Legislative Reporter | Dec. 1, 2023

Page 1

Dec. 1, 2023 | Legislative Reporter The 2024 Legislative Session convenes on Jan. 9, 2024, and is scheduled to end on March 8, 2024. There are two weeks of interim committee meetings remaining: Dec. 4-7 and Dec. 11-15.

The latest Bill Tracking Report for the regular session, as of Dec. 1, 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 regarding the regular session, the following bills of interest have been filed: SB 280 (Sen. DiCeglie) adds licensing to the regulated activities of public lodging establishments and public food service establishments that are preempted to the state; preempts the regulation of advertising platforms related to vacation rentals to the state; authorizes local governments to adopt vacation rental registration programs and impose fees for failure to register. (Note that Sen. DeCiglie filed a similar bill last year (SB 714) that was passed by the Senate but died when the Senate failed to concur with a House amendment.)

HB 503 (Rep. Fabricio) and SB 578 (Sen. Ingoglia) prohibit a county, municipality, or local governmental entity from adopting or maintaining in effect an ordinance or a rule that has the effect of imposing a tax, charge, fee, or other imposition on or concerning the utilization of a virtual office.

HB 527 (Rep. Maggard) requires buffer zones for land or water delineations established by a county or municipality that exceed the delineation determinations for such land or water by the Department of Environmental Protection or a water management district must be acquired by the county or municipality through eminent domain; and preempts the regulation of dredge and fill activities under Chapter 403 and Chapter 373 to the Department of Environmental Regulation but allows delegation to a water management district. Repeals s.373.591 relating to land management review teams.

HB 557 (Rep. Stevenson) provides that a park trailer may be used as permanent living quarters; provides that such park trailer may be referred to as a “movable tiny home”; and provides requirements for construction and inspection of the movable tiny home.

Dec. 1, 2023 | Legislative Reporter

APA FLORIDA

Page 2

SB 566 (Sen. Rodriguez) provides for an annual appropriation of $20 million from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund to the Department of Environmental Protection to implement the Florida Keys Stewardship Act or to acquire land within the Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern for specified purposes; prohibits the department from using the appropriated funds to implement wastewater management projects or programs. (Note that Sen. Rodriguez filed similar bills in 2022 and 2023 but they died in committee.)

HB 579 ( Rep. Griffitts, Jr.) requires a private firm that provides local plan review or inspection services and uses licensed architects and engineers as private providers acting as agents, employees, or officers of the firm must qualify as a business organization under s.471.023 or s.481.219; prohibits specified local persons and entities from conducting their own plans review or inspections if a private provider is retained; and requires the local building official to issue a permit or provide specified written notice within a specified time frame after receipt of the application and required affidavit.

SB 592 (Sen. Burgess) creates the Florida African American Heritage Preservation Network. Subject to the appropriation of funds by the legislature, the bill requires the Department of State to partner with the Florida African American Heritage Preservation Network to preserve the history, culture, and contributions of Florida’s black and African-American residents through the provision of professional and resource development services and funding specified activities.

SB 594 (Sen. Grall) provides that if a political subdivision is the sole source of funding for a public works project, the political subdivision may prevent a certified, licensed, or registered contractor, subcontractor, or material supplier or carrier from participating in the bidding process for that project based on the geographic location of the company headquarters or offices of the contractor, subcontractor, or material supplier or carrier or the residences of the employees of such contractor, subcontractor, or material supplier or carrier.

SB 608 (Sen. Rodriguez) requires that, as a condition to any permit issued under s.403.816, the Department of Environmental Regulation shall require that any analysis to determine the adverse impacts of the activity on the natural habitat be conducted by an independent contractor selected by the local government and in a manner prescribed by the department. (Note this bill is identical to HB 163 previously filed by Rep. Gossett-Seidman. Both legislators filed similar bills last year that died in their last committees of reference.)

HB 665 (Rep. McClain): requires that: 1) by Aug. 15, 2024, the governing body of a county that has 75,000 residents or more and the governing body of a municipality that has 30,000 residents or more shall create a program to expedite the process for issuing building permits for residential subdivisions or planned communities following the Florida Building Code and the bill requirements before a final plat is recorded with the clerk of the circuit court. The expedited process must include an application for an applicant to identify the percentage of planned homes that the governing body must issue for the residential subdivision or planned community, not to exceed 50 percent of the residential subdivision or planned community A governing body that had a program in place before July 1, 2023, to expedite the building permit process, need only update their program to approve an applicant's written application to issue up to 50 percent of the building permits for the residential subdivision or planned community to comply.

2) by Dec. 31, 2028, the governing body of a county that has 75,000 residents or more and the governing body of a municipality that has 30,000 residents or more shall update this program to contain an application for an applicant to identify the percentage, up to 75 percent, of planned homes that the local governing body must issue for the residential subdivision or planned community.

(Note that Rep. Esposito also filed HB 267 which deals with this issue but that bill applies to governing bodies with 30,000 residents. It does not distinguish between counties and municipalities, and does not include some of the other specifications in HB 665.)

Dec. 1, 2023 | Legislative Reporter

APA FLORIDA

Page 3

Legislative News “Sick of it”: Florida lawmakers aim to repeal law that created CFTOD, bring back Reedy Creek Michelle Meridith | WESH2 | Nov. 29 $50 million proposed to speed up high-speed rail service from Orlando to Tampa Jim Turner | News Service of Florida | Nov. 29 Florida lawmakers already over $3 billion in budget requests ahead of 2024 session News Service of Florida | Nov. 28 Click on image to view agenda and register.

Dec. 1, 2023 | Legislative Reporter

APA FLORIDA