Policy and Advocacy
2023 Legislative Session Help Us Stop SB 540
Fellow planners, Senate Bill 540 is swiftly making its way through committees and we need your help to stop it. Click on the link below to see how it would affect comprehensive planning as we know it.
We have sent a letter to Senate President Kathleen Passidomo (R-Naples) requesting that she not schedule the bill to the Senate Rules Committee, where it would likely be approved. We also sent a letter to Rules Committee Chair Sen. Debbie Mayfield (R-Melbourne) requesting she consider stopping the bill.
Don't miss this review! 2022 Legislative Session Review Webinar Now Available On-Demand
Join us after the 2022 legislative session for a thorough review of the number of statutory changes that will affect planning in Florida.
Presenters:
- Whit Blanton, FAICP - APA President Elect and Chair of the APA Florida Legislative Policy Committee
- Thomas Hawkins, JD, UF Department of Urban and Regional Planning
- Lester Abberger - APA Florida Legislative Representative
- Alex Magee - APA Florida Executive Director
A great win for Florida community planning APA Florida, Communities Win in Court Ruling of Critical Comprehensive Plan Consistency Challenge
The Florida First District Court of Appeal has handed down an important decision reaffirming the statutory mandate that all development orders be consistent with the local comprehensive plan – all of the plan, not just comprehensive plan provisions related to use, density and intensity.
The mandate is a hallmark of the Community Planning Act and its antecedent legislation dating back to the 1970s, and especially as strengthened by the 1985 growth management legislation in the Local Government Comprehensive Planning and Land Development Regulations Act. APA Florida member Nancy Stroud, FAICP, Esq. recaps the decision for us.
APA Florida’s legislative program aims to harness all the planning profession offers into a resource that is an asset to the Legislature. It is the goal of the APA Florida legislative program to educate elected officials on planning issues and advocate for excellence in planning by providing expert review of legislative proposals as well as advocate for issues based on our adopted Legislative Platform. APA Florida members add value to legislative deliberations and creditability to APA Florida as a resource and statewide network of planning professionals.
APA Florida’s legislative program also provides numerous resources to chapter members to help them learn about major policy shifts at the state level and to follow planning related legislation through the legislative session. Throughout the Legislative Session, APA Florida provides numerous resources to planners.These include:
Public Policy Workshop - A two day virtual workshop on statewide policy and key issues that are expected to arise during the upcoming session
Session Summary - summary of major planning related bills passed during the session
Bill Tracking Reports - Listing of planning related bills that is updated weekly during the Legislative Session
Legislative Reporter - APA Florida's electronic newsletter on legislative issues, sent out during the legislative session
APA Florida’s Legislative Platform represents the chapter’s views on professional planning issues especially related to the state’s annual Legislative Session. The Legislative Platform is adopted annually by the members. It guides the work of the chapter’s Legislative Policy Committee, Executive Committee, Executive Director and Legislative Representative in advocating for legislation consistent with the Legislative Platform.