March 7, 2025 | Legislative Reporter
The 2025 Legislative Session convened on March 4, and is scheduled to end on May 2.
The Bill Tracking Report, as of March 7, can be viewed here. Please review it to see the filed bills that APA Florida is tracking and their status. If you would like any bills added to this report or would like more information about a specific bill, please contact Stefanie Svisco at ssvisco@floridaplanning.org.
Feb. 28 was the bill draft filling deadline for both the House and Senate, resulting in 1,827 bills, resolutions and memorials being filed.
The following bills of interest were filed on that last day after the Feb. 28 Legislative Reporter was disseminated:
SB 432 (Sen. McClain) amends s.125.01 to delete special assessments as a source of funding for certain municipal facilities and services; removes provisions that allowed counties to levy special assessments on agricultural lands; delete special assessments as a mechanism to finance services or programs rendered specially for the benefit of property or residents in unincorporated areas.
HB 1561 (Rep. Sapp) revises the expedited state review process to clarify that local governments must transmit plan amendments within 10 working days after the date of adoption to reviewing agencies; provides that a local government is in compliance if the second public hearing on amendments is held within the 180-day period following receipt of agency comments, even if the amendments are approved at a subsequent hearing.
HB 1579 (Rep. Driskell) and SB 1642 (Sen. Bernard) are similar bills to enhance broadband infrastructure projects in underserved farming communities through the creation of a state-funded grant program in the Florida Office of Broadband and through tax credits.
HB 1593 (Rep. Joseph) prohibits a business entity that has an interest in more than 100 single-family residential properties in this state from purchasing, acquiring, or otherwise obtaining an ownership interest in another singlefamily residential property and subsequently leasing or renting such property. (Also see SB 1810 below.)
HB 1595 (Rep. Koster) allows a county, for a solar facility over 2 megawatts, to adopt an ordinance requiring that the solar facility be properly decommissioned upon the facility reaching the end of its useful life and return the agricultural land that was used for such solar facility to an agriculturally useful condition similar to that which existed before construction of the solar facility; this does not apply to sites subject to an application to build solar facilities before July 1, 2025; deletes language in s.163.3208 that provides an exemption for substations in s.163.3205(2)(c) from specified
local land development regulations. Note this bill is identical to SB 1304 (Sen. Bradley) identified in the Feb. 28 Legislative Reporter.
SB 1662 (Sen. Collins) and HB 1397 (Rep. Abbott and Rep. Bankson) are two similar comprehensive transportation bills that authorize various changes to Florida’s transportation, infrastructure, and related administrative processes.
SB 1714 (Sen. Burton) requires counties and eligible municipalities to include a strategy in their local housing assistance plans for providing program funds to mobile homeowners, which must include lot rental assistance.
SB 1730 (Sen. Calatayud) amends s.125.0155 and s.166.04151 to make a number of changes related to affordable housing, some of which would:
• expand current language to require a county or municipality to authorize multifamily and mixed-use residential as allowable uses in, not only currently allowed areas zoned for commercial, industrial or mixed use, but also in portions of any flexibly zoned area such as a planned unit development permitted for commercial, industrial, or mixed use, if at least 40 percent of the residential units in a proposed multifamily development are rental units that, for a period of at least 30 years, are affordable;
• prohibit counties and municipalities from requiring proposed multifamily developments to obtain a transfer of density or development units, amendment to a development of regional impact, amendment to a development agreement, amendment to a restrictive covenant, or comprehensive plan amendment for the building height, zoning, and densities authorized ;
• prohibit a county or municipality from requiring that more than 10 percent of the total square footage of such mixed-use residential projects be used for non-residential purposes;
• provide that a county or municipality may not restrict the height of these types of proposed development below the highest allowed, or allowed on July 1, 2023, height for a commercial or residential building located within its jurisdiction, or three stories, whichever is higher;
• expand current provisions to provide that these developments must be administratively approved without further action by any quasi-judicial or administrative board or reviewing body under certain circumstances
• provide that the court shall give any civil action filed against a county or municipality for a violation of this subsection priority over other pending cases and render a preliminary or final decision as expeditiously as possible, and must assess and award reasonable attorney fees and costs and damages to the prevailing plaintiff;
• provide definitions for commercial use, industrial use, mixed use, and planned unit development; and
• provide that a county or municipality may not impose a building moratorium that has the effect of delaying the permitting or construction of a multifamily residential or mixed-use residential development authorized under this subsection except under certain circumstances
Note this bill is similar to HB 943 (Rep. V. Lopez) identified in the Feb. 28 Legislative Reporter.
SB 1738 (Sen. Ingoglia) amends s.163 3180(5)(d), which is related to concurrency. The bill requires that the capital improvements element shall identify facilities necessary to meet adopted levels of service during a 5-year period or to maintain current levels of service. Note this bill is identical to HB 203 (Rep. Grow) and SB 1074 (Sen. McClain) identified in the Feb. 28 Legislative Reporter.
SB 1784 (Sen. Pizzo) and HB 1123 (Rep. Cassel) are identical bills which authorize municipalities to utilize revenue generated from the operation of the municipality’s central sewage system for expansion of the central sewage system.
SB 1810 (Sen. C. Smith), a similar bill, to HB 1593 discussed above, prohibits a business entity that has an interest in more than 1000 single-family residential properties from purchasing, acquiring, or otherwise obtaining an ownership interest in another single-family residential property and subsequently leasing or renting such property.
The following bills of interest had action this week.
Note these summaries are based on a review of the bill language and legislative staff analysis. You are encouraged to read the actual bill language of bills that interest you. Please note that not all bills are covered in all legislative reports. The reports focus on bills of particular interest that have had action over the previous week. You can use the Bill Tracking Report to see the status of other bills.
GROWTH MANAGEMENT
Annexing State-Owned Lands: CS/SB 384 (Sen. Burton) was reported favorably, reflecting an amendment, by the Senate Community Affairs Committee on March 3 and moves to the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee, its second of three committees of reference.
The bill amends s.171.0413 to provide that, upon advertising for the first public hearing on adopting an ordinance proposing to annex state-owned lands, a municipality must notify by writing or e-mail each member of the legislative delegation of the county in which the land is located. Note: A clarification that each member of the delegation (versus the delegation in general) had to be notified was added by the committee.
HB 275 (Rep. Albert), a similar bill, is in the House Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee, its first of two committees of reference.
Education: CS/HB 123 (Rep. Andrade), a proposed committee substitute, was reported favorably by the House Education Administration Subcommittee on March 4 and moves to the House PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee, its second of three committees of reference.
The bill amends s.1013.15 to require that before a district school board occupies purchased or acquired real property, the board must submit a 5-year plan for the use of the property in a public meeting. The plan must consider enrollment growth, demographic shifts, and changes in curriculum and must be updated and submitted to the Florida Department of Education annually. It also prohibits a school board from purchasing or acquiring real property if enrollment in the district has declined during the preceding 5-year period. If such a decline has occurred, the board must dispose of real property deemed by the State Board of Education to be surplus. Surplus real property must be given priority for conversion to affordable housing for teachers, first responders, or military servicemembers; charter school facilities; or recreational facilities developed by local government.
Additionally, the bill amends s.1002.33 to revise the application for a conversion charter school, requiring such application to be made only by parents whose children are enrolled at the school, removing authority of the district school board or the school’s principal, teachers, or school advisory council to apply. Also, it amends the support required to convert a public school to a charter, by removing the requirement that at least 50 percent of the school’s teachers vote in support. With respect to an existing public school converting to a charter school, the bill prohibits a district school board from charging rental or leasing fees for the existing facility or property normally inventoried to the conversion school to a municipality organizing the charter school and prohibits any property normally inventoried to the school from being removed from the school.
The bill also provides that a municipality with a school within its jurisdiction that has earned a grade below an “A” for 5 consecutive years may also apply to convert the school to a “job engine charter school” in order to attract jobproducing entities to the municipality. The job engine charter must provide an annual report on investments made to attract and maintain job-producing entities in the municipality.
SB 140 (Sen. Gaetz), a similar bill, is in the Senate Education Pre-K-12 Committee, its first of three committees of reference.
Farm Products: SB 374 (Sen. Truenow) was reported favorably by the Senate Agriculture Committee on March 3 and moves to the Senate Community Affairs Committee, its second of three committees of reference.
The bill amends s.163.3162 to revise the definition of “farm product” to mean plants and plant products as defined in s.581.011, regardless of whether such plants and plant products are edible or nonedible, or any animal useful to humans and includes, but is not limited to, any product derived therefrom. The bill also clarifies that an existing prohibition, against a governmental entity adopting or enforcing any ordinance, regulation, rule, or policy to prohibit, restrict, regulate, or otherwise limit an activity of a bona fide farm operation on land classified as agricultural, includes but is not limited to, the collection, storage, processing, and distribution of a farm product.
HB 211 (Rep. Cobb), an identical bill, is in the House Housing, Agriculture & Tourism Subcommittee, its first of three committees of reference.
Municipal Water and Sewer Utility Rates: HB 11 (Rep. F. Robinson) was reported favorably by the House Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee on March 5 and moves to the House Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee, its second of three committees of reference.
The bill amends s.180.191 to provide that any municipality that operates a water or sewer utility providing service to consumers within the boundaries of a separate municipality using a water treatment plant or sewer treatment plant located within the boundaries of that separate municipality shall charge consumers in the separate municipality the same rates, fees, and charges as it charges the consumers within its own municipal boundaries.
A similar bill, HB 202 (Sen. Jones), is in the Senate Regulated Industries Committee, its first of three committees of reference.
My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program: CS/SB 592 (Sen. Leek) was reported favorably, reflecting amendments, by the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee on March 3 and moves to the Senate Regulated Industries Committee, its second of three committees of reference
CS/SB 592 revises provisions of the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program within the Department of Financial Services to:
• revise the definition of “condominium” to exclude detached units on individual parcels of land;
• limit participation in the program to condominiums that are three stories or more in height and require the structure or building that is the subject of the mitigation grant to include at least one residential unit within such structure or building;
• require approval of at least 75 percent of all unit owners who reside within the structure or building that is the subject of the mitigation grant, rather than a unanimous vote of all unit owners;
• eliminate the restrictions that limit grant contributions for roof and opening protection projects;
• specify the roof mitigation techniques that may receive a grant award;
• require that the improvements must be verified during the final hurricane mitigation inspection in order to qualify for grant funds (Note: This was added by the committee); and
• provide that grant funds may only be awarded if the mitigation improvement will result in an insurance premium mitigation credit, discount, or other rate differential (Note: This was added by the committee)
HB 393 (Rep. V. Lopez and Rep. Hunschofsky), a similar bill, is in the House Housing, Agriculture & Tourism Subcommittee, its first of three committees of reference.
Regulation of Presidential Libraries: CS/HB 69 (Rep. Andrade), a delete-all amendment, was reported favorably by the House Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee on March 6 and moves to the House State Affairs Committee, its second and final committee of reference.
The amended bill defines presidential libraries and provides that a county, municipality, or other political subdivision may not adopt or enforce a local ordinance, regulation, rule, or policy that prohibits, restricts, regulates, or otherwise limits the establishment, maintenance, or operation of a presidential library or impose any requirement or restriction thereon, except as otherwise authorized by federal law.
Note the amended bill deleted previously proposed language that specifically preempted to the state all regulation of the establishment, maintenance, activities, and operations of any presidential library within its jurisdiction and deferred regulation of such institutions to the Federal Government.
SB 118 (Sen. Brodeur), identical to HB 69 as originally filed, is in the Senate Rules Committee, its second and final committee of reference.
Resilient Buildings: CS/HB 143 (Rep. Barnaby) was reported favorably, reflecting amendments, by the House Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee on March 4 and moves to the House Ways & Means Committee, its second of four committees of reference.
The bill creates s.220.197 to establish the resilient building tax credit program, which provides a corporate income tax credit to owners of resilient buildings that have received certain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)certifications. The amount of the tax credit varies on the level of LEED certification the building has received.
Additionally, the bill establishes s.553.972, which establishes the Florida Resilient Building Council as an advisory council adjunct to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The purpose of this advisory council is to provide the department and the Legislature with recommendations on policies to foster and enhance resilient buildings and hurricane resiliency. The advisory council must first meet no later than Nov. 1, 2025, and must meet no less than semiannually thereafter. This section is repealed Oct. 2, 2028 unless reenacted.
Note: The committee amendments related to the membership, length of terms, and repeal date of the advisory council. Additionally, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation was inserted to replace the originally proposed Department of Environmental Protection throughout the bill.
CS/SB 62 (Sen. Rodriguez), a similar bill, was reported favorably by the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee on March 4 and moves to the Senate Finance and Tax Committee, its second of three committees of reference. Note: The committee made the same amendments as discussed above.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Rural Communities: SB 110 (Sen. Simon) was reported favorably by the Senate Community Affairs Committee on March 3 and moves to the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee, its second and final committee of reference.
The bill addresses a number of issues for the benefit of rural communities in the state. Namely, the bill creates a statewide office to coordinate the advancement of rural communities and opportunities therein, and amends a number of programs and regulations across various departments and policy areas.
Regarding the Department of Commerce, the bill creates the Office of Rural Prosperity (Office) within the department to serve as the state’s dedicated office for rural local governments. The bill transfers administration of existing rural community grant programs currently administered by the department, to the newly established Office, and creates two new grant programs benefiting rural communities: the Renaissance Grant Program and the Public Infrastructure Smart Technology Grant Program.
Among other directives, the office is responsible for:
• providing training and technical assistance to rural local governments;
• creating an online Rural Resource Directory for rural local governments to navigate available state and federal resources and funding opportunities; and
• establishing a network of seven regional rural community liaison centers across the state to provide in-person state support to rural communities to enhance communication and increase access to state and federal resources for rural areas of the state.
The bill also:
• enhances the Rural Economic Development Initiative to promote rural local government participation in state grant and other program opportunities and evaluate opportunities to waive certain grant program requirements for rural governments;
• directs OPPAGA to routinely evaluate the effectiveness of the office and also study strategies implemented by other states to support and enhance rural communities; and
• directs OPPAGA and the Office of Economic and Demographic Research to jointly review the impact of Florida Statutes on rural communities and evaluate whether appropriate metrics are applied in current law to define rural areas and communities.
To further healthcare access in rural communities, the bill:
• creates the Stroke, Cardiac, and Obstetric Response and Education (SCORE) Grant Program within the Department of Health (DOH) to implement training, purchase equipment, establish telehealth capabilities, and
develop quality improvement programs with the goal of improving patient outcomes and increasing access to high-quality stroke, cardiac, and obstetric care in rural communities;
• creates the Rural Access to Primary and Preventative Care Grant Program (RAPP-C) program within the DOH to provide incentive funding for primary care physicians and autonomous Advanced Practice Registered Nurses to open new practice locations in rural and underserved areas of the state; and
• expands the existing Rural Hospital Capital Improvement Grant Program (RHCI) to allow rural hospitals to use grant funds to establish mobile care units to provide primary care services, behavioral health services, or obstetric and gynecological services in rural health professional shortage areas (HPSA) or to establish telehealth kiosks to provide urgent care services in rural HPSAs.
Regarding the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), the bill:
• creates the Florida Arterial Road Modernization (FARM) program to provide investment in rural arterial roads to enhance the safety, reliability and resiliency for critical state facilities; and
• provides additional annual funds to the FDOT to enhance the Small County Road Assistance Program (SCRAP) and revises Small County Outreach Program (SCOP) funding eligibility requirements
Regarding the Department of Education, the bill:
• expands authorized services under regional consortium service organizations (regional consortia), increases to $150,000 the per member funding for such regional consortia, and authorizes all revenue to be carried forward for specified purposes;
• creates the Regional Consortia Service Organization Supplemental Services Program to provide additional financial resources for regional consortia to provide specified programs and services to school districts and consortia members;
• establishes the Rural Incentive for Professional Educators program to provide a student loan repayment of up to $15,000 for teachers and administrators to live and work at a public or private school in rural areas of opportunity;
• removes the requirement that school districts receiving funds under the Special Facility Construction Account (SFCA) budget toward the project the value of 1 mill from its discretionary ad valorem levy; and
• modifies the calculation for the deducted amount from total tax revenue that must be shared with district charter schools for future projects under the SFCA.
Regarding affordable housing, the bill:
• provides funding for and directs the Florida Housing Finance Corporation to issue competitive requests for application to preserve multifamily housing funded through U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) loans in rural areas;
• authorizes local governments to utilize a certain percentage of State Housing Initiatives Program (SHIP) funds on projects to preserve USDA-financed multifamily housing in rural areas; and
• increases the minimum SHIP allocation from $350,000 to $1 million for counties and eligible municipalities.
Regarding fiscally constrained counties, the bill:
• amends the criteria for being designated as a fiscally constrained county;
• changes the revenue source for the fiscally constrained counties distribution from the direct to-home satellite service tax to sales tax;
• provides to fiscally constrained counties a distribution from sales tax in an amount equal to no less than $50 million each year; and
• makes several changes to the fiscally constrained counties distribution, including changing distribution factors for allocating revenue among counties and creating spending requirements.
The bill makes several appropriations to the Department of Commerce ($16.8 million recurring general revenue, $74.7 million nonrecurring general revenue, and $750,000 recurring trust fund); the Department of Education ($35.6 million recurring general revenue); and the Department of Health ($6.3 million recurring general revenue, $55 million
nonrecurring general revenue, and $8.2 million recurring trust fund). The bill also redirects funds to the Department of Transportation for specific purposes, but requires the department to submit budget amendments to receive the funds. The bill also provides for an increased share of state tax revenues for fiscally constrained counties.
HB 1427 (Rep. Griffitts, Jr.), a similar bill, was filed on Feb. 28 and is in the House Commerce Committee, its first of three committees of reference.
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Comprehensive Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan: HB 295 (Rep. Casello and Rep. Hart) was reported favorably by the House Natural Resources and Disasters Subcommittee on March 4 and moves to the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee, its second of three committees of reference.
The bill provides that, by July 1, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is required to develop a statewide comprehensive waste reduction and recycling plan based on recommendations from its report on Florida’s recycling goal titled “Florida and the 2020 75% Recycling Goal” (2020 Report). DEP must convene a technical advisory group to help develop the plan.
At a minimum, the bill requires the plan to identify recycling goals based on sustainable materials management and waste diversion and include a three-year plan to implement the following strategies:
• recycling education and outreach. DEP must propose statewide solutions to provide local recycling information and education throughout the state;
• local government recycling assistance. DEP is required to evaluate the benefits and challenges of the former state Recycling and Education Grant Program and provide recommendations for reinstating the program or considering other means of providing recycling assistance to local governments; and
• recycling materials market development. DEP must consider and recommend plans to develop and promote markets for recycling materials.
Upon completion of the plan, the bill requires DEP to provide a report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The report must include recommendations for statutory changes necessary to achieve the recycling goals and strategies identified in the plan.
SB 200 (Sen. Berman), an identical bill, is in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment and General Government, its second of three committees of reference.
Nature-based Methods for Improving Coastal Resilience: CS/SB 50 (Sen. Garcia) was reported favorably, reflecting amendments by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government on March 5 and moves to the Senate Rules Committee, its third and final committee of reference.
CS/SB 50 amends s.380.0933 to direct the Florida Flood Hub for Applied Research and Innovation develop guidelines and standards for optimal combinations of green and gray infrastructure to address sea level rise and the impact of storm surges, and to model the effects of green and gray infrastructure on the state’s coastal resilience.
The bill also creates s.380.0938 to direct the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to adopt rules governing nature-based methods for improving coastal resilience. The rules must do the following:
• address significant erosion in areas of critical state concern;
• identify ways that new development can avoid or mitigate their impacts on mangrove systems;
• encourage local government entities to develop or participate in mangrove replanting and hydrological restoration programs, and the restoration of oyster reefs, salt marshes, and coral reefs;
• identify and monitor threats to mangroves;
• protect barrier and spoil islands;
• assist efforts to improve coastal resilience using green infrastructure, beach renourishment, dune restoration, living seawalls, shoreline and vegetation planting, stormwater planters, permeable pavements, and ecologically sound building materials;
• promote public awareness of the value of green infrastructure and statewide education campaigns conducted by local government entities;
• identify vulnerable public and private properties along the coastline and encourage partnerships with local governmental entities to create local protection and restoration zone programs for implementing these rules;
• protect and maintain access to and navigation of the marked channel and the right-of-way of the Florida Intracoastal Waterway;
• create permitting incentives and approvals of, and encourage the use of, new strategies and technologies, such as 3D printing, for living shorelines and nature-based features for coastal protection;
• assist in the development of workforce training, including flood and sea level rise research, prediction, and adaptation and mitigation strategies, and provide incentives to local communities that apply for funding through the Workforce Development Capitalization Grant Program to implement such training;
• encourage partnerships with local governmental entities to create green infrastructure projects through the Resilient Florida Grant Program;
• develop guidelines for determining when a green infrastructure project is clearly in the public interest under s.373.414(1)(a);
• streamline the Environmental Resource Permitting process for green infrastructure projects; and
• streamline permitting after designated storm events or disasters to replace failed coastal infrastructure with green or hybrid green-gray infrastructure that follows established green and green-gray design guidelines.
The bill also requires DEP, in consultation with the Division of Insurance Agent and Agency Services, to conduct a statewide feasibility study to determine the value of nature-based methods for coastal flood risk reduction within coastal communities to reduce insurance premiums and improve local governments’ community ratings in the National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System. The DEP shall submit a report on the findings to the Governor, Senate President and House Speaker by July 1, 2026.
The committee amended the bill to include, for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, that the sum of $250,000 in nonrecurring funds from the Resilient Florida Trust Fund is appropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection to conduct the feasibility study for coastal flood risk reduction required in the bill.
HB 371 (Rep. Mooney, Jr.) , which was identical to SB 50 as originally filed, is in the House Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee, its first of three committees of reference.
State Land Management: CS/HB 209 (Rep. Snyder and Rep. Gossett-Seidman) was reported favorably, reflecting amendments, by the House Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee on March 4 and moves to the House State Affairs Committee, its second and final committee of reference.
CS/SB 80, cited as the “State Park Preservation Act,” amends s.253.034 to require at least one public hearing when conservation and non-conservation land management plans are updated. Current law only requires a public hearing when a land management plan is in development.
The bill also adds a deadline of at least 30 days before the public hearing by which the Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of State Lands must make an electronic copy of land management plans, for both parcels that exceed 160 acres in size and for parcels located within a state park, available to the public.
The bill also amends s.259.032 to require individual land management plans for parcels within a state park to be developed with input from an advisory group. Current law requires the advisory group to hold at least one public hearing within the county in which the parcel or project is located and contains notice requirements for such hearing.
The bill adds to the notice requirements that the public hearing must be noticed at least 30 days before it is held. The bill also requires that individual land management plans for parcels within a state park must be updated with input from an advisory group. (This last requirement was added by the committee.)
The bill amends s.258.004 to require all lands managed pursuant to the laws on state parks and preserves (Chapter 258, F.S.) be managed for the greatest combination of benefits to the public and to the lands’ natural resources. The bill also requires lands to be managed for:
• conservation-based recreational uses, defined to mean public outdoor recreational activities that do not significantly invade, degrade, or displace the natural resources, native habitats, or archaeological or historical sites that are preserved within state parks. Such uses include but are not limited to, fishing, camping, bicycling, hiking, nature study, swimming, boating, canoeing, horseback riding, diving, birding, sailing, jogging. The bill specifies that sporting facilities that cause substantial harm including, but not limited to, golf courses, tennis courts, pickleball courts, ball fields or other similar facilities may not be constructed in state parks. (These provisions reflect committee amendments to use the term “conservation-based recreational uses” instead of the previously proposed “conservation-based public outdoor recreational uses”, and change the wording used in these provisions.);
• public access and related amenities, including roads, parking areas, walkways, and visitor centers; and
• scientific research, including archaeology.
The bill states that these uses must be managed in a manner that is compatible with and that ensures the conservation of the state’s natural resources by minimizing impacts to undisturbed habitat and using disturbed upland regions to the maximum extent practicable.
The bill amends s.258.007 to authorize the Division of Recreation and Parks to acquire, install, or permit the installation or operation of camping cabins that have a maximum occupancy of six guests at state parks. The installation and operation of any camping cabin in a state park must be compatible with the park’s land management plan and must be approved pursuant to the statutory requirements for land management plan approval. The bill also requires that camping cabins must, to the maximum extent practicable, be sited to avoid impacts to a state park’s critical habitat and natural and historical resources.
Furthermore, the bill prohibits the Division of Recreation and Parks from authorizing uses or construction activities within a state park that may cause significant harm to the resources of the state park. This includes building or altering structures. The bill directs that any use or construction activity must, to the maximum extent practicable, be conducted to avoid impacts on a state park’s critical habitat and natural and historical resources. The bill further prohibits the Division of Recreation and Parks from installing or permitting the installation at state parks of any lodging establishment as defined in s.509.242. Note: The committee amended this provision to delete a previous prohibition against operating a lodging facility in a state park.
Finally, the bill directs DEP to submit a report to the Governor, Senate President, and House Speaker by Dec 1, 2025 that includes the following information regarding the state park system:
• the number of state parks with amenities or areas that have limited use or are temporarily closed due to needed repairs or inadequate infrastructure necessary to support conservation- based public recreation uses;
• the system’s estimated budget allocation expenditures for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, broken down by salaries and benefits, equipment costs, and contracting costs for the following categories: operations, maintenance and repair, park improvement, and administrative overhead; and
• estimated costs associated with the facility maintenance backlog by each state park, including a plan to reduce or eliminate the backlog for the state park system by July 1, 2035, to ensure access to and the safe enjoyment of such public lands for Florida residents and visitors.
A similar bill, CS/SB 80 (Sen. Harrell), is in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government, its second of three committees of reference.
Water Management Districts: SB 7002 (Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee) was reported favorably by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government on March 5 and moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee, its final of three committees of reference.
SB 7002 amends laws concerning water management district funding, budgeting, and business practices, as well as Everglades restoration projects more generally. The bill provides direct appropriations for listed Everglades restoration projects.
With respect to the Everglades restoration in particular, the bill requires the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) to include the total estimated remaining cost to implement the comprehensive plan for the Central and Southern Florida Project Comprehensive Review Study in its progress report on the comprehensive plan. The bill provides that state and local members of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force may not include the assumption of the future availability of state funds over a certain amount in their recommendations for updates to the Integrated Delivery Schedule for Everglades restoration projects.
The bill also includes Everglades Restoration funding for projects requested by SFWMD for the 2025-26 fiscal year totaling more than $750 million. Projects include:
• C-111 South Dade;
• Indian River Lagoon South;
• Central Everglades Planning Project South;
• Central Everglades Planning Project North;
• Loxahatchee River Watershed Restoration Project;
• Western Everglades Restoration Project;
• Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project Planning and Design;
• Caloosahatchee River C-43 West Basin Storage;
• Central Everglades Planning Project Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir;
• Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program; and
• Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project Aquifer Storage and Recovery Well
HB 1169 (Rep. Conerly), a similar bill, is in the House Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee, its first of four committees of reference.
LEGISLATIVE NEWS
DeSantis Targets Ballot Initiatives, Taxes
The News Service of Florida | Tallahassee Reports | March 5
Governor Ron DeSantis Delivers State of State Address Florida Daily | March 4
House, Senate leaders launch into session focused on insurance, agriculture Jay Waagmeester and Christine Sexton | Florida Phoenix | March 4