BILL SUMMARY DETAILS

HB 545 (Geller) and SB 1452 (Torres) create the right for citizens to propose legislation by ballot initiative. The bills define the process by which proposed legislation by ballot initiative would need to abide by, as well as the criteria that said legislation must comply with. The bills also set forth the process by which laws adopted by citizen initiative could be changed or repealed. The bills provide exceptions for types of proposed legislation if said legislation is proposed by legislative initiative. Of interest to cities: laws that change the boundaries of any municipality, county or special legislative or congressional district may not be proposed by initiative. (Cruz)

SB 1674 (Farmer) provides that the legislature may not preempt to the state a field of regulation or other subject of legislation unless it is passed by a two-thirds vote of each house. The bill also requires a supermajority vote of each house for a general law that preempts a subject of legislation to the state. (Cruz)

SB 1522 (Broxson) and CS/HB 1209 (Fischer) expand the instances whereby voters can vote to dissolve a municipality. Under the bills, a municipality can be dissolved by a referendum by a majority vote of qualified voters. The referendum must be held if a municipality meets one or more of the following criteria: the municipality has been in a state of financial emergency for two years or more, a financial emergency board has been established in response to a financial emergency and the municipality has failed to comply with the terms included in a signed agreement with the Governor's office, the municipality has submitted its annual financial report or annual financial audit report significantly late for two or more years consecutively or a grand jury or auditor general audit report issued within the past three years identifies significant problems with the municipality.

Within 30 days after one of the above criteria are met, the governing body of the municipality or, in the event the municipal government does not act, the governing body of the county or counties that the municipality is in, shall set the date of the referendum to dissolve the municipality. The referendum shall be at the next regularly scheduled election or a special election can be called. The election shall be noticed at least once a week for two weeks before the election in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality. (Cruz)

HB 173 (Polo) – Nonenforcement of Immigration Detainers and Nonjudicial Immigration Warrants

HB 6023 (Polo) would repeal legislation from the 2019 Session relating to state and local government enforcement of federal immigration laws. (Cruz)

SB 1466 (Baxley) and HB 855 (Payne) – Special Districts 

SB 856 (Pizzo) and HB 1459 (Silvers) – Affordable Housing Tax Reduction

SB 1434 (Torres) and HB 493 (Cortes) – Community Development Districts

SB 68 (Book) HB 163 (Altman) create a dedicated revenue source for grants provided to the state office on homelessness and local homeless continuums of care (CoC). The bills direct $10 million annually from the Sadowski State and Local Housing Trust Funds to the challenge grants. The bills increase the amount of funds available to each CoC for challenge grants from $500,000 to $750,000 and reduces the amount of matching funds or in-kind support required from local governments for a grant recipient from 100% to 25%. (Branch)

CS/SB 364 (Rader) and CS/CS/CS/HB 39 (Gottlieb) create the Assisted and Independent Living Facility Task Force within the Agency for Person with Disabilities. The task force must develop and evaluate policy proposals that incentivize developers or contractors to dedicate space for assisted living facilities or independent living facilities within mixed-use developments to house individuals with an intellectual disability, autism or mental illness. The task force membership includes a representative from the Florida League of Cities. (Branch)

SB 306 (Mayfield) and HB 381 (Silvers) specify that funds deposited in the State Housing Trust Fund and the Local Government Housing Trust Fund may not be transferred or used for any other purpose. (Branch)

CS/SB 998 (Hutson) and CS/HB 1339 (Yarborough) makes varied and comprehensive changes to Florida law that impact affordable housing.

Of concern to municipalities, the bills:

•require local governments to allow Accessory Dwelling Units in all single-family residential zones. 

•permit a mobile home park damaged or destroyed by wind, water or other natural force to be rebuilt on the same site with the same density as was approved, permitted or built before being damaged or destroyed. (Branch)

SB 54 (Book) and HB 87 (Mercado) – Sales Tax Exemption: Diapers and Incontinence Products 

HB 93 (Casello) and SB 192 (Berman) – Sales Tax Exemption: Assist Living Facilities

SJR 282 (Diaz) – Constitutional Amendment: Homestead Assessment Limitation for Certain Persons 

SB 284 (Diaz) – Implementation Bill: Homestead Assessments for Certain Persons

SB 296 (Albritton) – Property Assessment Administration 

HB 429 (Valdes) and SB 508 (Baxley) – Sales Tax Absorption 

SB 524 (Gruters) – Sales Tax Holiday for Disaster Preparedness Supplies

HB 527 (Hill) – Sales Tax Exemption: Industrial Machinery and Equipment

SB 542 (Perry) – Back-to-school Sales Tax Holiday

SJR 396 (Rodriguez) – Single Subject Limitation for Taxation and Budget Reform Commission

HB 555 (Aloupis) and SB 844 (Taddeo) – Sales Tax Exemption for Hurricane Shutters and Impact-resistant Windows

SB 654 (Lee) – Sales Tax Refund for Eligible Job Training Organizations

HB 1077 (LaMarca) and SB 1404 (Perry) – Department of Financial Services

SB 1052 (Taddeo) – Small Business Saturday Sales Tax Holiday

HB 1141 (Caruso) and SB 1778 (Gruters) – Taxation of Real Property

HB 1249 (Sullivan) and SB 1662 (Albritton) – Transfer of Tax Exemption for Veterans

SB 1310 (Mayfield) – Hunting and Fishing Sales Tax Holiday

HB 811 (Geller) and SB 1306 (Thurston) – Transfers in Divorce

SB 2500 (Appropriations Committee) and HB 5001 (Appropriations) – General Appropriations Act

SB 2502 (Appropriations) HB 5003 (Appropriations) – Implementing the 2020-2021 General Appropriations Act

SJR 1502 (Diaz) and HB 7061 (State Affairs Committee) propose an amendment to the Florida Constitution requiring Florida’s chief financial officer to annually provide information about counties and municipalities to residents in a manner that allows residents to compare economic and noneconomic factors of each local government. (Hughes)

SB 1330 (Gruters) require that establishment, merger, or abolishment of a municipal service taxing (MSTU) or municipal service benefit unit (MSBU) be approved by majority vote of certain qualified electors who would be or are subject to any service charge, special assessment, or tax within the unit in an election that is called for such purpose by the governing body of the county. The boundaries of a MSTU or MSBU may include all or part of the boundaries of a municipality if, in addition to the majority approval of qualified electors, consent by ordinance of the governing body of the affected municipality is given either annually or for a term of years. This bill provides procedures for the dissolution of a MSTU or MSBU that is created after July 1, 2020, and does not achieve the majority vote of qualified electors. (Hughes)

HB 6079 (Mariano) deletes gross income requirements for a totally and permanently disabled person to qualify for specified homestead exemptions. (Hughes)

HB 881 (Killebrew) and CS/SB 1078 (Wright) provide for a special election to be held on Tuesday, August 18, 2020, to approve or reject HJR 877 (Killebrew), SJR 1076 (Wright) or a similar joint resolution having substantially the same specific intent and purpose. (Hughes)

HB 879 (Killebrew) and CS/SB 1074 (Wright) implement HJR 877, SJR 1076 or similar joint resolution if approved by the voters. (Hughes)

HJR 877 (Killebrew) and SJR 1076 (Wright) propose an amendment to the Florida Constitution to allow the same ad valorem tax discount on homestead property for combat-disabled veterans age 65 or older to carry over to the surviving spouse of a veteran receiving the discount if the surviving spouse holds legal title to the homestead and permanently resides there. The discount would apply to the property until the surviving spouse remarries, sells or otherwise disposes of the property. If the surviving spouse sells the property, the discount may be transferred to the surviving spouse’s new residence if the residence is used as the surviving spouse’s permanent residence and he or she does not remarry. (Hughes)

CS/SB 1236 (Gruters) expands the current ad valorem exemption for property used for educational purposes to exempt land that is not owned by the educational institution but is used for educational purposes under a lease. This provision applies only if the educational institution is responsible for any taxes owed and for ongoing maintenance and operational expenses for the land and buildings. Additionally, the property must have been used for educational purposes and has been receiving the exemption under this section of law for at least 10 years. (Hughes)

SB 334 (Stewart) expands the authorized use of the tourist development tax to include promoting or incentivizing film or television productions in this state. (Hughes)

HB 281 (Hattersley) and SB 484 (Simmons) expands the definition of “first responder” for purposes of eligibility for specified property tax exemptions to include a law enforcement officer or firefighter who, before becoming a resident of this state, sustained a total and permanent disability in the line of duty while serving as a full-time paid law enforcement officer or firefighter in another state. This change would apply to the 2021 tax rolls. (Hughes)