BILL SUMMARY DETAILS

HB 1599 (Tuck) and SB 1716 (Yarborough) revise the interest rate and penalty that applies to propertyowners who unlawfully received a homestead exemption. (Chapman)

HB 101 (Woodson) and SB 184 (Polsky) expand the current homestead exemption for the surviving spouse of a first responder who dies in the line of duty to include first responders who die in the line of duty while employed by the United States Government. (Cruz)

CS/SB 288 (DiCeglie) and HB 499 (Stark) create the Main Street Historic Tourism and Revitalization Act, which provides a tax credit against corporate income taxes and insurance premium taxes for qualified expenses incurred in the rehabilitation of a certified historic structure. The tax credit may not exceed 20 percent of qualified expenses incurred in the rehabilitation of a certified historic structure that has been approved by the National Park Service to receive the federal historic rehabilitation tax credit or 30 percent of the total qualified expenses incurred in the rehabilitation of a certified historic structure that has been approved by the National Park Service to receive the federal historic rehabilitation tax credit that is located within a local program area of an Accredited Main Street Program. (Chapman)

SJR 122 (Avila) and HJR 469 (Fernandez-Barquin) would reduce the limitation on annual increases of homestead property tax assessments from 3% to 2%. In 1994, the State of Florida established a 3% Save Our Homes (SOH) Cap assessment limit on all residential properties that receive a homestead exemption. The 3% SOH Cap limits any increase to the assessed value of a homestead exempt property for tax purposes to a maximum of 3% each year. SB 120 would reduce the assessment limit to a maximum of 2% each year. SJR 122 and HJR 469 are constitutional amendments and would require the approval of the Florida Legislature and the voters of Florida. (Chapman)

CS/SB 124 (Avila) and CS/HB 161 (Borrero) increase the just value limit of real estate eligible for the homestead tax exemption that may be adopted by counties or municipalities for certain persons age 65 and older if SJR 126, HJR 159 or a similar constitutional amendment is approved by the voters at the next general election. (Cruz)

SJR 126 (Avila) and HJR 159 (Borrero) propose an amendment to the Florida Constitution to increase the just value of a home that may be eligible to receive an additional homestead exemption for homes owned by seniors 65 years or older from $250,000 to $300,000. Under current law, a county or city may authorize an additional homestead exemption for seniors over the age of 65 if the value of the home is $250,000 or less, has been a permanent residence for at least 25 years, and certain income limitations are met. The legislation would simply increase the just value limit of real estate eligible for the homestead tax exemption from $250,000 to $300,000. (Cruz)

HB 1153 (Steele) and CS/SB 1432 (Trumbull) would freeze the current local tax rate for CST for 3 years, from January 2023 to January 2026. Additionally the bills would prevent local governments from charging franchise fees for the location of the utilities in the public right of way. Lastly, the bill reduces the state tax rate for CST percentage by 1.44% as well as the portion on direct-to-home satellite services by 1.44%.  (Chapman)

CS/HB 127 (Smith) and SB 566 (Wright) expand the current ad valorem tax exemption for not-for-profit homes for the aged. The bills will allow a home for the aged owned by a separate entity that is owned by a not-for-profit corporation to also receive the exemption. (Cruz)

HB 405 (Tramont) proposes an amendment to the Florida Constitution that would prohibit nonpartisan municipal elections. The proposal also provides that only qualified electors in a municipal election with the same party affiliation as a candidate for office may vote in the primary election for such office (even if a candidate has no opponent with a different party affiliation). The same prohibitions and limitations are imposed on all other state, county and local primary elections, including school boards. In addition, the proposal specifies that a candidate for office may not be prohibited from disclosing his or her party affiliation to the electors and may not be prohibited from campaigning or qualifying for office based on party affiliation. (O'Hara)

CS/SB 1372 (Ingoglia) and HB 1321 (Beltran) strike provisions in current law that prohibit the political advertisement of a candidate running for nonpartisan office from stating the candidate’s party affiliation and strikes provisions in current law that prohibit a candidate for nonpartisan office from campaigning based on party affiliation. This would authorize a candidate for a nonpartisan municipal election to state his or her party affiliation in a political advertisement. HB 1321 would require all candidates running for a partisan office to state their party affiliation in a political advertisement and would also require candidates running for any nonpartisan office (including municipal) to state their party affiliation or state “nonpartisan” in lieu of party affiliation. (O’Hara)

SB 1080 (Yarborough) prohibits the consideration of the residential addresses of current elected officials, and the favoring or disfavoring of any candidate or incumbent, in the district drawing process for counties, municipalities and school districts. In addition, the bill specifies that district changes may be made by counties, municipalities and school districts only in odd-numbered years. (O’Hara)

CS/HB 37 (Roach) and CS/SB 774 (Brodeur) require all municipal mayors, city commissioners, elected members of a municipal governing body, and all municipal and county managers to file an annual Full Disclosure of Financial Interests (Form 6) with the Florida Commission on Ethics. These individuals are currently required to file only a Limited Disclosure of Financial Interests (Form 1). CS/SB 774 was amended to remove city managers from the list of officials required to file Form 6. (O'Hara)

CS/HB 199 (Hunschofsky) and CS/SB 620 (DiCeglie) would maintain the current law exemption in the Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees for officers of certain special taxing districts created by general or special law relating to conflicting employment and contractual relationships. The bills also clarify that certain conduct is still prohibited regardless of the exemption, such as misuse of public position and disclosing information that is not otherwise available to the public for their own personal benefit. The bills require elected local officers of independent special districts to undergo four hours of annual ethics training. (O'Hara)

SB 100 (Garcia) and HB 561 (Mooney, Jr.) – Mangrove Replanting & Restoration

HB 55 (Garcia) and SB 108 (Rodriguez) – Trees and Other Vegetation within Rights-of-Way

SB 54 (Rodriguez) and HB 135 (Mooney) – Land Acquisition Trust Fund (Keys)

HB 125 (McClain) and SB 194 (Hooper) – Utility System Rate Base Values

HB 207 (Edmonds) and SB 592 (Powell) – Notice of Contaminated Water Systems

HB 325 (Valdes), SB 484 (Bradley), HB 759 (Baker) and SB 1720 (Rouson) – Flood Disclosures for Property Sales

SB 716 (Stewart) and HB 1291 (Antone) – Flood Zone Disclosures for Dwelling Units

HB 527 (Skidmore) and SB 1484 (Pizzo) – Office of the Blue Economy

HB 407 (Shoaf) and SB 702 (Simon) – Apalachicola Bay Area of Critical State Concern

SB 320 (Harrell) and HB 547 (Sirois) – Land Acquisition Trust Fund (Indian River Lagoon)

HB 557 (Bell) and SB 602 (Burton) – Land Acquisition Trust Fund (Heartland Headwaters)

HB 713 (McFarland) and SB 742 (Grall) – Administrative Procedures and Permitting Process Review

HB 739 (Cassel) and SB 1336 (Polsky) – Disposal of Food Waste Material

SB 724 (Boyd) and HB 1181 (Robinson) – Seagrass Restoration Technology Development Initiatives

HB 821 (Yeager) and SB 1162 (DiCeglie) – Renewable Energy Cost Recovery

SB 930 (Stewart) – Excise Tax on Water Extracted for Commercial or Industrial Use

SB 1134 (Gruters) and HB 1505 (Grant) – Outstanding Florida Springs (Warm Mineral Springs)

HB 1149 (Massullo) – Carbon Sequestration

HB 1187 (Beltran) and SB 1216 (Ingoglia) – Campaign Finance

SB 1206 (Thompson) and HB 1469 (Joseph) – Elections

HB 1195 (Cross) and SB 1268 (Rouson) – Urban Agriculture Pilot Projects

SB 1368 (Wright) and HB 1367 (Altman) – Unlawful Dumping (water control districts)

SB 1248 (Ingoglia) – Political Parties

CS/HB 23 (Bell) and CS/SB 162 (Collins) state that water and wastewater facility operators are essential first responders. The bills require the Department of Environmental Protection to issue a license by reciprocity to any applicant who: (1) is a water treatment plant operator, water distribution system operator or domestic wastewater treatment plant operator and who holds an active and valid license from another state, the federal government or tribal government, for which the licensure requirements are comparable to or exceed Florida's licensure requirements; (2) has passed a licensure examination comparable to the Department's licensure examination, subject to approval of the Department; (3) is not the subject of a disciplinary or enforcement action outside of Florida at the time of application; (4) submits a completed application for reciprocal licensure; and (5) remits the application fee. The bills further direct the Department to issue a license by reciprocity to any applicant who: (1) has performed comparable duties while serving in the U.S. armed forces, for which the requirements for performing the duties are comparable to or exceed the Department's licensure requirements; (2) has passed a skills assessment or competency examination comparable to the Department's licensure exam, subject to approval by the Department; (3) is not the subject of any disciplinary or enforcement action at the time of application; (4) submits a completed application to the Department; and (5) remits the application fee. Lastly, the bills authorize the Department, during a declared state of emergency, to issue a temporary operator license by reciprocity under specified conditions and to waive the application fee for such temporary operator license. (O'Hara)

CS/SB 458 (Rodriguez) and HB 827 (Basabe) authorize the Department of Environmental Protection to provide wastewater grant program grants to projects directed at or focused on a water body that is included in the Department's verified list of impaired waters. (O'Hara)

SB 970 (Berman) and HB 957 (Eskamani) amend multiple provisions of law relating to renewable energy. The bills prohibit the drilling, exploration for or the production of oil, gas or other petroleum products on the lands and waters of the state. The bills provide 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 direct the Office of Energy within 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)

SB 798 (Ingoglia) and CS/HB 975 (Holcomb) provide that a city or county may not prohibit or "unreasonably restrain" a private entity from providing recycling or solid waste services to commercial, industrial or multifamily residential properties. In addition, the bills authorize a local government to require such private entities to obtain a permit, license or non-exclusive franchise but specify the local government's fee may not exceed the local government's administrative cost and that the fee must be commensurate with fees for other industries. The bills prohibit the use of exclusive franchise agreements and restrict a local government from providing its own solid waste or recycling services. Current contracts and franchises in place as of January 2023 would be permitted to continue to their date of expiration, but the bills specify that a local government may not recognize an "evergreen" contract or additional renewal or extension of a contract or agreement. CS/HB 975 was amended to provide that the bill does not apply to a local government that is the sole provider of solid waste collection services in its jurisdiction performed by employees of a municipality or county using municipal or county-owned equipment. (O'Hara)

HB 661 (Truenow) and SB 1420 (Rodriguez) authorize counties and municipalities to access sanitary sewer laterals within their jurisdiction to investigate, repair or replace the lateral. A sanitary sewer lateral is a privately owned pipeline connecting a property to the main sewer line. The bills require municipalities and counties to notify private property owners within a specified timeframe if the government intends to access the owner's sanitary sewer lateral and an anticipated timeframe for the work. The bills specify that local governments who establish sanitary sewer lateral programs are legally and financially responsible for all work that is performed and authorizes such programs to use specified state or local funds to evaluate and rehabilitate impaired laterals. (O'Hara)

SB 734 (Polsky) and HB 1079 (Cross) authorize 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 bills require 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 bills direct the Department to provide 50% cost-share funding to counties, up to $250,000, for each grant, and exempt counties with a population of 50,000 or less from the cost-share requirement. (O'Hara)