Feb. 4 Legislative Update

Last week was an off week for interim committee meetings but they will pick up again for the next three weeks .  The latest bill tracking report, as of February 4, can be found here.

Of interest, bills were filed which would do the following:

• Amend public meeting notice requirements and public comment provisions (SB 518 ,which is similar to the previously filed HB 265).
  
• Provide a special one-time calculation and allocation for school districts in certain counties affected by Hurricane Michael (SB 520).
  
• Delineate powers of local government to regulate the operation of micromobility devices (including motorized scooters and motorized bicycles) and for-hire motorized scooters, and preempt all other regulation of these devices to state and federal law. (SB 542 ,which is similar to the previously filed HB 453).
  
• Revise the conditions under which a governmental entity may create or provide mitigation for a project other than its own (SB 532,  which should be compared to the previously filed HB 521 which removes the provisions that prohibit a governmental entity from creating or providing mitigation for a project other than its own).
  
• Authorize local governments to enter in agreements with certain property owners to record restrictive covenants over their properties related to affordable housing (SB 568, which is identical to the previously filed HB 443).
  
• Prohibit charter schools from operating as, or being operated by, certain for-profit organizations (SB 584).
  
• Require that new construction of any school facility in certain evacuation zones comply with public shelter design criteria adopted under the Florida Building Code  and creates a Students Bill of Rights related to school construction and design (SB 586).
  
• Amend the Regional Rural Development Grants Program to increase the maximum percentage of total infrastructure projects costs for which grants can be awarded and other changes (SB 596).
• Require the Office of Economic and Demographic Research to provide an annual report on the state’s water infrastructure needs funding. (SB 628).
  

Please contact the Chapter Office at fapa@floridaplanning.org if you have any questions about a specific bill or would like to add one to this tracking report.