HB 1011 (Fischer) and SB 1128 (Diaz) preempt local vacation rental ordinances. Last week the Senate moved the bill out of its first committee after a long and spirited debate, and this week the House did the same, along a 10-5 party line vote. There was extensive testimony in opposition and some of the Republican members who voted to move the bill had reservations about the bill in its current form and some even stated they would not vote for it at the next stop unless some changes were made. Many local government officials were on hand to testify and many expressed concern that the existing grandfather for ordinances adopted prior to June 1, 2011, is not clear and also addressed the lack of public safety measures in the bill. It is expected that these areas will be dealt with at the next committee stops. The League has been working with the sponsors to provide language that would return some authority to local governments. The Senate is not expected to take up its bill next week. The League is OPPOSED to these bills. (Cook)

SB 1450 (Gruters) and HB 1091 (Fine) increase civil and administrative fines by 50% for violations of various state environmental laws. SB 1450 will get its first hearing in the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources on January 27. HB 1091 is awaiting its first committee hearing.  (O’Hara)

CS/CS/SB 712 (Mayfield) and HB 1343 (Payne) make numerous changes to current law relating to water quality improvements, septic systems, basin management action plans, stormwater management, sanitary sewer overflows and wastewater project grants. The Senate bill passed its second committee, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Environment and General Government, with an amendment to address concerns of wastewater utilities and agricultural interests. The League supported the amendment, which included League-supported changes that help clarify local government responsibilities in the bill. The Senate bill has one remaining stop in the Senate Appropriations Committee. HB 1343 is awaiting its first committee hearing.  (O’Hara)

SB 7016 (Infrastructure and Security Committee) and HB 1073 (Stevenson) establish the Statewide Office of Resiliency and create a statewide Sea-Level Rise Task Force to recommend consensus projections of sea-level rise along the state’s coastline. SB 7016 is on its final committee stop in Senate Appropriations Committee and HB 1073 cleared its first committee on January 21. The League SUPPORTS the bills. (O’Hara)

CS/SB 474 (Albritton), the deregulation of certain professions and occupations bill, was amended in the Innovation, Industry and Technology Committee this week. The bill preempts the regulation of mobile food dispensing vehicles (food trucks) to the state, including preventing local governments from prohibiting the operation of food trucks. The League OPPOSES this bill. (Branch)

HB 1149 (DiCeglie) passed (11-3) its first committee, the House Local, Federal and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, on Tuesday. The bill amends multiple provisions related to local government financial transparency including requiring additional public notice, public meeting, analysis and reporting for new or increased taxes, long-term tax-supported debt and economic development. ( Hughes )

This week the Senate Judiciary Committee passed SB 1302 (Flores) increasing the per-occurrence limit on the collectability of judgments against government entities from $300,000 to $500,000 and eliminating the $200,000-per-claimant limit. The bill further allows government entities to settle claims in any amount without the approval of a claim bill by the Legislature. In contrast, current law allows government entities to settle and pay amounts exceeding the sovereign immunity caps only to the extent of insurance coverage. Otherwise, current law requires that the payment of the portion of a claim or judgment exceeding the sovereign immunity caps be approved by the Legislature in a claim bill. The purpose of sovereign immunity is to allow government entities to carry out police powers to protect the health, safety and welfare of their residents without the constant threat of lawsuit putting tax payer dollars at risk. The bill has the potential to increase city insurance premiums, incentive additional lawsuits against governments, and ultimately, less funding will be available for city services. The League OPPOSES the bill. (Cruz)  

HB 1111 (Tomkow) creates the Florida Integrity Office and the position of Florida integrity officer. The bill authorizes the integrity officer to investigate complaints alleging waste, fraud, abuse, misconduct or gross mismanagement (as defined in the bill) in connection with the expenditure of public funds within and by state and local government. The bill authorizes the auditor general and the Florida integrity officer to investigate or audit the activities of any political subdivision, unit of local authority or local council or commission. HB 1111 passed the House Public Integrity & Ethics Committee unanimously on January 23. The bill’s senate companion, SB 1538 (Gruters), is awaiting a first hearing by the Senate Ethics & Elections Committee. The League is watching the bills for amendments.  (O’Hara) 

This week the House Judiciary committee introduced committee bill HB 7043 which limits the amount of contingency fees that a local governments may agree to pay a private attorney or law firm. The bill has been filled as result of various local governments filling suit against drug manufactures for the opioid epidemic in Florida. If the bill passed it could potentially limit the pool of private law firms that would be available to tackle similar lawsuits in the future. The contingency fee limits in the bill are Twenty-five percent of any recovery up to $10 million; Twenty percent of any portion of recovery between $10 million and $15 million; Fifteen percent of any portion of recovery between $15 million and $20 million; Ten percent of any portion of recovery between $20 million and $25 million; Five percent of any portion of recovery exceeding $25 million. The bill narrowly passed introduction on a 9-8 vote. The League OPPOSES the bill. ( Cruz )  

HB 969 (Drake) unanimously passed the House Energy and Utilities Subcommittee. The bill designates the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) as the lead state agency to facilitate the expansion of broadband Internet service in the state. It creates the Florida Office of Broadband within DEO’s Division of Community Development for purposes of developing, marketing, and promoting broadband Internet service in the state. The League SUPPORTS this bill. (Hughes)

HB 9221 (LaMarca) unanimously passed the House Government Operations and Technology Appropriations Subcommittee. This bill provides an appropriation for the Study of Broadband Service and Infrastructure Investment. The League SUPPORTS this bill. (Hughes)

SB 1490 (Bradley) and HB 1435 (Williamson) create an exemption from the gift ban in the state Ethics Code for state and local employees or their children when dealing with serious bodily injury or disease. These individuals would no longer be barred from receiving gifts or compensation used towards the costs associated with such conditions. SB 1490 passed the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee January 21. HB 1435 is awaiting its first committee hearing. The League SUPPORTS the bills.  (O’Hara) 

SB 172 (Bradley) and HB 113 (Roach) preempt local government regulation of over-the-counter drugs and cosmetics, but are directed primarily at local government ordinances that ban certain types of sunscreen that contains chemicals that can harm coral reefs. The League and various environmental groups argued against the bills, which are supported by a host of industry heavy-hitters, including the Florida Retail Federation and the Florida Chamber of Commerce. Both bills are on a fast track: SB 172 is ready for final passage by the full Senate and HB 113 has one committee stop remaining before reaching the full House for a vote. (O’Hara) 

HB 441 (DiCeglie) and CS/SB 506 (Perry) amend the definition of “continuing contract” under the Consultants’ Competitive Negotiation Act (CCNA) to increase the maximum dollar amount for each individual project and each individual study under the contract for construction projects. In SB 506, the maximum dollar amount for each individual project is increased from $2 million to $5 million, and the maximum dollar amount for each individual study is increased from $200,000 to $500,000. The House bill increases the maximum limit to $4 million and increases the maximum limit for procuring a study to $500,000. SB 506 and HB 441 were both heard in committee this week and voted out favorably. The League SUPPORTS these bills. ( Cook )