Jan. 11 Legislative Update

Interim committee meetings are underway, with the 2019 session scheduled to begin on March 5.  The latest bill tracking report can be viewed here. 

Among the bills being tracked are ones that would do the following:

• Prohibit fracking (SB 146).  Note this bill is identical to SB 462 which died in Senate Appropriations last session.
  
• Specify timing of impact fee collection as no earlier than building permit issuance and amend minimum criteria for impact fee (SB 144 and HB 207), and allow prevailing party in a challenge to recover attorney fees (HB 207). Note these bills are similar to SB 324 which died on the Senate calendar last session.
  
• Repeal provisions relating to governmental entity’s establishment of recreational customary use on portion of beach above the mean high-water line on private property (SB 54).  Note that this bill repeals language adopted last session in HB 631, Section 10.
  
• Prohibit commencing construction of certain structures using state-financing in coastal areas without first conducting a sea level impact projection study (SB 78 and HB 169).  Note these bills are identical to SB 542 which died without being heard last session.
  
• Exempt certain housing trust funds from provisions allowing transfer to the General Revenue Fund or Budget Stabilization Fund (SB 70).  Note that this bill is similar to SB 874 which died last year in the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development.
  
• Require local governments to post permit & inspection fee schedules and building permit & inspection utilization reports on their websites (HB 127 and SB 142).  Note these bills are similar to HB 725 which was passed by the House last session but died in the Senate Community Affairs Committee.
  
• Prohibit local governments from regulating vegetable gardens on residential properties (SB 82 and HB 145).  Note these bills are identical to SB 1776 which was passed by the Senate last session but died in Messages to the House.
  
• Require local governments to adopt and enforce certain requirements regarding fertilizers, including adoption of the Model Ordinance for Florida-Friendly Fertilizer Use on Urban Landscapes (HB 157).
  
• Require community development districts to obtain a just valuation before acquiring certain property (HB 151).
  
• Create an onsite sewage treatment and disposal system data base and inspection program, and require notice of such systems in property sales (HB 85 and SB 214). Note these bills are similar to HB 285 which was passed by the House in 2017 but died in the Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee.
  
• Revise funding and requirements related to the C-51 reservoir project (SB 92 and HB 95).  Note that these bills are similar to SB 992 which was passed by the Senate last year but died in Messages to the House.
  
• Provide appropriation and grant opportunities for certain projects related to the Indian River Lagoon (HB 141 and SB 216).
  
• Create the Northwest Florida Rural Inland Affected Counties Recovery Fund, a long-term source for funding, using specified monies from the BP settlement, for economic recovery and enhancement in certain counties (HB 191).
  

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