the period within which a law enforcement officer must mail a copy of the required notice to the owner and lienholders. While current law requires the notice to be mailed on or before the date the notice is posted on the property or vessel, the bill requires the notice to be mailed on the date the notice is posted on the property or vessel or as soon thereafter as is practical. (Wagoner)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Unauthorized Public Camping and Public Sleeping (Monitored)

CS/CS/HB 1365 (Garrison) creates Section 125.0231, Florida Statutes, to prohibit counties and municipalities from authorizing or otherwise allowing any person to regularly engage in camping or sleeping on any public property, public building or its grounds, or public right-of-way under the respective county or municipality’s jurisdiction unless the county has designated the property for such purposes. The bill defines “public camping or sleeping” and excludes specified activities from the definition, such as recreational camping. It establishes requirements for counties to designate public property for regular camping and sleeping.

A county, by majority vote of the governing body, may designate property owned by the county or a municipality within the county to be used for public camping or sleeping for a continuous period of up to one year. If the property is within a municipality, the designation is contingent upon concurrence of the municipality by a majority vote of the municipality’s governing body. A county’s designation of property is not effective until the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) certifies the designation through procedures established in the bill. A county’s request for certification from DCF must include documentation that the following minimum standards and procedures are met:

▸ There are not sufficient beds in homeless shelters in the county

▸ The designated property is not contiguous to property designated for residential use in the county or municipal comprehensive plan

▸ The designated property would not adversely and materially affect the property value or the safety and security of other residential property in the county or municipality and would not negatively affect the safety of children

▸ The county has developed a plan to satisfy minimum standards and procedures for the purposes of ensuring safety and security of persons on the property, sanitation, coordination for providing access to mental health and substance abuse treatment resources and prohibition of illegal substance and alcohol use on the property.

A fiscally constrained county is not required to comply with such standards and requirements if it would result in financial hardship. A county must publish the minimum standards and procedures on the county and municipality’s website (if applicable) within 30 days after certification of the designation by DCF. DCF is authorized to inspect the property at any time and provide notice to the county recommending closure of the property if minimum requirements are not met. In addition, the bill establishes a civil cause of action for injunctive relief by a resident of the county, the owner of a business located in the county, or the Attorney General to enjoin the county or municipality from authorizing public camping or sleeping without designating property for such use. A successful petitioner may recover reasonable expenses incurred in bringing the action. The

application for an injunction must be accompanied by an affidavit confirming the applicant provided written notice of the violation to the county or the municipality, as applicable, and that the respective local government failed to cure the violation within five business days. The bill provides an exemption during declared emergencies by the governor for the county or another county immediately adjacent to the county in which the governor suspends the provisions of Section 125.0231, Florida Statutes, or where the county has declared a state of emergency under Chapter 870. (Wagoner)

Effective date: October 1, 2024.

HOUSING

Affordable Housing (Monitored)

CS/CS/SB 328 (Calatayud) modifies requirements established in the Live Local Act (LLA) enacted in 2023 and codified as 2023-17, Laws of Florida. The bill amends Sections 125.01055 and 166.04151, relating to municipal and county land use approval of qualifying LLA projects. In addition, the bill revises Section 196.1978(3), Florida Statutes, relating to the “multifamily middle market” ad valorem tax exemption and allocates $100 million in funds to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation for the Hometown Hero Program, which provides down payment assistance to first-time homebuyers meeting certain income thresholds.

Land Use Changes to Height and Density Entitlements for Qualifying Projects

This clarifies that a multifamily and mixed-use residential project may qualify as an LLA project if at least 40% of the residential units in a proposed multifamily development are rental units and clarifies the proposed density of an LLA project must be compared to the highest currently allowed density within the municipality or county’s land development regulations, as applicable. It further clarifies that the term “highest currently allowed density” does not include the density of any building that was approved as either an LLA project or the density of any building that received any bonus, variance or other special exception for density as an incentive for development. The bill provides that a county or municipality may not restrict the floor area ratio (or floor lot ratio) of a proposed LLA project below 150% of the highest currently allowed floor area ratio under the respective county

or municipality’s land development regulations. It clarified that “highest currently allowed floor area ratio” does not include the floor area ratio of any previously approved LLA project or floor area ratio received as a result of any bonus, variance or other special exception as an incentive for development. With respect to allowable height of an LLA project, the bill clarifies that the term “highest currently allowed height” does not include the height of any building previously approved as an LLA project or the height of any building that received any bonus, variance or other special exception for height provided as an incentive for development. The bill authorizes a county or municipality to restrict the height of a proposed LLA project to 150% of the tallest building on any property adjacent to the proposed LLA project, the highest currently allowed height for the property provided in the municipality or county’s land development regulations or three stories, whichever is higher, if the proposed LLA project is adjacent to, on two or more sides, a parcel zoned for single-family residential use that is a single-family residential development with at least 25 contiguous single family homes. The term “adjacent to” means those properties sharing more than one point of a property line but does not include properties separated by a public road.

Land Use Changes: Miscellaneous

The bill requires counties and municipalities to place on their websites a policy containing procedures for administrative approval of LLA projects and specifies that LLA projects proposed within onequarter mile of a military installation identified in Section 163.3175(2) may not be administratively approved. The bill specifies that proposed developments within an airport-impacted area, as provided in Section 333.03, Florida Statutes, do not qualify for LLA project approval processes. The bill specifies that LLA projects must be treated as a conforming use even after expiration of the law’s effective period and the project’s required affordability period and provides an opportunity for a development to cure any violation of the affordability period associated with the project. Finally, the bill allows LLA project applicants who applied to a local government prior to the bill’s effective date a choice to proceed under the land use provisions of the Act as they existed at the time of submittal of the application or to submit a revised application to account for changes to the LLA made by the bill.

Land Use Approval: Parking Requirements

The bill addresses parking requirements for proposed LLA projects. First, it specifies that a county or municipality must consider reducing parking requirements for such projects located within one-quarter mile (reduced from one-half) of a transit stop (“transit stop” may be defined in the county or municipality’s land development regulations). Second, it requires a county or municipality to reduce parking requirements by at least 20% for a proposed LLA project if the development is located within one-half mile of a major transportation hub that is accessible from the proposed development by pedestrians and has available parking within 600 feet of the proposed project that is available for use by residents of the proposed development. The county or municipality may not require that the available parking compensate for the reduction in parking requirements. A “major transportation hub” means any bus, rail or light rail transit station. Third, a county or municipality must eliminate parking requirements for a proposed mixed-use residential LLA project within an area recognized by the county or municipality as a transit-oriented development or area.

Property Tax Exemptions

SB 328 revises the “multifamily middle market” property tax exemption set forth in Section 196.1978(3) by clarifying the exemption only applies to the affordable units within an eligible development and allowing LLA projects in the Florida Keys to allocate fewer affordable units to qualify for the exemption. It also clarifies that units used as a transient public lodging establishment are not eligible for the exemption. The bill makes similar clarifying changes to the local option property tax exemption for qualifying projects set forth in Section 196.1979. In addition, the bill specifies how property appraisers are to determine the value of an affordable unit that is eligible for either exemption and authorizes property appraisers to request additional information that may be necessary to determine eligibility. The changes made to Sections 196.1978 and 196.1979 are remedial and apply retroactively to January 1, 2024. (Branch)

Effective date: Upon becoming law.

LAND USE AND COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING

Alternative Mobility Funding Systems (Supported)

CS/HB 479 (Robinson, W.) addresses the use of mobility fees by local governments as an alternative to transportation concurrency and modifies Section 163.31801, Florida Statutes, relating to impact fees. The bill amends Section 163.3164 to define “mobility fee” and “mobility plan” in the Community Planning Act. The bill makes clarifying changes to proportionate share requirements in Section 163.3180 relating to transportation concurrency. If a local government elects to repeal transportation concurrency, the bill authorizes the local government to adopt an alternative transportation system that is mobility-plan and fee-based or an alternative transportation system that is not mobility-plan and fee-based. The local government may not use an alternative transportation system to deny, time or phase an application for land use approval, provided the applicant agrees to pay for the development’s identified transportation impacts via the funding mechanism adopted by the local government. It specifies the alternative funding mechanism must comply with Section 163.31801 relating to impact fees and provides that the local government may not impose upon new development any responsibility to fund an existing transportation deficiency. The bill specifies that if a county and a municipality charge the developer a fee for transportation capacity impacts, the local governments must execute an interlocal agreement to coordinate the mitigation of their respective capacity impacts. The bill establishes minimum requirements for the interlocal agreement, including provisions to ensure the development is not charged twice for the same impacts, establish a methodology for determining the legally permissible fee, require the local government that issues the building permit to collect the fee unless agreed to otherwise and provide a method for the distribution of collected revenue between the county and the municipality. If a county and municipality have not entered an interlocal agreement by October 2025, the bill specifies that:

1) the fee charged to the development shall be based on the apportioned impacts as identified in the developer’s traffic impact study or the county or municipality’s adopted mobility plan, 2) the developer shall receive a 10% reduction in the total fee and (3) the county or municipality issuing the building permit must collect the fee and distribute

the proceeds within 60 days after the developer’s payment. The bill exempts from these provisions Miami-Dade County and any county or municipality that has an existing interlocal agreement as of October 1, 2024, to coordinate the mitigation of transportation impacts, until such time as the agreement is terminated. The bill amends current law Section 163.31801 relating to impact fees by specifying the data used in an impact fee study must be available within four years of the current impact fee update and that the new study must be adopted by the local government within 12 months of the initiation of the new impact fee study if the local government increases the impact fee. It further specifies that if a local government adopts an alternative transportation system, the holder of any transportation impact fee credits is entitled to the full benefit of the intensity and density prepaid by the credit balance as of the date the new alternative system was established. (Cruz)

Effective date: October 1, 2024.

Housing for Legally Verified Agricultural Workers (Monitored)

CS/SB 1082 (Collins) preempts local governments from restricting the construction or installation of housing for legally verified agricultural workers on land classified as agricultural that is operated as a bona fide farm except as specified in the bill. The bill defines “legally verified agricultural worker” and “housing site.” Construction or installation of housing units for legally verified agricultural workers must meet the following criteria:

▸ The units must meet all federal, state and local building standards, including Florida Department of Health (DOH) migrant farmworker living standards

▸ The site must be maintained in a neat, orderly and safe manner

▸ All structures containing dwelling units must be located at least 10 feet apart

▸ The square footage of climate-controlled facilities may not exceed the lesser of 1.5% of the property’s area or 35,000 square feet

▸ A housing site must have 50-foot setbacks on all sides

▸ A housing site may not be located less than 250 feet from the property line of a property zoned for residential use

▸ If the housing site is less than 500 feet from any property line, screening must be provided

▸ Access drives that serve the site must be made of material that provides a relatively dust-free surface.

The bill requires structures to be removed from the site within 180 days (following notice by the county) if it is not being used for workers for longer than 365 days, if the property ceases to be classified as agricultural land or if the DOH permit is revoked. Housing structures constructed prior to July 1, 2024, are not required to meet these requirements unless the structure is altered or expanded. (Cruz)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Local Regulation of Nonconforming and Unsafe Structures (Opposed)

CS/SB 1526 (Avila) creates the Resiliency and Safe Structures Act, providing that a local government may not prohibit, restrict or prevent the demolition of the following structures for any reason other than public safety: nonconforming structures, structures or buildings determined to be unsafe by a local building official and structures or buildings ordered to be demolished by a local government that has proper jurisdiction. The bill provides that a local government must authorize replacement structures for qualifying buildings to be developed to the maximum height and overall building size authorized by local development regulations for a similarly situated parcel within the same zoning district. The bill prohibits a local government from imposing certain restrictions and limitations on a replacement structure to be built on the property where a qualifying structure was demolished. A local government may only administratively review an application for a demolition permit for compliance with the Florida Building Code, the Florida Fire Prevention Code and the Life Safety Code, or local amendments thereto, and any regulation applicable to a similarly situated parcel. The local government may not impose additional local land development regulations or public hearings on an applicant for a permit under this bill. The provisions of the bill do not apply to: structures or buildings individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places; single-family homes; contributing structures or buildings within a historic district that was listed in the National Register of Historic Places before January 1, 2000; or structures or buildings located on a barrier island in a municipality with a population of less than 10,000, according to the most recent decennial

census, and which has at least six city blocks that are not located in zones V, VE, AO or AE, as identified in the Flood Insurance Rate Map issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. (Cruz)

Effective date: Upon becoming law.

OTHER

Continuing Contracts (Supported)

CS/CS/CS/HB 149 (Alvarez) revises requirements relating to continuing contracts under the Consultants’ Competitive Negotiation Act (CCNA). Under current law, the CCNA authorizes the use of a continuing contract for construction projects in which the estimated construction cost of each project does not exceed $4 million; or study activities if the fee for professional services for each study does not exceed $500,000; or for work of a specified nature as outlined in the contract required by the agency, with the contract being for a fixed term or with no time limitation (except the contract must include a termination clause). CS/CS/CS/HB 149 increases the maximum limit for continuing contracts under the CCNA from $4 million to $7.5 million plus an annual increase based on the Consumer Price Index. (The increase will be adjusted annually by the Florida Department of Management Services and published on its website.) (Branch)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Department of Commerce (Monitored)

CS/CS/SB 1420 (Burgess) revises various statutes impacting the Florida Department of Commerce (DCM). It also includes a restriction on certain citizen-led county charter amendments. The bill provides that a citizen-led county charter amendment that is not required to be approved by the board of county commissioners, which preempts any development order, land development regulation, comprehensive plan or voluntary annexation, is prohibited unless expressly authorized in a county charter that was lawful and in effect on January 1, 2024. In addition, the bill provides that if the local government doesn’t hold a second public hearing and adopt a comprehensive plan amendment within 180 days after the DCM provides comments, the amendment is deemed withdrawn. It further provides that comprehensive

plan amendments are deemed withdrawn if the local government fails to transmit the comprehensive plan amendment to the DCM within 10 working days after the final adoption hearing. The bill extends the repayment period of the Local Government Emergency Revolving Bridge Loan Program from five to 10 years and directs the DCM to amend existing loans executed before February 1, 2024, to increase the loan term to a total of 10 years from the original date of execution. The bill specifies that a homeowner association’s proposed revived declaration of covenants and articles of incorporation and bylaws must be submitted to the DCM within 60 days after obtaining valid written consent from a majority of the affected parcel owners or within 60 days after the date the documents are approved by affected parcel owners by a vote at a meeting. (Cruz)

Effective date: July 1, 2024, except as otherwise expressly provided.

Education (Opposed)

CS/CS/HB 1285 (Canady) makes numerous changes to current law requirements for K-12 public schools. In addition, the bill imposes limitations on certain local government land use approvals relating to private schools. Specifically, the bill authorizes a private school to use facilities on any property owned or leased by a library, community service organization, museum, performing arts venue, theatre, cinema or church facility under Section 170.201, which is or was actively used as such within five years of any executed agreement with a private school to use the facility, any facility or land owned by a Florida College System institution or university, any similar public institutional facilities and any facility recently used to house a school or licensed child care facility, under any such facility’s preexisting zoning and land use designations without rezoning or obtaining a special exception or a land use change and without complying with any mitigation requirements or conditions. The facility must be located on property used solely for the purposes described and must meet applicable state and local health, safety and welfare laws and regulations, including fire safety and building safety. Similar provisions are included for private schools that purchase lands from any of these facilities and institutions. (Branch)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Employment Regulations (Opposed)

CS/CS/HB 433 (Esposito) addresses minimum wage and employment benefits requirements by political subdivisions, workplace heat exposure requirements and employee scheduling regulations. The bill creates Section 448.106, Florida Statutes, to prohibit a political subdivision from requiring employers, including employers contracting to provide goods or services to the political subdivision, to meet or provide heat exposure requirements not otherwise required under state or federal law. It also prohibits a political subdivision from giving preference in a competitive solicitation to an employer based on the employer’s heat exposure requirements. The bill does not limit the authority of a political subdivision from establishing heat exposure requirements for its own employees. “Heat exposure requirement” is defined in the bill and includes any standard to control an employee’s exposure to heat or the sun, including water consumption and first aid measures.

The bill amends Section 218.077, Florida Statutes, relating to wage and employment benefit requirements by political subdivisions by specifying that a political subdivision may not maintain a requirement that an employer pay a minimum wage other than a state or federal minimum wage or to provide employment benefits not otherwise required by state or federal law. It also prohibits a political subdivision, through its purchasing or contracting procedures, from seeking to control or affect the wages or benefits provided by its vendors, contractors or other parties doing business with the political subdivision and prohibits a political subdivision from using evaluation factors or bid qualifications to otherwise award preferences on the basis of wages or benefits provided by vendors or other parties doing business with the political subdivision. The bill specifies that amendments to Section 218.077 do not impair any contract entered before September 30, 2026. Lastly, the bill preempts any local government regulation or requirement regulating scheduling, including predictive scheduling, by a private employer except as expressly authorized or required by state or federal law or pursuant to federal grant requirements. (Wagoner)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Food Delivery Platforms (Monitored)

CS/SB 676 (Bradley) provides for the regulation of food delivery platforms and expressly preempts such regulation to the state. A “food delivery platform” means a business that acts as a thirdparty intermediary for consumers by taking and arranging for the delivery or pickup of orders from multiple food service establishments. The term does not include delivery or pickup orders placed directly with and fulfilled by a food service establishment. The bill authorizes the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation to implement and enforce the provisions of the bill. (Branch)

Effective date: Upon becoming law.

Identification Documents (Monitored)

HB 1451 (Michael) prohibits counties and municipalities from accepting as identification any identification card or document issued by any person or entity that knowingly issues such identification cards or documents to individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States. The prohibition does not apply to any documentation issued by, or on behalf of, the federal government. (Wagoner)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Inactive Special Districts (Monitored)

CS/HB 7011 (Local Administration, Federal Affairs & Special Districts) dissolves the following inactive special districts and repeals their enabling laws: Calhoun County Transportation Authority; Dead Lakes Water Management District; Highland View Water and Sewer District; West Orange Airport Authority; and the Sunny Isles Reclamation and Water Control Board. (Branch)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Low-Voltage Alarm System Projects (Opposed)

CS/HB 535 (Snyder) clarifies a current law preemption of local government regulation of low-voltage alarm system projects by specifying that a nonelectric fence or wall must be completely enclosed only on the outside perimeter of the low-voltage electric fence but is not required to be completely enclosed on all sides. The fence must be 2 feet higher than the perimeter nonelectric fence or wall. In addition, it provides that a local government must allow low-voltage fences in

areas not exclusively zoned for single-family or multifamily residential uses and specifies that an area is not considered zoned exclusively for such residential uses if the area is within more than one zoning category. The bill expands the current law preemption to additionally preempt any local ordinance or rule that provides additional requirements beyond those in Section 553.793, Florida Statutes, for the installation and maintenance of a low-voltage alarm system project. (Branch)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Motor Vehicle Parking on Private Property (Supported)

CS/CS/HB 271 (Lopez) imposes duties and requirements on the owner or operator of private property used for motor vehicle parking, including a requirement to post visible signage containing the rules and rates for parking facilities. While current law prohibits counties and municipalities from enacting regulations restricting or prohibiting the right of a private property owner to establish rules and rates for parking on the property, the bill authorizes counties and municipalities to regulate the posted signage required by the bill relating to rules and rates for parking facilities. (Branch)

Effective date: July 4, 2024.

Public Employees (Monitored)

CS/SB 1746 (Ingoglia) modifies current law provisions that require employee organizations and bargaining units to maintain registration and certification. The bill clarifies that the Public Employees Relations Commission’s (PERC’s) authority regarding dues deductions for mass transit employees requires employees to submit membership authorization forms to the bargaining agent. It exempts specified bargaining units from the membership authorization form requirements. It expands eligible occupations for dues deductions and adjusts information submission requirements to PERC, replacing “audited” financial statements with those “prepared” by a certified public accountant. It also alters timelines for recertification petitions and circumstances for PERC to revoke registration or certification. (Chapman)

Effective date: Upon becoming law.

Special Districts (Monitored)

CS/CS/HB 7013 (Local Administration, Federal Affairs and Special Districts) revises several provisions of law relating to special districts. The bill repeals Section 163.3756, Florida Statutes, relating to inactive community development agencies. It prohibits the creation of a new safe neighborhood improvement district on or after July 1, 2024. It repeals Section 165.0615, Florida Statutes, relating to municipal conversion of independent special districts upon elector-initiated and approved referendum.

In addition, the bill creates Section 189.0312, Florida Statutes, relating to independent special districts. This new statute specifies that an elected member of an independent special district governing body may not serve for more than 12 consecutive years and provides that service of a term of office that commenced before November 5, 2024, does not count toward the 12-year limitation. This term limit does not apply to a community development district established under Chapter 190 or an independent special district created pursuant to a special act that provides that any amendment to Chapter 190 to grant additional powers constitutes a power of the district. In addition, the bill clarifies this new section does not require an independent special district governed by an appointed body to convert to an elected governing body. The bill also creates Section 189.0313, Florida Statutes, which specifies that the boundaries of an independent special district shall be changed only by general law or special act and clarifies this section does not apply to a community development district created under Chapter 190.

The bill revises Section 189.062, Florida Statutes, relating to special procedures for inactive special districts, by adding the following criteria as required documentation for the Department of Commerce to declare a special district inactive: the district is an independent special district or community redevelopment district created under Part III of Chapter 163 that has reported no revenue, no expenditures and no debt for at least five consecutive fiscal years; and for a mosquito control district, the department has received notice from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services that the district has failed to file a tentative work plan and tentative work plan budget as required by law. The bill also revises this section of law relating to newspaper publication requirements for declaration of inactive status

of a special district that is a dependent special district with a governing body that is not identical to the governing body of a single county or a single municipality. It specifies that the notice must be mailed to the governing body of the county or municipality on which the district is dependent and provides that any objection to the declaration filed pursuant to Chapter 120 may include that the special district has outstanding debt obligations. It further provides that if a special district is declared inactive pursuant to Section 189.062, the district may expend only funds necessary to service outstanding debt and to comply with existing bond covenants and contractual obligations.

The bill creates Section 189.0694, Florida Statutes, to establish performance measures and standards for special districts, to include the following: establishing goals and objectives for each program and activity undertaken by the district and providing an annual report on its website describing goals and objectives achieved by the district and any goals and objectives the district did not achieve. The bill revises Section 189.0695, Florida Statutes, to require the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability to conduct a performance review of all safe neighborhood improvement districts no later than September 30, 2025. The bill repeals Section 190.047, Florida Statutes, relating to the incorporation or annexation of a community development district. Also, the bill requires each independent fire control district to report annually to the state fire marshal regarding whether each of the district’s volunteer firefighters has completed required trainings and certifications established pursuant to Section 633.408, Florida Statutes. The bill amends Chapter 388 relating to mosquito control districts. It provides that the boundaries of each mosquito control district may be changed only by a special act of the Legislature. It reduces the allowable special tax that may be levied by a mosquito control district from 10 mills to 1 mill and authorizes the board of a district to increase the special tax to no more than 2 mills if approved by referendum. (Branch)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Substance Abuse Treatment (Monitored)

CS/CS/CS/HB 1065 (Caruso) establishes changes to the regulation and certification of substance abuse treatment providers and recovery residences. It also establishes levels of care at

certified recovery residences and the levels of care for residents in each type of certified recovery residence. The bill defines “community housing” as a certified recovery residence provided by a licensed service provider for patients in intensive treatment. It requires a service provider to obtain approval from the Florida Department of Children and Families before relocating to a different service site. The bill prohibits, after June 30, 2024, and until July 1, 2026, local ordinances from regulating the duration or frequency of a resident’s stay in a certified recovery residence located within a multifamily zoning district. It authorizes a Level IV certified recovery residence that is approved for 100 residents to manage up to 150 residents under specified conditions. (Wagoner)

Effective Date: July 1, 2024.

Towing and Storage (Monitored)

CS/CS/HB 179 (Bell) revises state laws relating to the towing and storage of vehicles and vessels. Current law requires counties and authorizes municipalities to establish maximum towing and storage rates. If the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) requests a tow, the maximum rates set by FHP apply, unless the municipality or county has established rates. The towing company may have a lien on the vehicle relating to the towing or storage fee. A county or municipality may charge a fee of up to 25% of the maximum towing rate when a vehicle is towed from public property. This fee is collected by the towing company and given to the county or municipality after it is collected. The bill requires counties and the FHP to establish maximum rates that towers may charge for cleanup and disposal of hazardous and nonhazardous materials relating to a nonconsensual tow. It authorizes, but does not require, municipalities to establish such rates. The bill requires a tower requested to perform cleanup or disposal of hazardous or nonhazardous materials to notify the applicable local government or FHP of its intent not to perform such cleanup and disposal. A local government that has established maximum towing and storage rates must publish the rates on its website, and such local government must establish a process for investigating and resolving complaints about fees charged that exceed such rates. The bill provides a list of fees that a towing-storage operator may charge the owner or operator of a vehicle or vessel and clarifies that these fees create a lien against a vehicle or vessel. It adds a provision that a tow requested by a local

government is a type of tow for which any of the listed fees create a lien against the vehicle or vessel. The bill also revises processes for law enforcement agencies to check for vehicle or vessel information. Current law requires a law enforcement agency to contact the appropriate state agency within 24 hours of authorizing a towing-storage operator to remove a vehicle or vessel or receiving notification from a towing-storage operator to determine the owner’s identity and any insurers or lienholders. The bill clarifies that the current law process for law enforcement’s search for information on a towed vehicle or vessel may be used only if an approved third-party service cannot obtain the information. Current law authorizes an investigating agency to place a hold on a vehicle stored at a towingstorage operator’s storage facility under specified circumstances. The bill provides that if a vehicle is stored at a towing-storage operator’s facility under an investigatory or evidentiary hold, the investigating agency must take possession of the vehicle within 30 days unless another time frame is otherwise agreed upon by the agency and the tower. In addition, the bill modifies the time frames for the sending of a notice of lien by a towing-storage operator; revises the number of days that must pass before certain vehicles or vessels may be sold; amends provisions relating to the inspection or release of a vehicle, vessel, or personal property; amends provisions relating to challenging a wrongful taking and to posting a bond; amends the time frames associated with notices of public sale of vehicles or vessels and revises record retention requirements for towingstorage operators. (Wagoner)

Effective date: Upon becoming law.

United States-produced Iron and Steel in Public Works Projects (Monitored)

SB 674 (Boyd) requires the state, local governments and other public agencies and taxing districts to include a requirement in contracts for a public works project or the purchase of materials for a public works project that any iron or steel product permanently incorporated in the project be produced in the United States. The bill provides definitions for “government entity,” “iron or steel product,” “manufacturing process,” “produced in the United States” and “public works project.” A public work project means an activity paid for by any stateappropriated funds or state funds administered by a governmental entity that consists of the construction, maintenance, repair, renovation,

remodeling or improvement of specified projects and facilities owned in whole or in part by a governmental entity. The requirement does not apply if the governmental entity administering funds for the project or purchase of materials for the project solely determines that: iron or steel products produced in the United States are not produced in sufficient quantities, reasonably available or of satisfactory quality; the use of United States iron or steel products will increase the total cost of the project by more than 20%; or compliance with the requirement is inconsistent with the public interest. The bill does not preclude the minimal use of foreign iron and steel materials if: the materials are incidental and ancillary to the primary product and are not separately identified in the project specifications; and the cost of the materials does not exceed one-tenth of 1% of the total contract cost or $2,500, whichever is greater. The bill also exempts specified electrical components, equipment, systems and appurtenances. The bill directs the Florida Department of Management Services to develop guidelines and procedures by rule to implement the bill’s requirements. (Branch)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Unsolicited Proposals for Public-Private Partnerships (Monitored)

CS/HB 781 (Clemons) revises the process for publicprivate partnership proposals with respect to unsolicited proposals. It changes the requirement for public entities to publish notice of unsolicited proposals from mandatory to optional. The bill permits public entities to proceed with unsolicited proposals without a public bidding process if two public meetings are held, at which the public entity considers the benefits to the public, financial structure, qualifications of the private entity, compatibility with infrastructure plans and public comments. It specifies that before approving an agreement, public entities must ensure the project is in the public’s best interest, identify benefits apart from ownership if ownership is not transferred within 10 years for an unsolicited project and determine adequate safeguards against costs or service disruptions. If the public entity decides to proceed without engaging in a public bidding process, it must publish in the Florida Administrative Register a report that includes information on the public entity’s public interest determination. (Wagoner)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

PERSONNEL

Florida Retirement System (Monitored)

CS/HB 151 (Busatta Cabrera) establishes the contribution rates paid by employers that participate in the Florida Retirement System (FRS), beginning July 1, 2024. In addition, the bill authorizes an FRS retiree to be reemployed with an FRS employer and receive both compensation and retirement benefits, provided the retiree is not reemployed within the six months immediately following the date of retirement. The effect of this change will eliminate the “suspension of benefits” period typically applied during months seven through 12 after the date of retirement. The bill also closes the FRS Preservation of Benefits Plan to new members effective July 1, 2026. (Chapman)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Military Leave (Monitored)

SB 818 (Avila) provides that public officials and employees of the state, a county, a municipality or a political subdivision are entitled to their full pay for the first 30 days of active federal military service if such service is equal to or greater than 90 consecutive days. (Cruz)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Peer Support for First Responders (Monitored)

CS/HB 1415 (Chamberlin) revises the definition of “first responder” in Section 111.09, Florida Statutes, to include correctional officers and correctional probation officers. (Cruz)

Effective date: October 1, 2024.

Treatment by a Medical Specialist (Monitored)

CS/CS/SB 808 (DiCeglie) allows firefighters, law enforcement officers, correctional officers and correctional probation officers to choose a medical specialist for treatment of a compensable presumptive condition. Written notice of the selected specialist must be provided to the workers’ compensation carrier, self-insured employer or thirdparty administrator, who must authorize treatment by the chosen specialist or an alternative medical specialist with the same or greater qualifications. Within five days after receipt of the written notice, the carrier, employer or third-party administrator must authorize treatment and schedule an appointment. The bill limits reimbursement for

specialist treatment to 200% of the Medicare rate and specifies that the specialist must be board certified in the relevant medical specialty. (Cruz)

Effective date: October 1, 2024.

PUBLIC RECORDS AND PUBLIC MEETINGS

Agency Personnel Information (Monitored)

HB 7043 (Ethics, Elections and Open Government) removes from scheduled repeal the public records exemption for certain personal and identifying information of specified agency personnel and spouses and children of such personnel. (Wagoner)

Effective date: October 1, 2024.

Animal Foster or Adoption (Monitored)

CS/CS/HB 273 (Holcomb) introduces an exemption from public records requirements for records containing personal identifying information of individuals who foster, adopt or receive legal custody of an animal from an animal shelter or animal control agency operated by a humane society or local government. (Wagoner)

Effective date: Upon becoming law.

Clerks of the Circuit Court, Deputy Clerks, and Clerk Personnel (Monitored)

CS/HB 983 (Daley) provides a public records exemption for personal and identifying and location information of current clerks of circuit court, deputy clerks of circuit court and clerk of circuit court personnel and the names and personal identifying and location information of spouses and children of such persons. The exemption is retroactive. (Wagoner)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

County and City Attorneys (Supported)

CS/HB 103 (Arrington) creates a new public records exemption for personal identifying information of current county and municipal attorneys, including deputy and assistant city and county attorneys and their families. Information exempted includes home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, places of employment of spouses and children and names and locations of schools and day care facilities of children. (Wagoner)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Financial Information Regarding Competitive Bidding (Monitored)

CS/HB 379 (Truenow) revises a current law public records exemption for any financial statement that an agency requires a prospective bidder to submit to prequalify for bidding or responding to a proposal for a road or any other public works project. The bill expands this exemption to include “any other financial information necessary for the agency to verify the financial adequacy of a prospective bidder.” (Wagoner)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Mental Health Treatment and Services (Monitored)

HB 7009 (Ethics, Elections and Open Government) saves from scheduled repeal the public records exemption for petitions for voluntary and involuntary admission for mental health treatment, court orders, related records and personal identifying information regarding persons seeking mental health treatment and services. (Wagoner)

Effective date: October 1, 2024.

Military Personnel and their Spouses and Dependents (Monitored)

SB 548 (Collins) creates a public records exemption for the identification and location information of current and former military personnel and their families. “Military personnel” means those employed by the Department of Defense with access to “secret” or “top secret” information or service members of special operations forces. The bill requires such military personnel to submit a written request to exempt the information from public disclosure to an agency holding such information. The written request must state the requestor has made reasonable efforts to protect the information from being accessible through other means available to the public. The exemption applies retroactively. (Wagoner)

Effective date: Upon becoming law.

Recording of Notification Service (Monitored)

CS/CS/HB 285 (Hunschofsky) provides that all electronic mail addresses, telephone numbers, personal and business names and parcel identification numbers submitted to a clerk of court or property appraiser for the purpose of registering for a recording notification service

or a related service pursuant to Section 28.47, Florida Statutes, are confidential and exempt from disclosure as a public record. The bill expands upon legislation enacted in 2023 that required court clerks and authorized property appraisers to create a free recording notification service under which property owners may register for notification if a land record has been filed on their property. The public records exemption applies to information held before, on or after the bill’s effective date. (Wagoner)

Effective date: Upon becoming law.

Reporter of Child Abuse, Abandonment or Neglect (Monitored)

HB 7001 (Ethics, Elections and Open Government Subcommittee) removes from scheduled repeal the exemption from public record requirements for other identifying information related to individuals reporting child abuse, abandonment or neglect, except under certain circumstances. (Wagoner)

Effective date: October 1, 2024.

School Guardians (Monitored)

HB 1509 (Trabulsy) creates a public records exemption for information relating to school guardians held by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, a law enforcement agency, a school district or a charter school. (Wagoner)

Effective date: The same day that HB 1473 relating to School Safety (July 1, 2024) or similar legislation takes effect.

Suicide Victims (Monitored)

CS/SB 474 (Grall) creates a public records exemption for a photograph or video or audio recording that depicts or records the suicide of a person when it is held by an agency, as well as an autopsy report of a person whose manner of death was suicide. It allows for disclosure to a surviving spouse, surviving parents or surviving adult children or siblings, as specified. The bill also defines the term “suicide of a person” and specifies procedures for disclosure to certain government entities and notification of the disclosure to appropriate next of kin. The records exemptions in the bill are retroactive. (Wagoner)

Effective date: Upon becoming law.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Car Racing Penalties (Monitored)

SB 1764 (Pizzo) increases the maximum penalties for violating statutory prohibitions in Section 316.191, Florida Statutes, against drag racing, street takeovers, stunt driving, competitions, contests, tests or exhibitions. In addition, the bill provides penalties for knowingly impeding, obstructing or interfering with an authorized emergency vehicle that is on call and responding to an emergency while a person is participating in a drag race, street takeover, stunt driving, competition, contest, test or exhibition. (Wagoner)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Employment (Monitored)

CS/CS/HB 49 (Chaney) modifies Section 450.081, Florida Statutes, relating to certain employment restrictions for minors. The current law provision that limits minors 15 years of age or younger from working more than 15 hours in any one week is modified to apply only when school is in session. For minors 16 and 17 years of age, such minors may work after 11:00 p.m. if school is not scheduled the following day; may not work more than eight hours in one day if school is scheduled the following day, except when the day of work is on a holiday or Sunday; and may not work more than 30 hours in one week when school is in session unless this limitation is waived by a parent, custodian or the school superintendent. The bill reduces the age of a minor from 17 to 15 years of age, who: may not be permitted to work for more than six consecutive days in one week and may not be permitted to work for more than four hours continuously without at least a 30-minute break. Minors 16 and 17 years of age who work more than eight hours in one day may not work for more than four hours continuously without at least a 30-minute break. The bill modified existing exemptions and creates new exemptions for the work limitations for minors in this section of law. It exempts the following minors from the limitations in Subsections 450.081(1)-(4):

▸ Minors in public and private schools who qualify on a hardship basis, such as economic necessity or family emergency, as determined by the school superintendent

▸ Minors 16 and 17 years of age who are in a home education program or enrolled in an approved virtual education program in which the minor is

separated from the teacher by time only

▸ Minors in domestic service in private homes, employed by their parents, or who serve as pages in the Florida Legislature.

It authorizes the Florida Department of Education to grant waivers of the restrictions imposed by Section 450.081. Finally, the bill authorizes the imposition of penalties upon employers in violation of the law, as provided in Section 450.141. (Wagoner)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Exposures of First Responders to Fentanyl and Fentanyl Analogs (Supported)

CS/CS/SB 718 (Collins) establishes penalties relating to the exposure of first responders to fentanyl or fentanyl analogs. As defined in the bill, first responders include an emergency medical technician, a paramedic, a firefighter, a correctional officer, a correctional probation officer and a state or local law enforcement officer who is acting in their official capacity. The bill provides that it is a second-degree felony for a person aged 18 or older who, in the course of unlawfully possessing fentanyl or fentanyl analogs, recklessly exposes a first responder to such substance that results in overdose or serious bodily injury of the first responder. In addition, the bill provides immunity from arrest and prosecution for a person who, acting in good faith, seeks medical assistance because they or another person is experiencing an alcohol- or drug-related overdose. (Wagoner)

Effective date: October 1, 2024.

Impeding, Threatening or Harassing First Responders (Supported)

SB 184 (Avila) creates Section 843.31, Florida Statutes, to prohibit a person, after receiving a verbal warning not to approach a first responder engaged in the lawful performance of a legal duty, from violating such a warning and approaching or remaining within 25 feet of the first responder with intent to impede or interfere with the first responder’s ability to perform such duty, threaten the first responder with physical harm or harass the first responder. The term “first responder” includes a law enforcement officer, a correctional probation officer, a firefighter and an emergency medical care provider. The term “harass” means to willfully engage in a course of conduct directed

at a first responder that intentionally causes substantial emotional distress in that first responder and serves no legitimate purpose. Violation of Section 843.31 is a second-degree misdemeanor. (Wagoner)

Effective date: January 1, 2025.

Law Enforcement and Correctional Officers (Opposed)

HB 601 (Duggan) addresses the use of civilian oversight boards relating to municipal and county law enforcement. It amends Section 112.533, Florida Statutes, to ensure a uniform process for receiving, processing and investigating complaints against law enforcement and correctional officers and prohibits a political subdivision from adopting or enforcing any ordinance relating to the processing or investigation of complaints of misconduct except as expressly provided in Section 112.533 or relating to civilian oversight of investigations by law enforcement agencies of complaints of misconduct. The bill authorizes sheriffs and municipal police chiefs to establish civilian oversight boards to review the policies and procedures of the sheriff’s office and police department and provides for the membership of such boards. (Wagoner)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Lights Displayed on Fire Department Vehicles (Monitored)

CS/HB 463 (Bartleman) addresses the circumstances under which government-owned fire department vehicles may display blue lights. Current law permits fire department and fire patrol vehicles to display red or red and white lights. The bill authorizes government-owned fire department vehicles, except vehicles of the fire patrol or volunteer fire departments, to display blue lights in addition to red or red and white lights if the vehicles: have a gross vehicle rating of more than 24,000 pounds, are authorized in writing by the fire chief of the government agency and show or display the blue lights only in the rear. (Wagoner)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Offenses Involving Critical Infrastructure (Supported)

CS/CS/CS/HB 275 (Canady) creates new criminal offenses involving critical infrastructure, which is defined as any linear asset or any of the

following for which the owner or operator thereof has employed measures designed to exclude unauthorized persons:

▸ An electric power generation, transmission or distribution facility or a substation, a switching station or an electrical control center

▸ A chemical or rubber manufacturing or storage facility or a mining facility

▸ A natural gas or compressed gas compressor station or storage facility

▸ A gas processing plant, including a plant used in the processing, treatment or fractionation of natural gas

▸ A liquid natural gas or propane gas terminal or storage facility exceeding a specified capacity

▸ A wireless or wired communications facility

▸ A water intake structure, water treatment facility, wastewater treatment plant, pump station or lift station

▸ Specified seaports, airports or spaceports

▸ A railroad switching yard, trucking terminal or other freight transportation facility

▸ A transmission facility used by a federally licensed radio or television station

▸ A military facility or base or civilian defense base

▸ A dam as defined in Section 373.403, Florida Statutes, or other specified water control structures.

The bill establishes criminal penalties for tampering with critical infrastructure resulting in specified monetary damage or cost to restore. Civil liability is also imposed upon conviction for such violations. Additionally, the bill provides criminal penalties for trespassing on critical infrastructure and unauthorized access to or tampering with specified electronic devices or networks of critical infrastructure. (Branch)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Purple Alert (Monitored)

HB 937 (Casello) requires local law enforcement agencies to develop policies for activation of a “Purple Alert” for missing adults with certain mental or cognitive disabilities; intellectual or developmental disabilities; a brain injury or another physical, mental or emotional disability, under specified circumstances. The local policy requirements apply to a missing adult on foot or in an unidentified vehicle. The bill specifies minimum requirements for local Purple Alert policies and the

conditions under which a local law enforcement agency may request the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s (FDLE’s) Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse to open a case. It also identifies the roles of FDLE and other agencies in disseminating a Purple Alert. (Wagoner)

Effective Date: July 1, 2024.

Return of Weapons and Arms Following an Arrest (Monitored)

CS/SB 1286 (Collins) requires weapons, electric weapons or devices, or arms taken from a person pursuant to an arrest that are not seized as evidence or seized and subject to forfeiture be returned to the person upon request within 30 days of such request if: the person has been released from detention; the person provides a form of government-issued identification; and, if requesting return of a firearm, a completed criminal history background check confirms the person is not prohibited from possessing a firearm, including not having any prohibition arising from an injunction, a risk protection order or any other court order. The bill authorizes a sheriff or chief of police to develop procedures for the timely return of such weapons or arms and prohibits a sheriff or police chief from requiring a court order before releasing weapons that were not seized as evidence in a criminal proceeding unless there are competing claims of ownership of such weapons. The bill also deletes a current law provision in Section 933.14, Florida Statutes, that prohibits return of a pistol or firearm taken by an officer without a search warrant upon a view by the officer of a breach of the peace. (Wagoner)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Unauthorized Sale of Alcoholic Beverages (Monitored)

CS/SB 1090 (Martin) revises the punishment for the unlawful sale of alcoholic beverages and provides an additional ground in Section 893.138, Florida Statutes, for local nuisance abatement boards to declare a place or premises a public nuisance. Specifically, a new paragraph (h) is added to the statute to allow a place or premises to be declared a public nuisance if used for the unlicensed or unlawful sale of alcoholic beverages on more than two occasions within a 12-month period. (Wagoner)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

SHORT-TERM RENTALS

Vacation Rentals (Opposed)

CS/SB 280 (DiCeglie) revises current law relating to vacation rentals, including local government preemptions and authorized actions.

Local Preemption and Authorizations: The bill preempts the licensing and regulation of vacation rentals to the state and establishes parameters for local vacation rental registration programs and conditions for suspension or revocation of the registration.

Local Registration Programs: The bill authorizes a local ordinance or regulation to require the registration of vacation rentals with a local registration program and to impose a fine for failure to register. A local government that implements a local registration program pursuant to the new requirements must prepare a business impact estimate before implementing such registration program. The local government may charge a reasonable fee per unit for processing a registration application and may require annual renewal of a registration, including a reasonable renewal fee. A change in ownership may be subject to a new application for registration. The bill authorizes a local government to charge a reasonable fee to inspect the rental for compliance with the Florida Building Code and the Florida Fire Prevention Code. As a condition of registration or renewal, a local registration program may require the operator of a vacation rental to do only the following:

• Submit identifying information about the owner, the operator and the premises

• Provide proof of a state license with the unique identifier issued by the Division of Hotels and Restaurants of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (Division)

• Obtain all required tax registrations, receipts or certificates issued by the Department of Revenue, a county or a municipality

• Update the required information as necessary

• Pay in full all recorded municipal or county code liens against the subject premises

• Designate and maintain a responsible

party capable of responding to complaints or emergencies, including 24/7 telephone availability, and for receiving legal notice of violations

• State and comply with the maximum overnight occupancy of the rental that does not exceed two persons per bedroom, plus an additional two persons in one common area, or more than two persons per bedroom if there is at least 50 square feet per person, plus an additional two persons in one common area, whichever is greater.

A local government has 15 business days to review a registration application and approve or deny the application, or the application is deemed accepted. A local government must provide written notice of a denial of registration, and the notice must specify the reasons and legal authority for the denial. It may not prohibit an applicant from reapplying if the identified deficiencies are cured. Upon acceptance of a registration application, the local government must assign a unique registration number to the rental unit and provide it to the rental operator and the Division. The bill authorizes a local government to fine a vacation rental operator up to $500 if the operator fails to continue to meet the registration requirements or is operating a vacation rental without registering with the local government. The local government must issue notice of the violation and provide the operator 15 days to cure the violation before issuing a fine. The bill specifies that an order imposing a fine may be recorded in the public records and constitute a lien against the real property on which the violation occurred and provides additional details relating to the accrual of fines and lien satisfaction.

Suspension of Local Registration: The bill specifies requirements for code violations related to the vacation rental and establishes conditions under which a local registration may be suspended. A code enforcement board or special magistrate may recommend suspension of a registration if there are: one or more violations on five separate days during a 60-day period (suspension of up to 30 days); one or more violations on five separate days during a 30-day period (suspension of up to 60 days); or one or more violations after two prior suspensions of rental registration (suspension

of up to 90 days). A local registration may not be suspended for violations of a local law that are not directly related to the vacation rental premises. The bill provides time frames for providing notices of a registration suspension to the operator and to the Division and, effective January 1, 2026, requires local governments to use the vacation rental information system created by the Division to provide notice to the Division. The bill authorizes a local government to revoke or refuse to renew a local registration if the registration has been suspended three times; there is an unsatisfied, recorded municipal or county lien on the property; or the premises and its owner are the subject of a final order or judgment directing the termination of the premises’ use as a vacation rental. The local government must provide notice of the revocation of, or refusal to renew, a local vacation rental registration. The revocation of, or refusal to renew, a local vacation rental registration may be appealed to circuit court, and the court may assess and award costs and fees to the prevailing party. The bill clarifies that it does not prohibit a local government from establishing a local ordinance or regulation if it is uniformly applied without regard to whether the residential property is used as a vacation rental.

Grandfathering: The bill maintains the grandfathering of local regulations adopted on or before June 1, 2011, including a local regulation that is amended to be less restrictive or to comply with the new requirements of the bill. The new requirements do not apply to any county registration requirements adopted on or before January 1, 2016, and any amendments thereto adopted before January 1, 2024 (essentially exempting Flagler County).

State Requirements:

The bill requires vacation rental advertising platforms to collect and remit specified taxes for vacation rental transactions. It requires advertising platforms to require persons placing listings for vacation rentals to include certain information in advertisements or listings. The bill authorizes the Division to revoke, refuse to issue or renew, or suspend any vacation rental licenses under specified circumstances. It authorizes the Division to issue temporary licenses while a license application is pending and requires the Division to issue a unique

identifier on each license. A state license and a local registration number, if applicable, must be conspicuously displayed inside the establishment. The bill requires advertising platforms to require persons who advertise or list a rental to include in the listing the vacation rental license number and, if applicable, the local registration number. The listing must also attest that the registration information is current and accurate. Effective January 1, 2026, an advertising platform shall:

▸ Remove from public view a listing within 15 days after notification that a state rental license or local registration (if applicable) has been suspended, revoked or not renewed or fails to display a valid state license number with the associated unique identifier or, if applicable, a local registration number

▸ Provide to the Division on a quarterly basis a list of all vacation rentals located in the state that are advertised on the platform.

The bill provides for enforcement and the assessment of fines by the Division.

Vacation Rental Information System: The bill directs the Division, by July 1, 2025, to create and maintain a vacation rental information system and specifies minimum requirements for the system, including a component to allow local government users to notify the Division of a suspension, revocation or refusal to renew a local registration and a component to allow local governments to verify the status of a vacation rental license and any local registration.

State Enforcement: The bill authorizes the Division to revoke, refuse to issue or renew, or suspend for a period of not more than 30 days a license of a vacation rental if: the premises are operated as a vacation rental in violation of the terms of an applicable lease or property restriction; a local government has suspended or revoked local registration; or the premises and its owner are the subject of a court order or judgment directing the termination of the premises’ use as a vacation rental. A suspension by the Division must run concurrently with any local registration suspension. (Wagoner)

Effective date: July 1, 2024, except as otherwise expressly provided.

TRANSPORTATION

Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (Monitored)

CS/CS/SB 1084 (Collins) is the legislative package for the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Among other things, the bill preempts the regulation of electric vehicle charging stations to the state and prohibits local governments from enacting related regulations. (Branch)

Effective date: July 1, 2024, except as specified.

Department of Transportation (Monitored)

CS/CS/CS/HB 1301 (Abbott) addresses numerous matters related to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Notable provisions include:

▸ Revises the FDOT’s areas of program responsibility

▸ Revises airport land use and zoning compatibility requirements by requiring zoning regulations to “address” rather than “consider” the requirements in Section 333.03(2) and prohibiting construction of residential and educational facilities within a specified buffer zone adjacent to an airport if the airport hasn’t conducted a noise study

▸ Creates Section 334.61, which requires a governmental entity that proposes to repurpose existing traffic lanes to conduct a study to address adverse impacts, provide notice to the public and affected property owners, provide opportunity for comment and hold at least one public hearing

▸ Provides a new restriction that FDOT may not expend any state funds to support a project or program of a public transit provider, authority, public-use airport or a port if that entity violates Section 381.00316 relating to mask mandates

▸ Provides that the remainder of the revenues deposited into the State Transportation Trust Fund (STTF) derived from the registration of motor vehicles must first be available for appropriation for payments under a service contract entered into with the Florida Department of Transportation Financing Corporation to fund arterial highway projects

▸ Allows FDOT to enter a service contract with the Florida Department of Transportation Financing Corporation to finance projects identified in the Moving Florida Forward Infrastructure Initiative in the Work Program

▸ Requires that any lane elimination or lane repurposing, recommendation or application

relating to public transit projects must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the transit authority board in a public meeting after a 30day public notice and that any action of eminent domain for acquisition of public transit facilities carried out by a public transit provider must be discussed by the public transit provider at a public meeting after a 30-day public notice

▸ Provides that the remaining unallocated New Starts Transit Program funds, as of June 30 of each fiscal year, must be reallocated for the purpose of the Strategic Intermodal System

▸ Provides that annually, by November 1, 2024, each public transit provider must certify during a public meeting that its budgeted and general administration costs are not greater than 20% above the annual state average of administrative costs for its respective tier; present a line-item budget report of its budgeted and actual general administration costs; and disclose all salaried executive and management level employees’ total compensation packages, ridership performance and metrics and any gift accepted in exchange for contracts

▸ Specifying that a public transit provider may not expend FDOT funds for marketing or advertising activities on any bus or motor vehicle owned or operated by the provider and further specifying the content of messages that may be displayed on such vehicles

▸ Revises provisions relating to railroad crossing offenses

▸ Allows specified local governments to compete for additional project funding under the Small County Outreach Program for projects on roads used primarily as farm-to-market connections. (Branch)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Interstate Safety (Monitored)

HB 317 (Persons-Mulicka) amends Section 316.081 of the Florida Statutes. It introduces a definition for the term “furthermost left-hand lane” and prohibits drivers from operating motor vehicles in this lane on roadways with two or more lanes allowing movement in the same direction and a posted speed limit of at least 65 mph, except under specific circumstances such as overtaking and passing another vehicle, preparing to exit or as directed by traffic control devices. Exceptions are provided for authorized emergency vehicles and vehicles involved in highway maintenance or construction

operations. Violations of this provision are classified as noncriminal traffic infractions subject to penalties outlined in Chapter 318. (Branch)

Effective date: January 1, 2025.

Traffic Enforcement (Opposed)

CS/CS/HB 1363 (Busatta Cabrera) imposes additional requirements on the installation and use of traffic infraction detectors, including school zone cameras. The bill prohibits, after July 2025, using a contract awarded by another governmental entity outside this state to procure contracts with any traffic infraction system vendor or manufacturer. It also prohibits a governmental entity from knowingly entering or renewing a contract for a camera to enforce traffic infractions where the contracting vendor is owned by the government of a foreign country of concern or a foreign country of concern has a controlling interest in the contracting vendor. The bill revises Section 316.0083, Florida Statutes, to add a new paragraph (4)(a), which requires the following:

▸ After July 1, 2025, a county or municipality must enact an ordinance for the placement or installation of one or more traffic infraction detectors. It requires the local government to consider, at the public hearing on the ordinance, data supporting the installation and operation of each detector, including intersection-specific safety data.

▸ A county or municipality operating traffic infraction detectors must annually report the results of all traffic infraction detectors within the county or municipality’s jurisdiction and consider the report at a public meeting.

▸ Before a county or municipality contracts or renews a contract to place or install traffic infraction detectors, the county or municipality must approve the contract or contract renewal at a regular or special meeting of the county or municipality’s governing body.

▸ Specific public meeting requirements relating to the adoption of ordinances, consideration of the annual report and contracts relating to traffic infraction detectors.

A local government’s compliance or sufficiency of compliance with the new paragraph (4)(a) may not be raised in a proceeding challenging specified traffic violations enforced by a traffic infraction detector. A local government that does not comply with the new paragraph (4)(a) is suspended

from operating traffic infraction detectors under 316.0083(4) until such noncompliance is corrected. Lastly, the bill requires local governments operating traffic infraction detectors to report specified information to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles on an annual basis. (Branch)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Transportation (Monitored)

CS/CS/CS/HB 287 (Esposito) addresses transportation matters relating to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, including the amount of fuel tax revenues and fees that FDOT may spend on public transportation projects, basic driver improvement courses, FDOT’s use of public-private partnerships, FDOT’s use of design-build contracts, limitations on liability of FDOT and its contracts and design engineers and a previous property owner’s right of first refusal for property that FDOT acquired but subsequently determines is no longer needed. With respect to local governments, the bill specifies that a local government entity may not deem reclaimed asphalt material as solid waste. In addition, the bill codifies FDOT’s existing Local Agency Program in Section 339.28201, Florida Statutes, for the purpose of assisting counties, municipalities and other eligible governmental entities to develop, design and construct transportation facilities using funds allocated by federal agencies to FDOT. It species the following requirements for the Local Agency Program: FDOT must update the project cost estimate in the year the project is granted to the local agency and include a contingency amount as part of the project estimate; local agencies shall prioritize local projects through their respective metropolitan planning organizations or governing boards that are eligible for reimbursement for the services provided; federal highway funds are available only to local agencies that are certified by FDOT based on their qualifications, experience, ability to comply with federal requirements and ability to undertake and complete the work; local agencies must include in their contracts to develop, design and construct transportation facilities the following: FDOT’s Division I General Requirements and Covenants for local agencies and a contingency amount in the project cost to account for unforeseen conditions. (Branch)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

UTILITIES AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Anchoring Limitation Areas (Monitored)

CS/HB 437 (Porras) revises the anchoring limitation areas in Biscayne Bay and changes documentation requirements to provide a vessel’s location within these areas. (O’Hara)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Energy Resources (Opposed)

CS/CS/HB 1645 (Payne) revises various statutes relating to energy policy and regulation. It requires rural electric cooperatives and municipal electric utilities to have a least one mutual aid agreement with another electric utility for power restoration purposes following a natural disaster. In addition, it provides that a “Resiliency Facility” is a permitted use in all local government commercial, industrial and manufacturing land use categories and districts, and it specifies that such facilities must comply with landscape and buffering requirements for similar uses. A Resiliency Facility is defined as a facility of a public utility used for assembling, creating, holding, or deploying natural gas reserves for temporary use during a system outage or natural disaster. The bill prohibits a local government, after July 2024, from amending its comprehensive plan or land development regulations in a manner that would conflict with a resiliency facility’s classification as a permitted use in all land use categories and districts. The bill removes current law requirements that direct state agencies to purchase “climate-friendly preferred products” and to contract with “Green Lodging” facilities. In addition, the bill removes current law provisions that require state agencies to purchase the most fuel-efficient vehicles. The bill requires a public utility to petition the Florida Public Service Commission for approval before retiring an electric power plant. In addition, the bill authorizes the Commission to approve voluntary public utility programs for residential electric vehicle charging if the program will not adversely affect the utility’s rate payers. The bill revises the goals and objectives of the state’s energy policy and eliminates various grants and programs relating to renewable energy, energy efficiency, and climate. It prohibits community development districts and homeowners’ associations from prohibiting utility fuel sources and gas appliances. The bill directs the Public Service Commission to assess, study and report on the following: modernization of the

state’s electric grid, the security and resiliency of the state’s electric grid and natural gas facilities and the feasibility of using advanced nuclear power technologies. It prohibits the construction or expansion of offshore wind energy facilities and certain wind turbines located on real property within a mile of the state’s coastline or intracoastal waterways or on waters of the state. The bill increases the minimum length of an intrastate natural gas pipeline that requires certification under the Natural Gas Transmission Pipeline Siting Act from 15 miles to 100 miles. (O’Hara)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Florida Department of Environmental Protection (Monitored)

CS/CS/HB 1557 (Chaney) is the legislative package for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and revises various authorizing statutes for the agency. Among other things, the bill requires water management districts to develop rules that: encourage the use of reclaimed water, encourage potable water offsets that produce significant water savings beyond those required in a consumptive use permit (CUP), and provide for extended CUP permits if an applicant proposes a water supply development or water resource development project using reclaimed water and the reclaimed water product meets advanced waste treatment standards. It requires all domestic wastewater treatment facilities to prepare a reuse feasibility study and to implement reuse when feasible. It requires that any wastewater treatment facility providing reclaimed water that will be used for commercial or residential irrigation within a Nutrient Basin Management Action Plan or reasonable assurance plan area must meet advanced waste treatment standards. In addition, the bill amends the use of Resilient Florida Grant Program funds for local governments to include updates to critical asset inventories and the development of strategies, plans, and projects that enhance community preparations for threats from flooding and sea level rise, as well as adaptation plans. The bill expands the information that must be submitted to DEP when vulnerability assessments are funded. In addition, it requires DEP to coordinate with the Chief Resilience Officer and the Florida Flood Hub for Applied Research and Innovation in developing and maintaining the sea level rise data set and in updating the Comprehensive Statewide Flood Vulnerability and

Sea Level Rise Data Set. The bill also clarifies the Legislature’s intent that the transfer of the Onsite Sewage Program from the Florida Department of Health to DEP be completed in a phased approach. It requires DEP to establish an enhanced nutrientreducing onsite sewage approval program that will expedite the approval of such systems for use. Finally, the bill designates the Kristin Jacobs Coral Reef Ecosystem Conservation Area as an aquatic preserve. (O’Hara)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Florida Red Tide Mitigation and Technology Development Initiative (Monitored)

CS/CS/HB 1565 (Grant) amends provisions relating to the Florida Red Tide Mitigation and Technology Development Initiative, which was established by the Legislature in 2019 to develop technologies to address the negative impacts of red tide on Florida. It requires the Initiative, after completion and lab-based testing of technologies, to develop recommendations for field trial deployment in state waters and to submit a report of its findings. The bill requires the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to expedite regulatory reviews for the recurring use of technologies in state waters. It also eliminates the expiration date of the Initiative. (O’Hara)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Funding for Environmental Resource Management (Supported)

CS/SB 1638 (Hutson) deposits 96% of any revenue share payments from the Indian Gaming Compact into the Indian Gaming Revenue Clearing Trust Fund for environmental resource management purposes. The bill provides revenue allocations for the Florida Wildlife Corridor, management of uplands and invasive species removal, the Statewide Flooding and Sea Level Rise Resilience Plan, and the Water Protection and Sustainability Program Trust Fund. The bill creates the Local Trail Management Grant Program within the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to assist local governments with trail operation and maintenance costs. It authorizes the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to enter agreements with private landowners for environmental services within the Florida Wildlife Corridor. The bill revises the Water Quality Improvement Grant Program to prioritize projects

that reduce nutrient loading to water bodies and improve water quality. In addition, the bill provides appropriations for various environmental, land acquisition and land management initiatives and water quality studies. (O’Hara)

Effective date: Upon becoming law.

Improvements to Real Property (Supported)

CS/CS/SB 770 (Martin) clarifies that a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program administrator may only offer financing to a residential or commercial property within the jurisdiction of a county or municipality that has authorized the program by ordinance or resolution. The bill also expands the eligible uses of the program, which include improvements for advanced wastewater treatment, flood mitigation and sustainable building. The bill tightens the consumer protections surrounding the program (including additional disclosure requirements and greater financial scrutiny on a property owner’s ability to repay), enhances oversight of contractors that install improvements and imposes additional obligations on program administrators. Commercial and residential PACE programs are placed into separate statutes for clarity. It allows current contracts and authorizations between a county or municipality and a program administrator to continue without additional action by counties or municipalities, but a program administrator must comply with the changes, and any contract, authorization or interlocal agreement must be amended to comply with the changes. (O’Hara)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Leaf Blowers (Monitored)

HB 5003 (Appropriations) is the implementing bill for HB 5001, the General Appropriations Act. Section 74 of HB 5003 is tied to a $100,000 appropriation to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to conduct a life cycle analysis of leaf blowers powered by gas compared to other electric or battery-operated alternatives. The Department’s report must be submitted to the Legislature by January 2025. Section 74 of HB 5003 provides that a county or municipality may not amend or adopt an ordinance that restricts or prohibits the operation of a gas-powered leaf blower. This prohibition expires July 1, 2025. (O’Hara)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Marine Encroachment on Military Operations (Monitored)

SB 1720 (Rodriguez) adds additional military installations associated with Naval Air Station Key West to Section 163.3175, Florida Statutes, which requires cooperation between local governments and specified military installations and ranges to promote compatible land uses. The additional military installations include various annexes across Boca Chica Key and Key West, and the Fleming Bay/Patton Water Drop Zone training range used by the Army Special Forces Underwater Operations School. (O’Hara)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Mitigation (Monitored)

CS/CS/CS/SB 1532 (Brodeur) expands the state’s water quality enhancement credit program in Section 373.4134, Florida Statutes, and amends Section 373.4135, Florida Statutes, regarding wetlands mitigation banks and offsite regional mitigation. A water quality enhancement area (WQEA) is a natural system designed to provide offsite, compensatory, regional treatment within an identified enhancement service area, for which enhancement credits may be provided. WQEA permits must provide for the award of credits based on units of pollution removed. The bill authorizes WQEA credits to be sold to governmental entities seeking to meet an assigned basin management action plan allocation or reasonable assurance plan or to private or governmental applicants for the purpose of achieving net improvement of the water quality in a receiving water body that does not meet water quality standards, or for meeting environmental resource permit performance standards. In addition, the bill allows limited use of local government land for private wetland mitigation banks, provided the private mitigation banks are in credit-deficient basins and would produce certain habitat-type credits that are unavailable or insufficient in such basins. It authorizes a local government with land in a credit-deficient basin to consider, through the public procurement process, a proposal from a private entity for the right to establish a mitigation bank on the local government land. If a mitigation bank is established on local government land, the local government and private entity must enter a use agreement that meets specified requirements. Public funds may not be used to fund the financial assurances for construction or implementation of the bank. The bill specifies that in determining the number of mitigation bank credits

to be awarded, the proposed bank’s location in or adjacent to local government conservation lands may not increase the Uniform Mitigation Assessment Method location factor assessment and scoring value, even if the conservation status of the mitigation bank land is improved due to its location. (O’Hara)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Ratification of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s

Rules Relating to Stormwater (Supported)

CS/SB 7040 (Environment and Natural Resources) ratifies rule 62-330, relating to environmental resource permitting for stormwater management and requires legislative approval for future amendments to the rule. The bill makes additional changes to the proposed rule, including the following:

1) clarifying provisions relating to grandfathered projects; 2) providing that entities implementing stormwater best management practices also regulated under different provisions of law are not subject to duplicate inspections for the same practices; and 3) allowing alternative treatment standards for redevelopment projects in areas with impaired waters. SB 7040 also provides additional grandfathering for the following: 1) stormwater management plans and designs included with a project associated with an application for site plan or subdivision plat approval submitted before January 1, 2024; 2) valid development of regional impact (DRI) projects with a development order approved prior to January 1, 2024, 3) planned unit development (PUD) projects with an approved final development plan prior to January 1, 2024; 4) stormwater management systems constructed in accordance with a binding ecosystem management agreement executed before January 2024; and 5) a regional stormwater management system designed and permitted under part IV of Chapter 373, Florida Statues, before January 2024. The DRI development order grandfathering provision terminates in 2044, and the PUD grandfathering provision terminates in 2034. (O’Hara)

Effective date: Upon becoming law.

Release of Balloons (Supported)

CS/HB 321 (Chaney) expands current law restrictions on balloon releases and revises penalties relating to littering. The bill prohibits the intentional release of any number of balloons inflated with a gas lighter than air, with specified

exceptions. It removes the current law exemption for biodegradable or photodegradable balloons. Violation of the prohibition results in a noncriminal littering infraction. The bill provides that children 6 years of age or younger are exempt from the prohibition. (O’Hara)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Sampling of Beach Waters and Public Bathing Spaces (Monitored)

CS/CS/HB 165 (Gossett-Seidman) requires the Florida Department of Health to adopt and enforce certain rules and issue health advisories for beach waters and public bathing places if the results of bacteriological water sampling at the site do not meet health standards. The bill also expands the current law preemption of the issuance of health advisories related to bacteriological sampling of beach waters to include public bathing places. The bill specifies that beach waters and public bathing places must close if closure is necessary to protect health and safety and must remain closed until the water quality is restored per the Department’s standards. The bill requires the Department to adopt by rule specifications for signage that must be used when it issues a health advisory against swimming in affected beach waters or public bathing places due to elevated levels of specified bacteria and requires such signage to be placed at beach access points and access points to public bathing places until the health advisory is removed. The bill specifies that municipalities and counties are responsible for posting and maintaining the signage around beaches and public bathing places they own. In addition, the bill requires the Department of Environmental Protection to investigate nearby wastewater facilities to determine if the facility contributed to an incident. (O’Hara)

Effective date: July 1, 2024.

Utility Owned or Operated by a Unit of Local Government (Supported)

CS/SB 7006 (Regulated Industries) saves from repeal the current public records and public meetings exemptions of the following information held by a utility owned or operated by a unit of local government:

▸ Information related to the security of the technology, processes or practices that are designed to protect the utility’s networks, computers, programs and data from attack, damage, or unauthorized access

▸ Information relating to the security of existing or proposed information technology systems or industrial control technology systems

▸ Customer meter-derived data and billing information in increments of less than one billing cycle. (O’Hara)

Effective date: October 1, 2024.

BILLS THAT FAILED

BUILDING CODE/CONSTRUCTION

Use of Private Providers for Plans Review and Inspection (Monitored)

HB 579 (Griffitts) would have allowed private providers the ability to handle plan review and inspection tasks. Of concerns to cities, the bill would have done the following:

▸ Defined “private provider firm” as a legally recognized business offering services through licensed agents, noting that licensed building code administrators, engineers or architects may act as private providers within these firms.

▸ Required private provider firms employing licensed architects and engineers to qualify as a business organization under specific statutes.

▸ Mandated a reduction in permit fees by local jurisdictions when private providers are used for plan review or building inspection services, outlining a process for complaints, refunds and fines through the Department of Commerce if fees are not adequately reduced.

▸ Prohibited local jurisdiction, officials or agencies from conducting their own plan reviews or inspections when a private provider is retained and refrains from charging fees for building inspections conducted by private providers (though a reasonable administrative fee may be applied).

▸ Established specific response times for local building officials regarding permit issuance, including issuing permits or providing detailed notices of noncompliance within prescribed time frames. Failure to comply with these time frames results in the automatic approval of the permit application.

▸ Described processes for addressing plan deficiencies, including time tolling during resolution, and set additional review time limits following resubmissions to address cited deficiencies. (Branch)

CYBERSECURITY

Artificial Intelligence (Monitored)

SB 972 (Gruters) would have created the Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council within the Department of Management Services. The bill would have

preempted a county or city or any political subdivision thereof from regulating the private and public use of artificial intelligence systems. (Wagoner)

ETHICS AND ELECTIONS

Ballot Boxes (Monitored)

SB 190 (Garcia) and HB 671 (Borrero) would have required a law enforcement officer to transport ballot boxes or ballot transfer containers from a supervisor of elections to a precinct and would have required that all ballot boxes and ballot transfer containers be supervised by a law enforcement officer at all times. The bills would have required all ballot boxes, ballots, ballot stubs, memoranda and papers relating to the tabulation of votes and proclamation of results under Section 102.071, Florida Statutes, to be transported by a law enforcement officer. (O’Hara)

Election Board Composition (Monitored)

SB 782 (Yarborough) would have amended Section 102.012, Florida Statutes, to require election boards to include at least one member from each of the two largest political parties in the state. (O’Hara)

Government Accountability (Monitored)

CS/CS/SB 734 (Ingoglia) and CS/CS/HB 735 (Andrade) would have imposed restrictions on the renewal or extension of contracts for the chief executive officer of a municipality and the municipal general counsel; lobbyist registration requirements for lobbying counties, municipalities or special districts; and would have revised physical quorum requirements for public meetings. The bills would have prohibited a person from lobbying a county, municipality or special district unless he or she was registered with the Florida Commission on Ethics for lobbying the county, municipality or special district. The Commission would have been required to maintain a public database of persons registered to lobby a municipality, county or special district. The bills would have required a county, municipality or special district from knowingly authorizing a person who is not registered as a lobbyist with the Commission to lobby the county, municipality or special district. “Lobby” was defined as seeking,

on behalf of another person or group, to influence a decision of the governing entity in an area of policy or procurement or attempt to obtain the goodwill of an official or employee of such entity.

“Lobbyist” had the same meaning as in Section 112.3215(1). The bills would have authorized the Commission to investigate violations of the registration requirements upon receipt of a sworn complaint alleging a violation of the lobbyist registration requirements. It would have directed the Commission to provide the county, municipality or special district with a report of its findings and recommendations and authorized the chief executive officer of the county, municipality or special district to enforce the Commission’s findings and recommendations. CS/CS/SB 734 would have preempted and superseded any ordinance or charter provision establishing a lobbyist registration program adopted before July 1, 2024. CS/CS/HB 735 did not preempt or supersede any local government lobbyist registration program adopted before January 1, 2025. The bills would have prohibited public officers, public employees, a local government attorney or candidate for nomination or election from soliciting or accepting anything of value from a foreign country of concern. The bills would have prohibited the governing body of a municipality from renewing or extending the employment contract of a chief executive officer of the municipality during the eight months immediately preceding a general election for the mayor or for members of the governing body unless the renewal or extension was approved by a unanimous vote. In addition, the bills would have prohibited the governing body of a municipality from renewing or extending the employment contract of a municipal general counsel during the eight months immediately preceding a general election for mayor or for members of the governing body unless the renewal or extension was approved by a unanimous vote. CS/CS/HB 735 was amended to address financial disclosure requirements for elected members of a municipal governing body. It provided that a mayor and members of a governing body with a municipal population of 500 or fewer were required to file Form 1 instead of Form 6 financial disclosure. CS/ CS/HB 735 would have been effective January 2025, and CS/CS/SB 734 would have been effective July 2024. (O’Hara)

FINANCE AND TAXATION

Ad Valorem Property Tax Exemption for the Surviving Spouse of Quadriplegics (Monitored)

HJR 53 (Tant) and SJR 618 (Simon) would have proposed an amendment to the Florida Constitution to authorize the Legislature to provide for a property tax exemption for the surviving spouse of a person with quadriplegia who was receiving a property tax exemption on real estate used and owned as a homestead at the time of their death. (Chapman)

Ad Valorem Tax Exemption for Nonprofit Homes for the Aged (Monitored)

SB 220 (Wright) and HB 689 (Smith) would have expanded the current ad valorem tax exemption for not-for-profit homes for the aged. The bills would have allowed a home for the aged owned by a separate entity that is owned by a not-forprofit corporation to also receive the exemption. (Chapman)

Child Care and Early Learning Providers (Opposed)

CS/CS/HB 635 (McFarland) and CS/CS/SB 820 (Grall) would have amended Section 170.201, Florida Statutes, and provide an exemption for public and private preschools from specified special assessments levied by a municipality. (Chapman)

Homestead Implementing Bills (Opposed)

CS/HB 1105 (Caruso) and SB 1376 (Wright) were the implementing bills for HJR 1103 (Caruso) and SJR 1374 (Wright) and would have allowed newly established homestead property to be assessed at less than just value if the property was previously assessed as non-homestead property and has not changed ownership and authorizing residency requirements for homestead exemptions. (Chapman)

Homesteads (Opposed)

HJR 1103 (Caruso) and SJR 1374 (Wright) would have proposed an amendment to the Florida Constitution to authorize the Legislature to allow newly established homestead property to be assessed at less than just value if the property was previously assessed as non-homestead property and has not changed ownership and authorizing residency requirements for homestead exemptions. (Chapman)

Increased Homestead Property Tax Exemption (Opposed)

HJR 7015 (Buchanan) would have proposed an amendment to the Florida Constitution to authorize the Legislature to increase the maximum amount of the exemption on homestead property from a maximum amount of $25,000 to a maximum amount of $50,000 for homestead property with an assessed value greater than $50,000. (Chapman)

Limitation on Local Fees for Virtual Offices (Opposed)

HB 503 (Fabricio) and SB 578 (Ingoglia) would have prohibited a local government from imposing, levying or collecting certain fees relating to the use of a virtual office. (Chapman)

Local Business Taxes (Opposed)

CS/CS/HB 609 (Botana) and SB 1144 (DiCeglie) would have repealed local governments’ ability to levy a local business tax (LBT). CS/CS/HB 609 was amended to no longer repeal the LBT. However, the amount of revenue generated from the collection of the LBT would have been capped using fiscal year 2023-24 as the base year. Local governments would not have been able to generate more revenue in any year moving forward above the base year of 202324. (Chapman)

Millage Rates (Opposed)

CS/CS/HB 1195 (Garrison) and CS/SB 1322 (Ingoglia) would have required local governments to have a two-thirds vote of the membership of the governing body to increase the millage rate. (Chapman)

Property Tax Exemptions (Opposed)

HJR 1369 (Chamberlin) would have proposed an amendment to the Florida Constitution to authorize the Legislature to create two new property tax exemptions. The first would have created a $100,000 exemption from the assessed value of real property for all levies. The second would have created a $250,000 homestead exemption for residential property owned by someone 65 or older. (Chapman)

Property Tax Exemptions Implementing Bill (Opposed)

CS/HB 1371 (Chamberlin) was the implementing bill for HJR 1369 (Chamberlin) if voter-approved and would have created two new property tax exemptions. The bill was amended to include a

study by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) for the potential impact of eliminating all property tax and replacing the lost revenue through the establishment of a consumption tax. (Chapman)

Tangible Personal Property Tax Exemption (Monitored)

HJR 7075 (Alvarez) would have proposed an amendment to the Florida Constitution to authorize the Legislature to increase the tangible personal property exemption from $25,000 to $50,000, subject to local ad valorem taxes levied by cities and counties. (Chapman)

Tangible Personal Property Tax Exemption Implementing Bill (Monitored)

HB 7077 (Alvarez) was the implementing bill for HJR 7075 and would have increased the tangible personal property exemption from $25,000 to $50,000. The bill would have required that the Legislature appropriate funds to offset reductions in ad valorem tax revenue experienced by fiscally constrained counties. (Chapman)

Tax Exemptions for Surviving Spouses of Quadriplegics Implementing Bills (Monitored)

HB 55 (Tant) and CS/CS/SB 616 (Simon) are the implementing bills for HJR 53/SJR 618 if it was voterapproved and would have provided for a property tax exemption for the surviving spouse of a person with quadriplegia who was receiving a property tax exemption on real estate used and owned as a homestead at the time of their death. (Chapman)

Tourist Development Tax (Supported)

SB 1072 (Avila) and HB 1081 (Porras) would have revised the method by which counties distribute collected Tourist Development Taxes by apportioning 50% of the revenues to be distributed monthly by the county to the governing authorities of the municipalities in the county. (Chapman)

GENERAL GOVERNMENT

Agritourism (Monitored)

HB 339 (Roth) and SB 696 (Rodriguez) would have amended the statutory preemption on local government regulation of agritourism activities by prohibiting a local government from requiring a “certificate of use” for any agricultural land, facility or agritourism venue unless authorized by general

law. In addition, the bills would have prohibited a local government from limiting any state-regulated activity associated with agritourism, including a farm stand, farmers market, brewery, winery, distillery, food processing and preparation activity, food truck or mobile food service operation associated with agritourism agricultural products. (O’Hara)

Development Permits and Development Orders (Monitored)

CS/HB 791 (Overdorf) and SB 1150 (Perry) would have revised time frames in Sections 125.022 and 166.033, Florida Statutes, for counties and municipalities to process applications for approvals of development permits or development orders and would have required these governmental entities to issue certain refunds for failure to meet the time frames. The bills would have required counties and municipalities to specify in writing the information that must be submitted in an application for zoning approval, rezoning approval, subdivision approval, certification, special exception or variance. The bills would have required counties and municipalities to confirm receipt of an application for a development permit or order within five days. The bills would have required the statutory time frames to restart if an application makes a substantive change to an application, which is defined as a change of 15% or more in the proposed density, intensity or square footage of a parcel. The bills would have required counties and municipalities to issue refunds ranging from 10% to 100% of the application fee for failure to meet the statutory time frames for determining whether an application is complete or requires additional information and for taking final action on an application. (O’Hara)

Solicitation of Contributions Act (Monitored) HB 759 (Andrade) would have prohibited panhandling within 50 feet of the following: an entrance to or exit from a commercially zoned property; a bus stop or facility; an automatic teller machine or bank entrance; a parking lot, parking garage, parking meter or parking pay station; or a public restroom. It would have prohibited panhandling within 100 feet of a child care facility or pre-K through 12 school, on a right-of-way or road defined in Section 334.03, Florida Statutes, at a public transit stop or in a public transit vehicle, while the person being solicited is waiting to be admitted to a commercial establishment, by touching the person being solicited, with the use of profane or abusive language, while under the

influence of alcohol or illegal controlled substance and between the hours of 4 p.m. and 9 a.m. The bill would have prohibited a person from approaching an operator or other occupant of a motor vehicle for the purpose of panhandling. The bill would have specified penalties for violations. Finally, the bill would have required individuals engaged in solicitation on specified roads, rights of way or facilities to clearly identify the name of the charitable organization or named individual on whose behalf contributions are being solicited and to clearly identify the charitable purpose for which contributions are being solicited. (O’Hara)

HOUSING

Affordable Housing Inclusionary Housing Ordinances (Monitor)

HB 1603 (Gantt) and SB 1742 (Jones) would have amended the current statute regarding inclusionary housing ordinances. The bills would have removed the option for developers to contribute to a housing fund or explore other alternatives instead of constructing affordable housing units. (Branch)

Affordable Housing Parking Requirements (Opposed)

SB 386 (Osgood) would have required local governments to reduce parking requirements necessary for development approval for “Live Local” developments where at least 75% of the residential units are affordable for at least 30 years, and the development is located within one-half mile of a major transportation hub. (Branch)

Property Tax Exemptions for Affordable Property (Monitored)

HB 1299 (Cross) and CS/SB 1440 (Calatayud) would have granted counties and municipalities the authority to exclude specific accessory dwelling units from ad valorem taxation, meeting certain affordable housing requirements. (Branch)

LAND USE AND COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING

Land Development (Monitored)

CS/CS/CS/HB 1177 (Duggan) and SB 1110 (DiCeglie) would have amended various provisions related to land development regulations in Florida. The bills would have amended the Community Planning Act to require modifications to

transportation concurrency system requirements for local governments, change to the adoption of impact fees by special districts, and adjust provisions governing credits against local impact fees. The bills would also have addressed revisions in procedures regarding local government review of changes to previously approved developments of regional impact (DRIs) by specifying certain types of changes that wouldn’t necessitate local government review. The bills would have allowed for modifications to multimodal pathways in previously approved DRIs under specific conditions and outlined that certain changes to comprehensive plan policies and land development regulations wouldn’t apply to developments with vested rights. Additionally, the legislation would have revised the criteria that constitute acts of reliance by a developer to vest rights. CS/CS/CS/HB 1177 was amended to prohibit local governments from requiring a notice, application, approval, permit, fee or mitigation for the pruning, trimming or removal of a tree on property being used for the construction or development of a veterans health care facility, as approved by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The bill was also amended to require local governments that implement a transportation concurrency system to credit the fair market value of any land dedicated to the entity for transportation facilities against the total proportionate share payments computed. The bill also specifies that local governments have exclusive power and responsibility to evaluate transportation’s impact, apply concurrency and assess any fee related to transportation improvements set forth in the bill’s subsection. The bill was amended further to permit a final order or decision by a municipally established historic preservation board or commission to be appealed to the board of county commissioners. (Cruz)

Land Use and Development Regulations (Opposed)

SB 1184 (Ingoglia) and CS/CS/HB 1221 (McClain) were comprehensive bills relating to land use and development regulations. The bills would have amended various regulations relating to comprehensive plans. The bills would have restricted optional elements of a comprehensive plan from containing a policy restricting density and intensity. The bills would have amended definitions of intensity, density, urban service area and urban sprawl to promote the construction of additional singlefamily, two-family and fee simple townhomes. The bills would have required local governments

to adopt minimum lot sizes with single-family, two-family and fee simple townhouse zoning districts to accommodate the maximum density authorized in the comprehensive plan. The bills would have required local governments to adopt infill redevelopment regulations to administratively approve the development of infill single-family, two-family and fee simple townhouses. CS/CS/ HB 1221 also contained a provision that would require the automatic rezoning of agricultural land for single-family housing in certain circumstances. This provision was not found in SB 1184. CS/CS/ HB 1221 was significantly amended in committee. Relevant to municipal operation, the amendments inserted a provision that preempts local regulation relating to the building of new self-storage facilities and removed provisions related to the rezoning of agricultural enclaves. The bill was amended further to permit a final order or decision by a municipally established historic preservation board or commission to be appealed to the board of county commissioners. (Cruz)

Local Government Impact Fees and Exactions (Opposed)

HB 1635 (Steele) and SB 1796 (Burgess) would have required local governments to provide compensation for a nonmonetary exaction equal to the fair market value of the exaction imposed. The bills would have required a local government that adopts and collects impact fees by ordinance to ensure the impact fee is collected only if the relevant property receives the service for which the fee was assessed. The bills would also have required local governments to establish impact fee zones or districts to assist local governments in ensuring the fee is expended to provide additional capital facilities within the appropriate zone or district. HB 1635 would have placed the maximum amount an impact fee may charge depending on the type of development in state law. The bill would also have prohibited the imposition of both an impact fee and a mobility fee for master planned unit developments and planned home developments. (Cruz)

Unlawful Demolition of Historical Structures and Landmarks (Supported)

CS/CS/HB 1621 (Beltran) would have authorized municipalities to impose an enhanced fine for the unauthorized demolition of a structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places or designated as a local historic landmark if the code enforcement board or special magistrate makes specific findings.

Fines imposed would not have exceeded an amount that is 20% of the property appraiser’s evaluation of the fair market value. (Cruz)

Urban Agriculture Pilot Projects (Monitored)

HB 397 (Cross) and SB 404 (Rouson) would have expanded the urban agricultural pilot project to allow for commercial agricultural use of residential property in certain circumstances. (Cruz)

OTHER

Airports (Monitored)

SB 854 (Martin) and HB 1643 (Rommel) would have required airport authorities, special districts created by the Legislature, to only allow aircraft to land if they meet Federal Aviation Administration noise standards and weight limits set by the International Civil Aviation Organization. (Branch)

Automated External Defibrillators at Parks and Youth Recreation or Sports Facilities (Monitored)

SB 1774 (Powell) and HB 1477 (Williams) would have required that parks, youth recreation or sports facilities owned or operated by a local government have a functioning automated external defibrillator (AED) on premises at all times. (Wagoner)

Aviation (Monitored)

CS/CS/HB 981 (Bankson) and CS/CS/CS/SB 1362 (Harrell) would have made significant changes to the regulation of private airports, specifically addressing vertiports and powered-lift aircraft. (Branch)

Code Enforcement Officers (Supported)

SB 506 (Wright) would have added code enforcement officers to the list of covered professionals under Section 784.07, Florida Statutes, which provides penalties for assault, battery, aggravated assault and aggravated battery when the offense is knowingly committed against a law enforcement officer or other specified professionals who are engaged in the lawful performance of his or her duties. (Wagoner)

Declarations of a Public Health Emergency (Monitored)

HB 459 (Rudman) and SB 402 (Yarborough) would have revised the criteria of the State Health Officer extending a statewide public health emergency to require approval by a two-thirds majority vote of the Legislature. HB 459 would have prohibited the

State Health Officer from issuing a blanket closure on government buildings and services, churches and altering election procedures and protocols. (Branch)

Gaming Control (Monitored)

CS/CS/HB 189 (Salzman) and CS/CS/SB 1046 (Martin) were comprehensive bills dealing with gaming. Of concern to cities, the bills would have preempted local governments from enacting or enforcing ordinances or local rules relating to gaming, gambling, lotteries or any activities described in Section 546.10 or Chapter 849, Florida Statutes. (Wagoner)

Immunization Requirements (Monitored)

SB 1094 (Martin) would have mandated legislative approval for new vaccines for school attendance starting July 1, 2024, allowed exemptions for unavailable FDA-approved vaccines, and restricted additional conditions on exemptions by employers or schools. It also would have prohibited mandatory vaccination policies or digital health tracking without legislative consent during public health emergencies. (Branch)

Protection of Historical Monuments and Memorials (Monitored)

CS/HB 395 (Black) and CS/SB 1122 (Martin) would have prohibited a local government from removing historical monuments and memorials. The bills would have provided that any person or entity that damages, defaces, destroys or removes an existing monument or memorial would be civilly liable for the costs to return, repair or replace the monument or memorial unless the person was authorized or the entity was the owner. (Wagoner)

Protections for Public Employees Who Use Medical Marijuana as Qualified Patients (Monitored)

SB 166 (Polsky) would have created the Medical Marijuana Public Employee Protection Act. The bill would have prohibited a public employer from taking adverse personnel actions against an employee or job applicant who is a qualified patient for their use of medical marijuana unless that use is impairing the employee’s ability to perform their job duties or responsibilities. (Chapman)

Removal of Roadside Memorials (Monitored)

HB 421 (Gossett-Seidman) and SB 572 (Rodriguez) would have required local governments and other entities to make best efforts to provide advance notice to the entity or person who installed a

traffic-related roadside memorial commemorating a deceased person before altering, dismantling, destroying or removing it. (Wagoner)

Reparations (Monitored)

SJR 582 (Ingoglia) would have proposed a constitutional amendment to the Florida Constitution to prohibit the state, a county, a municipality or any other political subdivision from paying reparations to an individual who is a descendant of an enslaved individual who lived in the United States before December 6, 1865. (Cruz)

Wrecker Operators (Monitored)

HB 661 (Caruso) and CS/SB 332 (Burgess) would have required counties to establish maximum rates that may be charged for the storage of electric vehicles. Wrecker operators would have also been permitted to charge fair and reasonable costs, plus 10% for cleanup and disposal of hazardous materials or debris. If a vehicle was stored at a wrecker facility for more than 30 days, the entity that requested the storage would have been financially liable to the wrecker facility. Under the bills, whenever a local government entity authorized the removal of a vehicle, the local government entity would have been required to notify the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. (Wagoner)

PERSONNEL

First Responders and Crime Scene Investigators (Monitored)

HB 993 (Holcomb) and CS/SB 1490 (Burgess) would have expanded the conditions in which first responders and certain personnel may receive post-traumatic stress benefits. The bills would have redefined the term “first responder” to include any full-time, part-time or volunteer law enforcement officer, firefighter, correctional officer, 911 public safety telecommunicator or federal law enforcement officer. The bills would have created a statutory framework for crime scene investigators to receive a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) evaluation and receive a diagnosis as a compensable occupational disease under specific circumstances. The bills would also have provided for specified correctional officer PTSD evaluations to be conducted in person or through telehealth. The bills would have required an employing agency of a crime scene investigator to provide educational training related to mental health. (Cruz)

Law Enforcement Officers and Correctional Officers (Monitored)

SB 710 (Ingoglia) and HB 443 (Alvarez) would have made several changes to the “The Police Officers’ Bill of Rights.” The Police Officers’ Bill of Rights is designed to ensure certain protections for law enforcement and correctional officers are provided to officers throughout the process of investigating complaints against an officer if the investigation can lead to disciplinary action, demotion or dismissal of the officer. The bills would have deleted provisions from current law relating to complaint review boards. The bills would have authorized an officer to file a civil suit if he or she is subject to disciplinary action in violation of the Officers’ Bill of Rights. The bills would have granted officers certain increased protections for alleged violations of the process required in the Officers’ Bill of Rights. Lastly, the bills would have authorized an officer to address and remedy any violation in a court of competent jurisdiction and provide for the reversal of any disciplinary action requiring the employing agency to pay for an officer’s monetary damages, attorney fees and costs for any intentional violation of the Officer Bill of Rights. (Cruz)

Mental Health Crisis Intervention Training for Law Enforcement Officers (Monitored)

HB 195 (Chambliss) would have required the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission to consult with a national organization with expertise in mental health crisis intervention to establish minimum standards for basic skills and continued education training for law enforcement officers by July 1, 2025. (Cruz)

Prohibited Use of Human-Trafficked Labor in Government Contracts (Monitored)

SB 628 (Simon) would have required certain contractors who contract with governmental entities to provide an affidavit attesting the contractor does not use coercion for labor or services. (Cruz)

Reemployment of Retired Law Enforcement Officers (Monitored)

CS/SB 400 (Burgess) and HB 853 (McClure) would have specified that retired law enforcement officers could be reemployed in a position that qualified for the Special Risk Class by an employer that participates in the Florida Retirement System. The bills would have reduced the time frame from 12 months to six months during which a former

employee is prohibited from receiving both a reemployment salary and retirement benefits. (Chapman)

PUBLIC RECORDS AND PUBLIC MEETINGS

Governing Body Meetings (Supported)

HB 157 (Caruso) and CS/SB 894 (Bradley) would have allowed local governments to meet and conduct official business via teleconferencing or other technological means no more than two times per calendar year, as long as the meetings meet all of the requirements for public notice, public access and public participation. (Wagoner)

Public Records/County Administrator and City Managers (Supported)

HB 811 (Gottlieb) and CS/SB 862 (Jones) would have created a public records exemption for the personal identifying and location information of current county administrators and city managers, as well as information regarding the names and locations of schools and daycare facilities attended by the children of current administrators and city managers. (Wagoner)

Public Records Requests (Monitored)

SB 1494 (Pizzo) would have provided that a public agency that has custody of a public record may not charge a fee once an agency has received a request to produce records. The bill provided that any person who violated this chapter (Chapter 119, Florida Statutes) would have been punished by a $5,000 fine, and if the custodian knowingly deterred a public records request, they commit a first-degree misdemeanor. (Wagoner)

Public Records/Service Provider Contracts (Monitored)

SB 290 (Wright) would have required that certain public agency contracts include a requirement that service providers comply with public records laws. The bill defined a services provider as an individual, a partnership, a corporation or a business entity that enters into a contract for services with a public agency and is not acting on behalf of the public agency. Linked to SB 290, SB 292 (Wright) would have created a public records exemption for contractors’ and service providers’ records related to audit or claims resolution, which are provided to a public agency pursuant to contract requirements. (Wagoner)

PUBLIC SAFETY

Cold Case Murders (Monitored)

CS/SB 350 (Osgood) and HB 837 (Benjamin) would have addressed cold case murders by establishing a process for reviewing and reinvestigating such cases. The bills would have mandated that law enforcement agencies review cold cases upon receiving a written application from a designated person and outlined the criteria for conducting a full reinvestigation, including the identification of new probative leads or a likely perpetrator. (Wagoner)

Enhanced Firearms Training Facilities (Monitored)

CS/HB 831 (Yarkosky) and SB 1586 (Collins) stated that a facility that is licensed as an enhanced firearms training facility is exempt from unincorporated local government planning and zoning or public works restrictions if the facility is zoned for agricultural use or its equivalent (Wagoner)

Possession or Use of a Firearm in a Sensitive Location (Supported)

SB 130 (Berman) and HB 209 (Rayner) would have prohibited the possession or use of a firearm in “sensitive locations.” The bills defined a sensitive location as numerous public facilities including but not limited to buildings or facilities owned, leased or operated by government entities, including public transportation. (Wagoner)

Storage of Firearms in Private Conveyances and Vessels (Monitored)

HB 419 (Hinson) would have prohibited the storage of firearms in unoccupied private conveyances and vessels unless the firearm is kept from ordinary view and locked within a trunk, utility or glove box, or another locked container or secured with a device or mechanism that is securely affixed to the private conveyance or vessel. (Wagoner)

SHORT-TERM RENTALS

Vacation Rentals with Swimming Pools (Monitored)

HB 1207 (Harris) would have required vacation rentals with swimming pools to post various safety notices regarding, but not limited to, the prevention of drowning, having responsible adults supervise young children and requiring that alcohol or drugs cannot be consumed before and during swimming. (Wagoner)

TORT LIABILITY

Sovereign Immunity (Opposed)

CS/CS/CS/SB 472 (Brodeur) and CS/CS/HB 569 (McFarland) would have increased the statutory limits on liability for tort claims against the state and its agencies and subdivisions (which include cities). The current statutory limits for claims are $200,000 per person and $300,000 per incident. Both bills would have increased the caps to $400,000 per person and $600,000 per incident. CS/CS/HB 569 initially required caps to be adjusted annually on July 1 to reflect changes in the regional Consumer Price Index (CPI), but this was removed from CS/CS/HB 569 in committee. CS/CS/CS/SB 472 was amended to require this adjustment to reflect the CPI to occur on July 1, 2029, and to occur every five years afterward as long as the adjustment does not exceed 3%. The bills would have prohibited an insurance policy from making the payout of a claim conditional on the passage of a claims bill. Both bills would have allowed a subdivision of the state to settle a claim above the statutory limits without the need for a claims bill. The bills would have narrowed the statute of limitation on negligence claims against government entities from four years to two years. CS/CS/CS/SB 472 was further amended in its last committee stop to lower the proposed increase of the sovereign immunity caps to $300,000 per person and $500,000 per incident. (Cruz)

TRANSPORTATION

Electric and Hybrid Vehicle License Fees (Supported)

CS/SB 28 (Hooper) would have increased the annual fees required for electric and hybrid vehicles. Beginning January 1, 2029, the annual fee for electric vehicles (EVs) would have increased from $200 to $250, and the annual fee for hybrid vehicles would have increased from $50 to $100. The EV fee was not included in CS/ CS/HB 107 (Esposito). CS/CS/HB 107 would have required the Revenue Estimating Conference to estimate the impact on the General Revenue Fund from the sales tax levied from charging EVs and directed the Department of Revenue to distribute funds into the State Transportation Trust Fund. (Branch)

Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Investment (Supported)

HB 1275 (Berfield) and SB 1506 (DiCeglie) would have required the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to develop a Strategic Infrastructure Investment Plan to address freight mobility infrastructure. The bills required FDOT to consult with relevant stakeholders including county and municipal governments. Beginning July 1, 2025, the department would have been required to distribute $150 million to the State Transportation Trust Fund to fund the projects identified in the Strategic Infrastructure Investment Plan. (Branch)

Traffic Enforcement (Opposed)

CS/SB 1464 (Calatayud) and CS/CS/HB 1363 (Busatta Cabrera) were bills related to the use of traffic cameras. The bills would have prohibited governmental entities from engaging in new contracts or renewals with vendors of traffic enforcement camera systems owned by or having a controlling interest from foreign countries of concern, effective from July 1, 2025. Furthermore, the bills would have mandated counties or municipalities intending to install traffic infraction detectors after July 1, 2025, to pass ordinances based on public hearings considering traffic data and safety risks and require annual public meetings for presenting reports on detector results before contract approvals or renewals. (Branch)

Traffic and Pedestrian Safety (Monitored)

SB 980 (Perry) would have required that all plans submitted on or before July 1, 2024, for the construction of crosswalks located at any place other than an intersection of a public street, highway or road be controlled by pedestrian and traffic signals and meet requirements of the Florida Department of Transportation Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. (Branch)

Transportation Network Companies (Monitored)

SB 7076 (Finance and Tax) would have prohibited an airport or a seaport from charging a transportation network company (TNC) a pickup fee for a prearranged ride requested within 60 minutes before the time the rider enters the TNC vehicle, which is greater than the lowest pickup fee charged to a taxicab company. (Branch)

Utility Terrain Vehicles (Monitored)

CS/SB 440 (Wright) would have authorized a utility terrain vehicle (UTV) to legally operate on two-

lane county roads and two-lane municipal streets in which the posted speed limit is less than 55 miles per hour. The bill would have allowed a local government to enact an ordinance regulating UTV operation and equipment that is more restrictive than statutory requirements. A local government could prohibit the operation of a UTV on any road under its jurisdiction if the governing body determines that such prohibition is necessary in the interest of safety. (Branch)

UTILITIES AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Advanced Wastewater Treatment (Monitored)

HB 1153 (Cross) and SB 1304 (Berman) would have required the Department of Environmental Protection, in consultation with water management districts and wastewater facilities, to submit to the Governor and Legislature reports containing specified information on all sewage disposal facilities with a permitted capacity greater than 1 million gallons per day in the state. Information required for the report included but was not limited to: the dates of construction, maintenance or updates; total and actual permitted volume of water treated daily; the current level of treatment and identification of various contaminants present; pollutant loading; disposal methods; impairment status of any receiving waterbodies; implementation status of any basin management action plans; and wastewater spills since 2010. The bills would also have required the Department to provide a report outlining a priority ranking process to upgrade all facilities in the state to advanced wastewater treatment by 2035. The bills would have required the Department to submit, by June 2026, a progress report on the implementation status of such upgrades. (O’Hara)

Assessment of Renewable Energy Source Devices (Monitored)

CS/CS/HB 769 (Bankson) would have revised the definition of “renewable energy source device” in Section 193.624, Florida Statutes, relating to the assessed value of real property attributable to a renewable energy source device, to include equipment that collects, transmits, stores or uses biogas. The equipment included materials and machinery used in the production, storage, compression, transportation, processing and conversion of biogas from landfill waste, livestock farm waste, food waste or treated wastewater into renewable natural gas suitable for pipeline injection. (O’Hara)

Beverage Container Deposits (Monitored)

HB 905 (Woodson) would have required dealers and consumers in the state to pay a deposit fee for specified beverage containers. The bill would have established refund values for various beverage containers, as well as deposit fees to be paid by dealers and consumers. It would have prohibited the establishment of a redemption center unless it was registered with the Department of Environmental Protection. It would have established requirements for redemption centers and authorized the use of reverse vending machines under certain circumstances. The bill would have prohibited a dealer from refusing to redeem a container if the dealer sells that type of container unless the container is contaminated or damaged, or there is a redemption center located within 1 mile of the dealer’s place of business. It would have imposed requirements upon deposit for beverage dealers and distributors and required distributors to pay a handling fee to dealers and redemption centers. The bill would have authorized municipal and county governments, nonprofit agencies, dealers and individuals to register to operate a redemption center. It would have prohibited local governments from imposing or collecting any assessment or fee on beverage containers subject to state container deposit requirements. (O’Hara)

Carbon Sequestration (Monitored)

SB 1258 (Rodriguez) and HB 1187 (Cross) would have created the Carbon Sequestration Task Force adjunct to the Department of Environmental Protection to provide recommendations for the development of a statewide carbon sequestration program. The bills would have provided for duties and membership of the Task Force. The bills would have required the Task Force to submit reports by October 2025 and October 2026 to the Secretary of the Department and to the Governor and Legislature that summarize the Task Force’s activities, findings and recommendations. (O’Hara)

Climate Resilience and Drinking Water Standards (Supported)

SB 1630 (Torres) and HB 1531 (Joseph) would have required the Department of Environmental Protection to establish the Blue Communities Program to incentivize local action to reduce nutrient pollution and ocean acidification in the

ocean, coastal waters and fresh waters. The Program would have provided technical and financial assistance to local governments that qualify as blue communities under the bills. The bills specified qualification criteria for local governments to become blue communities. The bills would have established the Ocean State Climate Adaptation and Resilience Grant Fund in the department and authorized the establishment of an advisory board to determine eligibility of projects for financial assistance for adaptation and resilience projects. They also would have established the Carbon Sequestration Advisory Council within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to assist the Department in documenting and quantifying carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions reductions associated with agricultural practices and land uses occurring on agricultural lands. The purpose of the documentation was to assist and encourage agricultural landowners to participate in carbon trading. The bills also would have established the Ocean Stewardship Special Account from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for the collection and use of moneys for the conservation, restoration and enhancement of marine resources. The bills provided for the deposit of user fees and other funding sources into the Account, which would have been used for marine conservation, restoration, enhancement, research, enforcement actions and educational activities. The bills would have required ocean stewardship user fees to be paid by commercial vessels and all operators of watercraft or water sports equipment. In addition, HB 1531 would have required the Department of Environmental Protection or county health departments to monitor PFAS compounds in community water systems and nontransient noncommunity water systems using the national primary drinking water regulations. If the presence of PFAS compounds was detected at or above a specified level but below the Environmental Protection Agency’s specified health advisory level, the bill would have required the Department or county health department to annually monitor the PFAS compound levels in the water systems. The bill would have required the Department to adopt rules by September 2024 to implement these requirements, including the establishment of enforceable maximum contaminant levels for PFAS compounds. (O’Hara)

Coastal Construction and Assessments (Monitored)

HB 1079 (McFarland) provided that only coastal counties and municipalities that have received authorization from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) prior to December 1, 2023, may establish coastal construction zoning and building codes and exceptions in lieu of state coastal construction regulations. The bill would have prohibited DEP from delegating authority for certain coastal permits to coastal counties and municipalities that did not receive such authorization prior to December 1, 2023. In addition, the bill would have authorized DEP to award grants to coastal counties for saltwater intrusion vulnerability assessments and specified requirements for such assessments. (O’Hara)

Comprehensive Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan (Supported)

SB 36 (Stewart) and HB 455 (Casello) would have required the Department of Environmental Protection to develop a comprehensive waste reduction and recycling plan by July 2025 based on recommendations from the Department’s 2020 75% Recycling Goal Final Report. The bill would also have required the Department to convene a technical assistance group to help develop the plan. The plan would include the following: recycling goals based on sustainable materials management and waste diversion; a 30-year plan to implement strategies relating to recycling education and outreach; local government recycling assistance; and recycling materials market development. The bill would have required the Department to submit a report and recommendations to the Legislature following completion of the plan. HB 455 passed the House (119-0) and died in Senate messages. (O’Hara)

Construction Materials Mining Activities (Monitored)

SB 198 (Avila) and HB 245 (Fabricio) would have specified a ground vibration limit for construction materials mining activities within 1 mile of residentially zoned areas, which may not exceed .15 inches per second. It would have authorized the State Fire Marshal to modify the standards, limits and regulations for the use of explosives in connection with construction materials mining activities within 1 mile of residentially zoned areas, which may include the temporary cessation of blasting. (O’Hara)

Contaminants of Emerging Concern (Monitored)

CS/SB 1692 (Brodeur) and HB 1665 (GossettSeidman) would have established the PFAS and 1,4-Dioxane pretreatment initiative within the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for the purpose of coordinating wastewater facility industrial pretreatment programs. The bills would have required wastewater facilities with an industrial pretreatment program to:

▸ By July 2025, complete and provide to DEP an inventory of industrial users to identify probable sources of PFAS or dioxane

▸ Before March 2025, provide notice to DEP of any industrial user that has been initially identified by the inventory as a probable source of PFAS or dioxane discharges. The notice must inform industrial users that they may become subject to pretreatment standards and requirements

▸ Submit to DEP a final inventory of industrial users that are subject to pretreatment standards and requirements and notify the users that they may be subject to enforcement action by July 2026

▸ Issue a permit, order or other measure to enforce applicable pretreatment standards

▸ By July 2027, sample each industrial user’s facilities and other at-risk sites. If the sample is above discharge limits, the wastewater facility must implement corrective action to reduce levels of PFAS or dioxane at the user’s facilities or other at-risk sites.

Beginning July 2026, the bills would have established specified discharge limits for PFAS and dioxane for industrial users until new discharge limits are adopted by DEP. The bills provided that before July 2027, an entity may not be subject to civil or criminal penalties for violations of the bills’ requirements. After July 2027, the bills would have directed DEP to consider the financial situation and costs of corrective actions for each wastewater facility that may be out of compliance with its permit or order when considering enforcement action for violations of pretreatment standards or violations of water quality standards. (O’Hara)

Dredging and Beach Restoration Projects (Monitored)

HB 163 (Gossett-Seidman) and SB 608 (Rodriguez) would have directed the Department of Environmental Protection to require, as a condition of a permit issued for the maintenance dredging of

deepwater ports and beach restoration projects, that any adverse impact analysis conducted for the activity be conducted by an independent contractor selected by the local government and in a manner prescribed by the Department. The bill specified the independent contractor may not be associated with certain projects for one year prior and for one year after commencing the impact analysis. The bill also would have required a local government to provide notice of its intent to conduct an analysis to adjacent local governments that may be affected by the activity. The bill’s requirements do not apply to any port dredging currently permitted or maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The bill specified fines for violations of its requirements. (O’Hara)

Energy (Monitored)

SB 1548 (Gruters) would have prohibited the Department of Transportation from assigning or transferring its permitting rights across transportation rights of way operated by the Department to a third party or governmental entity that does not operate the transportation right of way. The bill would have amended Section 337.403, Florida Statutes, to prohibit permitting authorities from requiring a utility within a public road operated by the authority to be relocated on behalf of certain other third-party or governmental agency projects related to a separate public or private road or corridor. The bill would have required the Public Service Commission to approve targeted storm reserve amounts for public utilities and provided for reserve requirements and base rate adjustments. It would have required the Department of Commerce to expand categorical eligibility for the low-income home energy assistance program to include individuals who are enrolled in certain federal disability programs. It would have directed the Public Service Commission to conduct a feasibility study on the use of small modular nuclear reactors in the state and to submit a report to the Legislature. (O’Hara)

Environmental Management (Monitored)

CS/CS/HB 789 (Overdorf) and CS/CS/CS/SB 738 (Burgess) would have limited causes of action to damages for real and personal property directly resulting from pollution that was not authorized by any government approval or permit pursuant to Chapters 373, 376 and 403, Florida Statutes. In addition, the bills would have provided that the strict liability exceptions to such a cause of

action include those specified in Section 376.308 and 376.82, Florida Statutes. The bills also would have required that nonindustrial stormwater management systems be designed with side slopes that meet certain minimum design requirements. The bills would have required the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and water management districts to conduct reviews of their coastal permitting processes and permit programs and to submit reports of their findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature by December 2024. The review must include coastal construction control line permits, Section 404 permits and permitting processes related to water supply infrastructure, wastewater infrastructure and onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems. The purpose of the review was to identify areas of improvement and increase efficiency. Finally, CS/CS/CS/SB 738 would have provided that a prevailing party in actions against the DEP or water management district relating to authorizations issued pursuant to Chapters 403 or 373 is entitled to reasonable attorney costs and fees. CS/CS/CS/ SB 738 passed the Senate (26-7) and died in House messages. (O’Hara)

Everglades Protection Area/Comprehensive Plan Amendments (Monitored)

HB 723 (Busatta Cabrera) and CS/CS/SB 1364 (Calatayud) would have required comprehensive plans and plan amendments that apply to any land in, or within two miles of, the Everglades Protection Area (EPA) to follow the state-coordinated review process for state agency compliance review under Part II, Chapter 163, Florida Statutes, and would have required the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to coordinate with the affected local governments on mitigation measures for plans or plan amendments that would impact Everglades restoration. The EPA consists of the three statedesignated Water Conservations Areas (WCA-1, WCA-2 and WCA-3) as well as Everglades National Park. Plan amendments that apply to any land in, or within two miles of, the EPA must be transmitted to DEP within 10 days of the second public hearing on the amendment. Finally, the bills would have required a county whose boundaries include any portion of the EPA and the municipalities within the county (any municipality within Palm Beach, Broward or Miami-Dade County) to transmit a copy of any small-scale plan amendment to the Department of Economic Opportunity within 10 days after adoption. CS/CS/SB 1364 would have

prohibited the adoption of a small-scale plan amendment if the affected property is located in, or within two miles of, the Everglades Protection Area. CS/CS/SB 1364 passed the Senate (40-0) and died in House messages. (O’Hara)

Excise Tax on Water Extracted for Commercial or Industrial Use (Monitored)

SB 510 (Stewart) would have imposed an excise tax on persons extracting water from waters of the state for commercial or industrial use. The bill specified that tax proceeds must be deposited in the state Water Protection and Sustainability Program Trust Fund. In addition, it specified that tax proceeds must also be used by the Department of Environmental Protection for geological surveys to monitor the health of waters of the state and for saltwater intrusion prevention and management. (O’Hara)

Flood Damage Prevention

(Monitored)

HB 749 (Basabe) and CS/SB 1766 (Rodriguez) would have provided that the maximum voluntary freeboard requirements for new construction and substantial improvements to existing construction is 10 feet. The bills prohibited voluntary freeboard from being used to calculate the maximum allowable height of a structure. The bills defined “freeboard” as the additional height above the base flood elevation for determining the level at which a structure’s lowest floor or the bottom of the lowest horizontal structure member must be elevated in accordance with floodplain management regulations and the Florida Building Code. “Voluntary freeboard” is defined as the additional height above the freeboard required by floodplain management regulations and the Florida Building Code. The bills would have authorized local governments to adopt by ordinance minimum freeboard requirements or maximum voluntary freeboard that exceeds minimum requirements. In addition, the bills would have required the Florida Building Commission to adopt by rule minimum freeboard requirements and to incorporate such requirements into the next edition of the Florida Building Code and to review such requirements every five years. (O’Hara)

Indian River Lagoon Protection Program (Monitored)

HB 1005 (Roth) and SB 1354 (Wright) would have required 40% or $60 million, whichever is greater, of the proceeds paid into the state’s Water Protection

and Sustainability Trust Fund to be used for the Indian River Lagoon Protection Program (Program). The funds may only have been used to install and connect septic systems in the Program area to wastewater treatment facilities that had been prioritized by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The funds should have been disbursed to local governments but may not have been used to cover more than 50% of the total cost to install and connect dwellings to wastewater treatment facilities. In addition, the bills would have required DEP to identify and categorize all commercial or residential properties that use septic systems within Basin Management Action plan areas that are in the Program area and estimate the economic cost of connecting the septic systems to a wastewater treatment facility. The bills directed DEP to perform a cost-benefit analysis to rank and prioritize systems for funding connection grants. The bills required DEP to submit an annual report on its actions relating to the Program to the Governor and the Legislature. (O’Hara)

Installation of Waterway Markers (Monitored)

SB 784 (Gruters) would have revised the application and installation requirements for uniform waterway markers. It required that all waterway markers and information markers be affixed to plastic breakaway structures or floating buoys by January 1, 2025. The bill prohibited a governmental entity from affixing a waterway marker to a steel beam or wood piling. (O’Hara)

Land and Water Management (Monitored)

HB 527 (Maggard) and SB 664 (Burgess) would have required a local government to use eminent domain to acquire any land or water buffer area that exceeds the minimum land or water buffer areas required under state law for development in or around wetlands. The bills also preempted dredge and fill permitting to the state and eliminated statutory authority for Land Management Review Teams at water management districts. (O’Hara)

Management and Storage of Surface Waters (Monitored)

SB 986 (Burton) would have provided an exemption from surface water management and storage regulations for implementing water quality improvements and specified measures for environmental habitat restoration, enhancement and creation on certain agricultural lands or government-owned lands. The measures may have

altered the topography of the land, diverted or impeded the flow of surface waters on the land or impacted wetlands if the measures resulted in a net increase in wetland functions. The bill would have prohibited the use of the exemption to establish mitigation banks or regional off-site mitigation areas. (O’Hara)

Mitigation Areas and Assessments (Monitored)

SB 836 (Simon) would have amended Section 373.414, Florida Statutes, relating to wetland and surface water mitigation areas and assessments. It specified conditions under which the required “degree of risk” may not be considered when a uniform mitigation assessment method is being applied. For mitigation areas created after January 2022, and for which mitigation has not been determined by the state to be successful for a mitigation area as of July 2024, the bill specified that no conservation easement or other similar form of encumbrance of real property may be required as a condition of approval of the permit or mitigation plan, and the mitigation credits attributable to the mitigation area will be determined without regard to the presence or absence of a conservation easement or other similar form of encumbrance. (O’Hara)

Mitigation Credits (Monitored)

SB 1646 (DiCeglie) would have revised the list of projects eligible to use wetland mitigation banks and authorized the use of mitigation credits in surrounding basins, rather than in the basin being impacted, if credits are deemed unavailable in that basin. The bill specified the circumstances under which credits may be deemed unavailable in a basin and specified the factors the Department of Environmental Protection and water management districts must consider when awarding mitigation credits. In addition, the bill provided requirements for the calculation of additional credits necessary to use mitigation credits from outside a project area basin. The bill required the Department to adopt rules that conform to and implement the bill’s requirements. (O’Hara)

Municipal Solid Waste to Energy Program (Monitored)

SB 1606 (Torres) and HB 1631 (Campbell) would have changed the state agency responsible for administering the Municipal Solid Waste-to-Energy Program from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to the Department of

Environmental Protection. The bills would have revised the eligibility requirements for financial assistance under the program and provided that an applicant that does not meet minimum federal air quality standards is ineligible for grant funding. The bills also would have required an environmental justice evaluation by the agency of the facility’s impact on low-income and historically marginalized groups. (O’Hara)

Municipal Utilities (Opposed)

CS/CS/HB 1277 (Busatta Cabrera) and SB 1510 (Brodeur) would have imposed restrictions on the use of municipal water, wastewater, gas or electric utility revenues to fund general government services and imposed restrictions on the imposition of water and wastewater extraterritorial surcharges. CS/ CS/HB 1277 required interlocal agreements for extraterritorial utility service (gas, electric, water and wastewater) to be written and provided that such agreements may not become effective until the provider municipality holds a joint public meeting with the governing body of the recipient jurisdiction. In addition, the bill required a joint annual customer meeting between the providing municipality and the recipient jurisdictions’ governing bodies for the purpose of obtaining public input on utility matters. CS/CS/HB 1277 imposed a 10% cap of gross utility revenues on any utility enterprise fund transfers to the general fund. Beginning in November 2024, municipal utilities providing extraterritorial services were required to submit an annual report to the Public Service Commission with information about the scope and nature of the services. Beginning in January 2025, the Public Service Commission was required to aggregate the information submitted by municipal utilities and provide an annual report to the Legislature. SB 1510 specified that the portion of utility revenues transferred to the general fund may not exceed the transfer rates specified in the bill. The specified transfer rates are based on the average midpoints of the rates of return on equity approved by the Public Service Commission for investor-owned utilities. The bill required further reductions in the allowable transfer rate based on the percentage of the utility’s retail customers located outside the municipality’s boundaries. The bill further specified that these reductions do not apply if the utility service is governed by a utility authority board that, through the election of voting members from outside the municipal boundaries, provides for proportionate representation of customers located outside the municipal

boundaries. With respect to extraterritorial surcharges, CS/CS/HB 1277 and SB 1510 eliminated the first 25% extraterritorial surcharge that may be imposed without a public hearing. The bills eliminated the second 25% surcharge that may be imposed after a public hearing. In addition, the bills provided that rates, fees and charges that may be imposed on extraterritorial customers should not exceed 25% (reduced from the 50% allowed under current law) of the total amount the municipality charges customers served within the municipality for corresponding service. The effective date of the bills was July 2025. (O’Hara)

Municipal Water and Sewer Utility Rates (Monitored)

CS/HB 47 (Robinson, F.) and CS/SB 104 (Jones) would have required a municipality that operates a water or sewer utility providing services to customers in another recipient municipality using a facility or plant located in the recipient municipality to charge customers in the recipient municipality the same rates, fees and charges it imposes on customers in its own municipal boundaries. (O’Hara)

Municipal Water or Sewer Utility Rates, Fees and Charges (Opposed)

CS/HB 777 (Brackett) and SB 1088 (Martin) would have removed statutory authorization for municipalities to impose any surcharge for serving customers outside their municipal boundaries. CS/HB 777 would have required that rates, fees and charges be the same for customers served inside and outside the municipality’s boundaries. SB 1088 specified that rates, fees and charges for extraterritorial customers must be just and equitable and be based on the same factors used to fix rates, fees and charges for customers inside the municipality’s boundaries. The bills also would have required municipal utilities that serve extraterritorial customers to conduct a rate study by January 1, 2027, and every seven years afterward. (O’Hara)

Preemption of Recyclable and Polystyrene Materials (Supported)

SB 498 (Stewart) would have removed the state law preemption of local laws regarding the regulation of auxiliary containers, wrappings or disposable plastic bags and removed the state preemption of local law regarding the use or sale of polystyrene products. (O’Hara)

Regulation of Auxiliary Containers (Opposed)

CS/SB 1126 (Martin) and CS/HB 1641 (Yeager) would have preempted the regulation of auxiliary containers (reusable or single-use bags, cups, bottles or other packaging) and deleted a current law provision that requires the Department of Environmental Protection to review and update its 2010 report on retail bags and auxiliary containers. (O’Hara)

Regulation of Single-use Plastic Products (Supported)

SB 698 (Rodriguez) would have required the Department of Environmental Protection to review and periodically update its 2010 report and recommendations relating to the use of plastic bags and auxiliary containers. The bill established a pilot program for coastal municipalities to establish a pilot program to regulate single-use plastic products upon meeting specified conditions. (O’Hara)

Renewable Natural Gas (Monitored)

CS/SB 480 (DiCeglie) and CS/HB 683 (Yeager) would have authorized an investor-owned utility to recover, through an appropriate cost-recovery mechanism administered by the Public Service Commission, prudently incurred renewable natural gas infrastructure project costs. The bill revised the required contents of a basin management action plan for an Outstanding Florida Spring to include identification of water quality improvement projects that can also produce and capture renewable natural gas through anaerobic digestion or other similar technologies at wastewater treatment plants, livestock farms, food production facilities and organic waste management operations. It encouraged municipalities and counties to develop regional solutions to the processing, capture and reuse or sale of renewable natural gas from landfills and wastewater treatment facilities. Finally, it authorized the Department of Agriculture to expand any “farm-to-fuel” initiative to address the production and capture of renewable natural gas. CS/SB 480 passed the Senate (35-2) and died in House messages. (O’Hara)

Resilience Districts (Monitored)

SB 1330 (Calatayud) would have created a process for establishing resilience districts in Florida to support local governments’ efforts to mitigate the risk of sea-level rise and increased flooding. The bill defined several relevant terms to support the formation of these citizen-initiated

financing districts that were intended to address infrastructure and resilience problems. The bill set boundaries for resilience districts, defined their acceptable uses and included provisions for project management fees. If a local government acted as project manager for a resilience district, the bill authorized the local government to receive a project management fee of up to 5% of the total cost of design and construction. The bill established conditions for local government review and approval of a resilience district and imposed additional obligations on local governments that “inappropriately” deny a petition to establish a district. Additional obligations included but were not limited to a requirement that the local government fund and implement a proposed resiliency project instead of the district. If a proposed district was identical to or shared more than 90% of the geography of any existing special taxing district that serves a similar function, the bill required dissolution of the special taxing district and reconstitution as a resilience district, with all existing funds serving the special taxing district transferred to the resilience district. Additionally, the bill prescribed the composition and responsibilities of district boards and established financial transparency measures. (O’Hara)

Saltwater Intrusion Vulnerability Assessments (Monitored)

CS/SB 298 (Polsky) would have authorized the Department of Environmental Protection to provide grants to coastal counties for saltwater intrusion vulnerability assessments that analyze the effects of saltwater intrusion on a county’s water supply, water utility infrastructure, wellfield protection and freshwater supply management. The bill would have required the Department to update its comprehensive statewide flood vulnerability and sea-level rise data set to include information received from the county saltwater intrusion vulnerability assessments. The bill directed the Department to provide 50% cost-share funding to counties, up to $250,000 for each grant, and exempted counties with a population of 50,000 or less from the cost-share requirement. In addition, the bill included provisions relating to the Department of Environmental Protection’s approval of a coastal county or municipality’s establishment of coastal construction zoning and building codes in lieu of the Department’s requirements. The bill authorized a city or county to establish its own requirements if the local government’s coastal zones and codes were

approved in writing by the Department on or before December 1, 2023. CS/SB 298 passed the Senate (26-0) and died in House messages. (O’Hara)

State Renewable Energy Goals (Monitored)

SB 144 (Berman) and HB 193 (Eskamani) would have amended multiple provisions of law relating to renewable energy. The bills would have prohibited the drilling, exploration for, or the production of oil, gas or other petroleum products on the lands and waters of the state. The bills provided that by 2050, 100% of the electricity used in the state will be generated from 100% renewable energy and that by 2051, the state will have net zero carbon emissions. The bills directed the Office of Energy in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to coordinate with state, regional and local entities to develop a unified statewide renewable energy plan. (O’Hara)

Statewide Drinking Water Standards (Monitored)

SB 1546 (Stewart) and HB 1533 (Plakon) would have required the Department of Environmental Protection to adopt rules for a statewide maximum contaminant level for 1,4-Dioxane. The rules must have required a public water system, by January 2025, to test all of the system’s groundwater wells for dioxane. If dioxane was detected at levels greater than the statewide standard, the public water system must have developed and submitted to the Department a mitigation plan to bring the dioxane levels to state standards and comply with such standards within five years after the rules were adopted. The system must have retested for dioxane at frequencies determined by the Department and made the mitigation plan and testing results available to the public. If testing did not detect levels of dioxane exceeding the state standard, a public water system must have made the testing results available to the public and must retest for dioxane within five years. In addition, the bills would have required the Department to provide financial assistance under the drinking water state revolving loan fund to public water systems necessary to help reduce the system’s costs to update system infrastructure to meet the new standards. (O’Hara)

Statewide Environmental Resource Permitting Rules (Monitored)

SB 406 (Rodriguez) would have required that stormwater management systems be designed with a side slope horizontal-to-vertical ratio of 4:1 or an equivalent substitute. The bill would have superseded

all other side slope rules adopted by the Department of Environmental Protection, water management districts or delegated local programs. (O’Hara)

Surplus Lands (Monitored)

SB 1620 (Collins) would have required the state Acquisition and Restoration Council to determine whether any lands surplused by a local government are within a Florida Wildlife Corridor opportunity area. It prohibited further development rights from being attached to such lands that were determined to be within the Corridor opportunity area. The bill authorized the Department of Environmental Protection to surplus state-owned conservation lands without development rights within the Corridor and provided a disposition process for such lands. The bill required water management districts to determine whether surplus district lands are within the Corridor opportunity area. (O’Hara)

Trees on Residential Property (Supported)

SB 122 (Stewart) would have repealed a state law preemption of local government regulation of tree pruning, trimming or removal on residential property. (O’Hara)

Underground Facilities (Monitored)

SB 708 (Burton) and HB 825 (Koster) would have revised the time frame in which an excavator is required to provide information through the free-access notification system established by Sunshine 811 before beginning certain excavation or demolition activities. In addition, the bills revised the time frames during which member operators who receive such notifications are required to mark the horizontal route of an underground facility and provide a positive response to the system. (O’Hara)

Water Safety (Opposed)

SB 1538 (Torres) would have required state parks to have a certified lifeguard at designated swimming areas in state parks. In addition, the bill required “police vehicles” to be equipped with a rescue buoy for a water safety incident and required the staffing for each shift at a fire department to include at least one firefighter who is certified in rescue diving and who is not a captain or battalion chief. (O’Hara)

Wind Energy Facility Siting (Monitored)

HB 1493 (Altman) and SB 1718 (Collins) would have prohibited the construction, operation or expansion of wind energy facilities and offshore wind energy facilities in the state. (O’Hara)

FLC LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS TEAM

CASEY COOK

Chief of Legislative Affairs ccook@flcities.com

JEFF BRANCH

Senior Legislative Advocate Transportation and Intergovernmental Relations jbranch@flcities.com

DAVID CRUZ

Legislative Counsel

Land Use and Economic Development dcruz@flcities.com

REBECCA O’HARA

Deputy General Counsel Utilities, Natural Resources and Public Works rohara@flcities.com

SAM WAGONER

Legislative Advocate

Municipal Administration swagoner@flcities.com

CHARLES CHAPMAN

Legislative Consultant Finance, Taxation and Personnel cchapman@flcities.com

SCOTT DUDLEY

Director of Field Advoacy and Federal Affairs

sdudley@flcities.com

ALLISON PAYNE

Manager, Advocacy Programs and Federal Affairs apayne@flcities.com

MARY EDENFIELD

Legislative Administrator medenfield@flcities.com

MICHAELA METCALFE

Legislative Policy Analyst mmetcalfe@flcities.com

MATT SINGER

Legislative Policy Analyst msinger@flcities.com

BRENDA JONES

Legislative Coordinator bjones@flcities.com

LAUREN BUSH

Legislative Fellow lbush@flcities.com

LEGISLATIVE GLOSSARY

ACT

A bill that has passed both houses of the Legislature.

ADJOURNMENT SINE DIE

Motion to adjourn sine die concludes a legislative session.

ADOPTION

Refers to favorable action by a chamber on an amendment, motion, resolution or memorial.

AMENDMENT

Makes a change to a bill after the bill has been filed. This change can happen in committee or on the floor of the House or Senate.

BILL

Legislation, including joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, memorials or other measures upon which a council or committee may be required to report.

BILL NUMBER

Bills are issued a number based on the order they are filed and received by bill drafting. House bills receive odd numbers, while Senate bills receive even numbers.

CHAIR

The presiding officer for a floor session or committee meeting.

CLAIMS BILL

Presents a claim for compensation for an individual or entity for injuries caused by negligence or error on the part of a public office, local government or agency.

COMMITTEE

A panel of legislators appointed by the Senate President or Speaker of the House to perform specific duties such as considering legislation and conducting hearings and/or investigations.

COMMITTEES OF REFERENCE

Each bill is assigned to committees after it is filed. Often, the more committees a bill is assigned indicates its chances to pass or fail.

COMPANION BILL

Bills introduced in the House and Senate that are identical or substantially similar in wording.

“DIED IN COMMITTEE”

Refers to when a bill is not heard on the floor of the respective chamber in which it was introduced. A bill must pass all committees of reference or be pulled from the remaining committees to pass. A bill that dies in committee fails to pass each of its committee references during committee weeks and session.

ENGROSSED BILL

The version of a bill that incorporates adopted floor amendments, which were added subsequently to the bill passing its committees of reference. The revision is done in the house of origin and engrossed under the supervision of the Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk of the House.

ENROLLED BILL

Once a bill has passed, it is enrolled in the house of origin. After that piece of legislation is enrolled and signed by officers of both houses (President and Speaker), it is sent to the Governor for action and transmittal to the Secretary of State. An enrolled bill may be signed by the Governor and enacted into law or vetoed.

FLORIDA STATUTES

An edited compilation of general laws of the state.

GENERAL BILL

A bill of general or statewide interest or whose provisions apply to the entire state.

HOUSE RESOLUTION

A measure expressing the will of a legislative house on a matter confined to that house dealing with organizational issues or conveying the good wishes of that chamber. Often used to congratulate Floridians or recognize significant achievements.

INTERIM

Refers to the period between the adjournment sine die of a regular session and the convening of the next regular session.

JOINT RESOLUTION

Used to propose amendments to the Florida Constitution. It is also the form of legislation used for redistricting a state legislative seat.

LAW

An act becomes a law after it has been approved and signed by the Governor or, without the Governor’s signature, after their option to veto the act within seven days of presentation or after the Legislature overrides the Governor’s veto by a vote of two-thirds in each house.

LOCAL BILL

A bill that applies to an area or group that is less than the total population of the state

MEMORIAL

A type of concurrent resolution addressed to an executive agency or another legislative body, usually Congress, which expresses the sentiment of the Florida Legislature on a matter outside its legislative jurisdiction.

MESSAGE

The houses of the Legislature send formal communications to each other regarding action taken on bills. This measure is usually reserved for the last couple of weeks of a legislative session. If a bill “dies in messages,” it has passed each chamber in form; however, one of the two chambers has made a change or amended the bill so that the two versions are no longer identical.

PROPOSED COMMITTEE BILL (PCB)

A draft legislative measure taken up by a committee to consider whether or not to introduce it in the name of the committee.

PROVISO

Language used in a general appropriations bill to qualify or restrict how a specific appropriation is to be expended.

REFERENDUM

A vote by the citizens upon a measure that has been presented to them for approval or rejection.

REPEAL

The deletion by law of an entire section, subsection or paragraph of language from the Florida Statutes.

SESSION

Regular Session: The annual session that begins on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March of each odd-numbered year and on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March, or another date that may be fixed by law, of each even-numbered year, for a period not to exceed 60 consecutive days. There is no limit on the subject matter that may be introduced in a regular session.

Special Session: Special sessions may be called by proclamation of the Governor, by joint proclamation of the House Speaker and the Senate President or by the members of the Legislature to consider specific legislation. It will not exceed 20 consecutive days unless extended by a three-fifths vote of each house. For members of the Legislature to call a special session, three-fifths of the members of both houses must vote in favor of calling a special session.

SPECIAL ORDER CALENDAR

A list of bills determined by the Rules Chair considered to be of high importance and priority scheduled for consideration in a specific order during a floor session on a particular day.

SPONSOR

The legislator or committee that files a bill for introduction.

TEMPORARILY POSTPONED

A motion can be made in the chamber or in committee to temporarily defer consideration of a measure.

VETO

An objection by the Governor to an act passed by the Legislature. Vetoes can be overridden by a vote of two-thirds of the membership of each chamber. The Governor may perform a line-item veto of specific measures in the general appropriations bill (the budget).