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Government Affairs
On the Horizon for the 2022 Legislative Session
By: Max Brandow, RASM Vice President of Advocacy and Member Programs
As the final committee weeks of 2021 wrapped up this past month, over 2400+ bills have been filed for the 2022 Legislative session in Florida. Florida REALTORS® has highlighted a few for us to keep our eyes on.
BILLS TO WATCH
SB 788 – Establishes the Florida Hometown Hero
Housing Program (HHHP) that Florida Realtors® will be advocating for this session. The HHHP is being modeled after the Salute Our Soldiers military loan program that the Florida Housing
Finance Corporation (FHFC) launched in 2020. SB 856 – Private Provider Inspection of Onsite
Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems. This bill will allow for qualified private inspectors to conduct inspections of onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems. SB 834 – Long-term Cleanup of Harmful Algal
Blooms. This bill directs the Department of
Environmental Protection to procure innovative technologies to remove harmful algal blooms, toxins, algae, and nutrients from water bodies, and to prioritize the funding to such technologies that are proven and scalable. SB 608 – Sanitary Sewer Lateral Inspection Programs. This bill authorizes local governments to access any sanitary sewer lateral to investigate, clean, repair, recondition, or replace the lateral and provides specific requirements to conduct such a program.
You can track all the bills impacting the real estate industry in our bill tracker.
LOCAL IMPORTANT ISSUES TO WATCH IN 2022
In addition to it being an election year, there are some important public policy developments happening locally. Here are just a few things to keep your eye on:
Redistricting – Keep an eye on new maps coming out for our local governments. Discussions have been taking place in both Manatee and Sarasota Counties that could change what district you vote in and who your local elected official is. RASM will make sure to update the membership once new maps are finalized.
Zoning in City of Sarasota – The City of Sarasota Commission has tasked staff with reviewing and updating the zoning code of the city in certain commercial corridors, including downtown and many of the main commercial arteries throughout town. RASM and CREA will be very involved in this process and will consult with our members as the issue moves forward.
Surtax Election – The County Penny Surtax in Sarasota County is up for renewal in November of 2022 and RASM, along with a coalition of civic and community partners, is advocating for passage of this vital community funding source.
Continuing the Penny Tax is all about improving our well-being and quality of life in the community, in its 32 years of existence, every one of our citizens has benefited from it in some way, whether they saw improvements in their water quality, walked on our renourished beaches, or felt the safety of deputies’ cars in their neighborhoods. It is one of the only funding sources locally that visitors help pay through sales tax (non-residents account for over 20% of the penny tax), and if it does not pass, we could potentially see local taxes rise through other means. •
January 11–March 11: 60-day regular session February 7–9: Great American REALTOR® Days event
To view the complete GARD schedule, visit: www. floridarealtors.org/events/great-american-realtor-days/ schedule
