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October 13, 2023 | Legislative Reporter The 2024 Legislative Session convenes on Jan. 9, 2024 and is scheduled to end on March 8, 2024. Interim committee meetings began on Sept. 18 and will periodically continue through the week of Dec. 11, 2023. The latest Bill Tracking Report, as of Oct. 13, can be viewed here. Please review it to see the bills filed that APA Florida is tracking. Note that if you click on the bill number, you will be linked to more information about the bill. 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. Since the last update, the following bills of interest have been filed: HB 109 (Rep. Andrade): allows a municipality to submit an application for conversion to a charter school for any or all of the public schools within its jurisdiction. SB 112 (Sen. Jones): transfers the Healthy Food Financing Initiative from s.500.81, F.S. to s.595.801, F.S. and makes a number of programmatic changes to that program, including changing the definition of “underserved community” to reflect a low-income community instead of the current distressed urban, suburban or rural geographic area. SB 122 (Sen. Stewart): rescinds s.163.045, F.S., adopted in 2019, related to tree pruning, trimming or removal of trees on residential property. (Note that Sen. Stewart has sponsored similar bills each year since 2021 but none were heard in committee.) HB 141 (Rep. Abbott) and SB 196 (Sen. Simon): amends s.288.018, F.S., Regional Rural Development Grants Program, including deleting the requirement that certain grants received by a regional economic development organization must be matched in a certain manner. Oct 13, 2023 | Legislative Reporter
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SB 144 (Sen. Berman): prohibits the drilling or exploration for, or production of, oil, gas or other petroleum products on state lands and waters; requires the Office of Energy with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to develop a unified state plan to generate 100 percent of the state’s electricity from renewable energy by 2050 and reduce the state’s carbon emissions to net zero by 2051. (Note Sen. Berman has sponsored similar bills each year since 2020 but none were heard in committee.) HB 157 (Rep. Caruso): authorizes governing bodies of municipalities to convene meetings and conduct official business via teleconferencing or other technological means up to twice per calendar year as long as such meetings meet all of the requirements for public notice, public access, and public participation. Meetings that include formal action on ordinances or are quasijudicial hearings may not be conducted in this manner. Legislative News State lawmaker pursues tax-exempt status for spaceports to catalyze commercial space investment Caden DeLisa, The Capitolist, Oct. 11 Doubts and glimmers of hope: mixed signals in Florida property insurance market Brian Burgess, The Capitolist, Oct. 11 Rep. Matt Gaetz’s father, former State Senator Don Gaetz, seeking a return to office Tom McLaughlin, Palm Beach Daily News, Oct. 2 Amid increased gentrification, Floridians need low-income housing | Opinion Ebonni Chrispin, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Oct. 1 Andrade introduces new bill allowing municipalities to convert public schools to charter schools Owen Girard, Florida’s Voice, Oct. 6
Oct 13, 2023 | Legislative Reporter
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