On Monday, March 17th at 1:30 PM, the Senate Ethics and Elections committee is scheduled to hear SB 802 which would impose 8-year term limits on county commissioners, regardless of those already set by county charter.  

SB 802 strips local government’s ability to self-govern by forcing constituents to vote through a statewide ballot process on county commissioner term limits. 

Currently, twelve counties have term limits in place and every county has the ability to enact limits through citizen initiative or by act of the Board of County Commissioners. This will force these twelve back to the ballot, including those whose charter previously established longer term limits.  

Florida’s counties vary, and the decision to adopt term limits should be determined locally by charter review. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. 

The House companion HB 679 has not yet been heard.  

Please come to Tallahassee and testify or call committee members and ask them to vote no on SB 802.   

Committee Members for Senate Ethics and Elections  \

• Sen. Gaetz (Chair), Gaetz.don.web@flsenate.gov, (850) 487-5001 
• Sen. Bernard (V-Chair), Bernard.mack.web@flsenate.gov, (850) 487-5024 
• Sen. Ávila, Avila.Bryan.web@flsenate.gov, (850) 487-5039 
• Sen. Bradley, bradley.jennifer.web@flsenate.gov, (850) 487-5006 
• Sen. Collins, Collins.Jay.web@flsenate.gov, (850) 487-5014 
• Sen. Garcia, Garcia.Ileana.web@flsenate.gov, (850) 487-5036 
• Sen. Grall, Grall.Erin.web@flsenate.gov, (850) 487-5029 
• Sen. Polsky, Polsky.tina.web@flsenate.gov, (850) 487-5030 
• Sen. Rouson, Rouson.darryl.web@flsenate.gov, (850) 487-5016 

Second Week of the 2025 Legislative Session 

Welcome to week 2 of the 2025 legislative session! With 49 days to go until Sine Die, stay on top of county priorities with this weekly legislative bulletin and our comprehensive Bill Tracker.  

Join us on March 19th, as we welcome county leaders and staff from across Florida for FAC’s annual Legislative Day. This event brings county leaders together to advocate and engage directly with state lawmakers. The day begins with a legislative briefing, providing key updates on critical issues, followed by afternoon meetings where participants will have the opportunity to connect with their local delegations and discuss county priorities. 

On Monday, SB 802 by Sen. Ingoglia was temporarily postponed in Senate Ethics and Elections. This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to impose an eight-year term limit on county commissioners and district school board members. A person cannot appear on the ballot for re-election if they will have served eight years by the end of their current term. The limit applies to county commissioner terms beginning after November 3, 2026, and school board terms beginning after November 8, 2022.

  

The House Companion HB 679 by Rep. Salzman has not been heard yet. SB 802 will be back on the agenda this upcoming Monday. 

On Thursday, CS/SB 110 by Sen. Simon passed unanimously in Senate Fiscal Policy. The bill was only referenced to two committees and now heads to the floor.  

This package represents a major priority for Senate President Ben Albritton, who has been outspoken in his desire for a “Rural Renaissance.” Specifically, it creates a state Office of Rural Prosperity (ORP) and makes major investments in a number of programs focused on rural communities. Highlights include: 



• Authorizes roughly $200 million in total appropriations 
• Shifts the fiscally constrained county distribution to a more reliable underlying revenue source. Additionally, the bill establishes a new distribution formula and $50 million floor on annual funding under this section. For reference, the FY 2023-24 distributions for this program totaled $12.2 million. Note: this increased funding also comes with narrower prescribed uses: 50% of the funding must be used on public safety expenditures, 30% on infrastructure, and the remaining 20% on general purposes. 
• Removes the $200 million cap on distributions into the State Transportation Trust Fund to allow for greater funding of associated programs 
• Establishes the Florida Arterial Road Modernization (FAR50) program, an adaptation of the existing Farm-to-Market road program within the SCOP statute. The bill also establishes a $50 million annual floor for funding this program. 
• Establishes a $25 million annual floor for the SCRAP program, and requires that 
• Additional revenues from motor vehicle title fees be used to supplement SCRAP funding 
• Appropriates $45 million to the Rural Infrastructure Fund (RIF) 
• Raises the individual floor for local housing distributions under SHIP from $350,000 to $1 million, and appropriates $19 million to this end. 
• Authorizes a $1 million allocation for counties within the Renaissance Grant program. Eligible counties are those which are “growth-impeded” and spending should prioritize strategies to stimulate population growth in rural communities. 

The House companion, HB 1427 by Rep. Griffitts, has not been heard this session. 

On Tuesday, SB 810 by Senator Burgess passed in the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. The bill requires local governments to conduct annual inspections of all “known works” within their stormwater management systems prior to hurricane season each year (June 1). Many counties already conduct routine inspections of their stormwater systems, though this is more often done on an 8-10 year interval due to the high volume of structures.  

The bill also directs the Division of Emergency Management to adopt rules for implementation of this section.  

On Tuesday, CS/SB 700 by Sen. Truenow was amended and passed in Senate Agriculture. The bill as filed would have required counties to review the 10-year site plans of electric utilities and conduct a study on the site suitability of any solar projects planned on agriculture lands. This language was ultimately left out of a strike-all amendment adopted by the committee.  

The strike-all did, however, include a familiar provision preempting local governments from restricting the installation of housing for agricultural workers on land classified as agricultural. A standalone bill including this preemption passed the legislature in 2024 but was ultimately vetoed by the Governor.  

The bill does give local governments limited authority to require certain building, sanitation, and landscaping standards of such a housing facility. Such housing structures constructed before July 1, 2024, are exempt from these requirements unless the structure is changed or expanded. Housing structures are to be removed if agricultural operations cease for 365 days (following a 180-day notice period by the local government to resume operations) or if the DOH housing permit is revoked.  

The package also includes a prohibition on fluoridating public water supplies, among other provisions.  

On Wednesday, HB 703 by Rep. Will Robinson passed in the House Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee. The bill requires utility owners to submit a relocation schedule within 30 days after an authority gives them notice that their infrastructure interferes with a public road or rail project and to initiate work within 60 days. The bill shifts the cost of relocating broadband, cable, and video service utilities from the utility owner to the right-of-way authority, including the State, counties, and local governments. The bill will have a significant negative fiscal impact on local government expenditures due to increased financial responsibility for utility relocations. Notably, Rep. Robinson brought up the Communication Service Tax and how it can be used as a “slush fund” to cover the shift in financially responsibility to local governments. However, it is also worth noting that the CST is typically reserved to cover the costs of permitting. 



The Senate companion, SB 818 by Sen. McClain, has not been heard this session. 

On Monday, CS/SB 1078 by Sen. McClain passed in the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee. This bill requires local governments to create a simplified permitting process for fire alarm and sprinkler system projects involving 20 or fewer devices, in line with the Florida Building Code. It defines "alteration" as adding, installing, relocating, replacing, or removing fire alarm systems and includes fire alarm panel replacements under permitted projects. Under this streamlined process, local enforcement agencies must issue permits within 2 business days of receiving a complete application, and work can begin immediately upon submission. If additional documentation is needed for record-keeping, contractors have 4 days after inspection or 4 days after the request to provide it, whichever is later. Agencies cannot request extra documents beyond the scope of the permit. The bill also imposes a 10% per-business-day permit fee reduction for delays unless an extension is agreed upon, the applicant causes the delay, or force majeure applies. Local enforcement must implement this process by October 1, 2025, with approval from the Florida Building Commission and the State Fire Marshal. During committee, an amendment was adopted that made the following changes: 



• Modifies the deadline for the local enforcement agency to complete an inspection to within 3 days, rather than 24 hours, after it is requested. 
• Specifies the additional documents requested by the local enforcement agency as part of an inspection for a fire alarm or sprinkler system project must be for recording purposes and clarifies that the timeframe in which the contractor must provide such documents. 
• Provides a local amendment will be null and void, rather than rescinded immediately, if a county or municipality fails to adhere to the requirements of current statute.  

The House companion, CS/HB 551 by Rep. Borrero, also passed in House Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee. The committee also adopted the same amendment as the Senate aligning the two bills.  

On Tuesday, CS/CS/SB 184 by Sen. Gaetz passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development subcommittee. The bill requires local governments to adopt an ordinance permitting Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in single-family residential areas to increase the availability of affordable rentals. These ordinances cannot impose additional parking requirements or mandate that the property owner reside on-site. However, they do not apply to planned unit developments or master-planned communities. The bill also prohibits the denial of a homestead exemption solely for having an ADU built on the property. However, if the unit is rented, the ADU must be assessed separately from the homestead property. The bill requires OPPAGA to evaluate the efficiency of mezzanine financing and the potential of tiny homes being used to meet affordable housing needs throughout the state. During Committee, an amendment was adopted that does not allow an ADU to be rented or leased for less than one month at a time, and an ADU may be a manufactured home.  

In the House CS/HB 247 by Rep. Conerly passed the House Housing, Agriculture & Tourism Subcommittee on Tuesday. The bill requires local governments to adopt an ordinance permitting Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in single-family residential areas to increase the availability of affordable rentals. These ordinances cannot impose additional parking requirements or mandate that the property owner reside on-site. However, they do not apply to planned unit developments or master-planned communities. During the committee meetings, two amendments were adopted. These amendments included adding certain manufactured homes to ADU and removing the requirements for the Florida Housing Finance Corporation to establish a mezzanine financing program.  

On Tuesday, CS/HB 371 by Rep. Mooney passed House Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee and passed unanimously. Meanwhile, the Senate version, CS/ SB 50 by Sen. Garcia passed its final committee stop and now heads to the floor. The bill directs DEP to initiate rulemaking regarding nature-based methods for improving coastal resilience. At a minimum, the rule must consider: 

• Improved Coastal Resilience through green infrastructure, beach renourishment, dune restoration, living seawalls and shorelines, permeable pavement, and ecologically sound building materials 
• Permitting incentives and Resilient Florida grant priority for green infrastructure projects 
• Inventory of vulnerable coastal properties 
• Restoration of mangroves, reefs, and salt marshes Workforce training and flood and sea level rise research 



The bill also directs the Florida Flood Hub to develop guidelines for green and gray infrastructure to address sea level rise and storm surge impacts. Lastly, the bill also requires a statewide feasibility study to determine the value of nature-based methods for coastal flood risk reduction. 

On Thursday, HB 503 by Rep. Botana passed in the House Ways and Means Committee. The bill prohibits local governments from increasing or modifying tax rates or classifications after October 1, 2025, unless under specific conditions. It establishes a revenue cap to prevent total tax revenue from exceeding the 2024-2025 fiscal year levels. Local governments must issue refunds or credits if revenue surpasses this cap. The bill also enhances audit requirements, requiring the Auditor General to review compliance and notify the Legislative Auditing Committee of any violations.  



The Senate companion, SB 1196 by Sen. Truenow, has not been heard this session. 

On Tuesday, SJR 174 and SB 176 by Sen. DiCeglie passed in the Senate Community Affairs Committee. SJR 174 proposes a constitutional amendment allowing the Legislature to prohibit flood mitigation improvements from increasing a homestead property’s assessed value. If approved by the Legislature and 60% of voters in the November 2026 general election, it would take effect January 1, 2027. SB 176 implements this amendment by ensuring property rebuilt after damage or destruction is not reassessed at a higher value if it remains under 2,000 square feet and by preventing assessment increases for properties elevated to meet National Flood Insurance Program and Florida Building Code requirements, provided the new size does not exceed 110% of the original structure. 



The House counterparts, HB 1039 and HB 1041 by Representatives Berfield and Anderson, have not been heard this session. 

On Tuesday, CS/SB 1128 Building Permits for a Single-family Dwelling by Sen. Ingoglia passed in Senate Community Affairs. The bill prohibits counties and local governments from expiring building permits for single-family dwellings before the effective date of the next edition of the Florida Building Code, which is updated every three years. It also requires local governments to automatically approve permit applications within 2 days for single-family dwellings in areas where a state of emergency was declared within the last 24 months, provided the plans are signed and sealed by a licensed architect or engineer. Such permits must be issued within two days of approval. During committee, an amendment was adopted that made the following changes:

 

• Clarifies that the prohibition on building permit expiration is regardless of their status once approved 
• Clarifies the automatic approval mechanism to provide that the application is deemed in compliance with the building code 
• Specifies certain attestations that must be contained in the application, including proof that the architect or engineer is in good standing with their respective regulatory body and proof of insurance for professional liability coverage.  
• Indemnifies the local government for work they are prohibited from reviewing before approval. 

The House companion, HB 1035 by Rep. Esposito, has not been heard this session. 

On Tuesday, HB 287 by Rep. Conerly passed in the House Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee. Under current statute, a building applicant may not receive a building permit until it receives an approved septic system construction permit for any development not connected to public sewer. The bill allows local building departments to issue the building permit once a builder has applied for a septic system permit. This represents another effort to streamline the local permitting process. It is important to note that the certificate of occupancy still may not be signed until the septic system is operational. 

On Tuesday, Rep. Blanco's HB 565 passed the Natural Resources and Disasters Subcommittee. This bill clarifies an existing preemption of local regulation of “auxiliary containers” (such as plastic bags, cups, and food packaging). Initially, local governments were precluded from regulating in this space until the legislature formally adopted state standards recommendations from DEP. The state ultimately never did so—this bill renders that unnecessary and expressly preempts local regulation altogether. 

The Senate companion, SB 1822 by Sen. Martin, has not been heard this session. 

On Tuesday, HB 1325 by Rep. Sirois passed in the House Government Operations Subcommittee. The joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment to eliminate the office of Lieutenant Governor and replace it with a Commissioner of Government Efficiency, who would be a Cabinet member responsible for auditing, investigating, and reporting waste, fraud, and inefficiency in the executive branch, counties, municipalities, and special districts.  

The Senate companion, SB 1756 by Sen. Fine, has not been heard this session. 

On Tuesday, HB 1445 by Rep. Mayfield was heard in the Government Operations Subcommittee. The bill mandates that public officers and employees holding certain positions must be U.S. citizens and Florida residents. Specifically, it requires state department heads, executive directors, and chief administrators to be U.S citizens, Florida residents and reside in the county where their department headquarters is located. The bill defines the term “office” for purposes of the State Constitution’s prohibition on holding multiple public offices simultaneously or Dual Office Holding. It explicitly includes statewide officials, county commissioners, sheriffs, school board members, and municipal attorneys under this definition while excluding contractual or employment-based relationships from being classified as "officeholders."  

The Senate companion, SB 1760 by Sen. Grall, has not been heard this session. 

On Tuesday, HB 579 by Rep. Overdorf passed in Housing, Agriculture, & Tourism Subcommittee. The bill revises procedures for counties and municipalities to issue development permits and orders by requiring counties and municipalities to:  

• Specify in writing the minimum information that must be submitted in certain development applications.  
• Confirm receipt of an application within five business days.  
• Issue a refund of application fees if certain deadlines are not met.  
• Prohibits a local government from limiting the number of quasi-judicial hearings or public hearings if such limitation causes delay in the consideration of an application.  



The Senate bill provides additional changes regarding the expedited state review process for adoption of a comprehensive plan requiring local governments to hold a second public hearing within 180 days following the receipt of agency comments, even if the changes are approved in order to be in compliance.  

The Senate companion, SB 1080 by Sen. McClain, has not been heard this session. 

On Tuesday, HB 381 was temporarily postponed in Housing, Agriculture, & Tourism Subcommittee. The bill mandates the appropriate governing body to issue street and mailing addresses along with individual parcel identifying numbers two weeks after the recording of a plat by a circuit court clerk or other recording officers. If the governing body does not adhere to this time frame, they must reduce the building permit by 10 percent for each business day they do not issue information. Before the committee, an amendment was filed that would allow an applicant to engage private providers who are duly authorized in the state to issue those address and parcel ID numbers if the governing body missed the 14-day timeline.  

The Senate companion, SB 784 by Sen. Ingoglia, has not been heard this session. 

On Tuesday, CS/SB 1022 by Sen. Wright passed in the Senate Criminal Justice Committee. The bill removes the $15,000 cap on total fines that local governments may impose on properties declared public nuisances. Counties and municipalities can now levy fines exceeding this amount, along with penalties such as daily fines, attorney fees, liens, and foreclosure actions for noncompliance. Additionally, homestead properties remain protected from foreclosure under this provision.  

The House companion, HB 1343 by Rep. Booth, has not been heard this session. 

On Tuesday, SB 7006 by the Regulated Industries passed in the Senate Government Oversight and Accountability Committee. The bill expands existing public records and meetings exemptions for 911, E911, and public safety radio communication systems to include Next Generation 911 (NG911) systems. It exempts from public disclosure building plans, blueprints, and diagrams depicting the structural elements of these systems, as well as geographic maps showing actual or proposed locations of communication infrastructure. It also extends exemptions for government meetings where such sensitive information is discussed. These exemptions, previously set to expire in 2025, are now extended to October 2, 2030. 

On Tuesday, SB 448 by Sen. Burgess passed in the Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee. The bill would sunset all agency rules 8 years after their effective date, and every 8 years thereafter, unless reauthorized through the rulemaking process. It also codifies a prohibition on agencies issuing guidance without express statutory delegation. An agency’s issued guidance may then be challenged on the grounds that it is not a valid exercise of statutorily delegated authority; legal costs may be recovered by the prevailing party in a challenge. 

Additionally, the bill requires a statement of estimated regulatory costs (SERC) for all proposed/final rules and change notices. Current law only requires a SERC for those rules or changes likely to increase regulatory costs by more than $200,000 within the first year of implementation. 

The House companion, HB 305 by Rep. Esposito,  has not been heard this session. 

On Tuesday, SB 786 by Sen. Truenow passed in the Senate Agriculture Committee. The bill exempts agricultural improvements used for agricultural purposes from ad valorem assessments if they are located on lands classified as agricultural. Currently, agricultural lands are exempt from such assessments, though this does not apply to improvements on the property. The bill applies to improvements such as barns, greenhouses, and irrigation systems, reducing the taxable value of qualifying agricultural properties. The bill first applies to the 2026 ad valorem tax roll. Effective Date: July 1, 2025. 



The House companion, HB 589 by Rep. Brackett, has not been heard this session. 

On Tuesday, SB 180 Emergency Preparedness and Response by Sen. DiCeglie passed in Senate Community Affairs. FAC staff was present to testify in support of the bill during this committee meeting and is currently working with the bill sponsor to develop this piece of legislation into an ideal posture. The bill package includes these provisions:  



• Authorizes Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to either waive or reduce local government match requirements for beach erosion projects in federally declared disaster areas.  
• It provides property tax relief for agricultural equipment damaged by hurricanes and revises public hurricane shelter funding priorities.  
• It also requires counties and municipalities to develop post-storm permitting plans which includes in those plans the preemption on local government not to increase building permit or inspection fees for 180 days after a state of emergency was declared within the area for which the state of emergency is declared. 
• streamlines debris management site approvals and prohibits local governments from land-use changes in certain hurricane-affected areas.  

The House companion, HB 1535 by Rep. McFarland, is waiting to be heard in the House Natural Resources and Disasters Subcommittee. 

On Tuesday, Community Redevelopment Agencies SB 1242 by Sen. McClain passed Senate Community Affairs. The bill provides that no such agency may be created after the bill takes effect on July 1, 2025. The bill further provides that existing agencies will terminate on the earlier of the expiration date in the agency’s charter or September 30, 2045, unless the CRA has outstanding bonds maturing later, in which case the CRA may remain in existence until the bonds mature. A local government may not vote to extend a subordinate agency’s expiration, and an agency may not initiate any new projects or issue any new debt. 

On Wednesday, CS/HB 991 by Rep. Giallombardo passed House State Affairs Committee. During the committee meeting an amendment was adopted that defines a definition for “new project”. The amendment also revises the requirement for counties or municipalities that created a CRA that has outstanding bonds that mature after the dissolution deadline to issue a new finding of necessity to instead issue an amended community redevelopment plan. 

On Tuesday, SB 1202 by Sen. McClain passed in the Senate Community Affairs Committee. The bill expands insurance benefits for firefighters who become permanently disabled during official training exercises. The bill requires their employer to cover health insurance premiums for the firefighter, their spouse, and dependent children under the same terms as those injured in the line of duty. The bill also prohibits fraudulent claims for benefits and establishes penalties for false statements. Local governments must provide these extended benefits to affected firefighters, increasing potential financial obligations for municipalities and fire departments.  

The House companion, HB 749 by Rep. Sapp, has not been heard this session. 

On Tuesday, SB 492 by Sen McClain passed in the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. 

The bill allows a developer to mitigate impacts outside of the service area if there are insufficient credits available within the service area. There are no specific limitations to this—for instance, a developer could theoretically mitigate impacts to a South Florida watershed at a bank site in the Florida panhandle. Out-of-service area credits are subject to an escalator for increasingly distant mitigation. In other words, the farther you get from the service area, the more mitigation credits are required. Mitigation within an adjacent watershed requires 1.5x the number of credits, and an additional 0.5x for each additional watershed away.  

The bill also prescribes a specific credit release schedule in statute. Under current law, the regulator of a given site (typically DEP or a water management district) releases credits incrementally as performance benchmarks are met.  



The House companion, HB 1175 by Rep. Duggan, has not been heard this session. 

On Tuesday, SB 736 by Sen. Truenow passed in the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. 

The bill prohibits a local pollution control program from denying a “no further action” notice or site rehabilitation completion order once certain performance criteria have been met in the cleanup process. Once a completion order has been issued, the entity responsible for rehabilitation is eligible for tax credits under the state’s brownfield redevelopment program for two years following the completion order. Additionally, the bill removes local government mapping requirements for institutional controls on brownfield sites.  

The House companion, HB 733 by Rep. Anderson, has not been heard this session. 

On Tuesday, SB 796 by Sen. Bradley passed in the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. The bill grants a general permit under DEP for replacing basic septic systems with a distributed wastewater treatment system (DWTS). The permittee must meet certain reporting and operational criteria as part of their permit approval. The bill also allows for installation of individual distributed wastewater treatment units (DWTUs) without further DEP action if the units and broader system are commonly owned by the same entity. Additionally, DEP must be noticed 30 days in advance of installation.  



The House companion, HB 645 by Rep. Conerly, has not been heard this session.

On Tuesday, SB 800 by Senator McClain passed in the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. The bill prohibits the sale of certain batteries without proper labeling and disposal instructions. Additionally, such batteries are eligible for a separate materials collection program apart from the conventional solid waste and recycling streams. This marks a response to a number of fires in waste facilities and collection trucks, as a result of the highly flammable batteries.  

The House companion, HB 1201 by Rep. Gentry, has not been heard this session. 

On Tuesday, SB 1228 by Sen. McClain passed in the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. The bill allows wastewater facilities to request a plan amendment to incorporate a reclaimed water project into an Outstanding Florida Springs recovery or prevention strategy. The bill requires the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to approve the request within 60 days if it A) benefits a rural area of opportunity, B) provides at least 35 million gallons per day of reclaimed water to an Outstanding Florida Spring, C) involves multiple wastewater facilities, and D) meets minimum flow and level requirements.  

The House companion, HB 691 by Rep. Campbell, has not been heard this session. 

On Wednesday, CS/SB 738 by Sen. Burton passed the Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Committee. The bill exempts preschools from special assessments levied by counties and municipalities. The bill also requires the county commissions of the counties that elect to license their own childcare facilities to annually affirm this decision to designate a local licensing agency. This legislation also shifts certain oversight responsibilities from local agencies to the Department of Children and Families (DCF).  



The House companion, CS/HB 47 by Rep. McFarland, is waiting to be heard in its second committee.  

On Wednesday, SB 202 by Sen. Jones passed in the Senate Regulated Industries Committee. This bill mandates that municipalities charge consumers in another municipality the same rates, fees, and charges as those within their own boundaries when the utility owner has a plant facility in the second municipality.  



The House companion, HB 11 by Rep. Robinson (F), also passed through its second committee stop on Wednesday.  

On Wednesday, SB 346 by Sen. Rouson passed in the Senate Regulated Industries Committee. The bill repeals state preemption over the regulation of hoisting equipment, including power-operated cranes, derricks, hoists, elevators, and conveyors used in construction, demolition, and excavation work.  



The House companion, HB 6009 by Rep Cross, has not been heard this session. 

On Wednesday, CS/SB 266 by Sen. Harrell passed in the Senate Transportation Committee. This bill exempts the lease, sale, or transfer of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft from state sales tax when conducted between a manufacturer and an operator.  



The House companion, HB 199 By Rep. Porras, has not been heard this session.  

On Wednesday, CS/SB 872 by Sen. Ingoglia passed in the Senate Transportation Committee. This bill requires counties to set maximum rates for the removal and storage of electric vehicles involved in accidents, allowing these rates to be up to three times higher than those for gasoline and diesel vehicles. In the committee, members asked about the response of local governments and questioned the bill’s mandated language for higher electric vehicle towing fees. It was emphasized that the higher rates are justified due to stringent storage guidelines for electric vehicles, which create added costs for towing operators.   



The House companion, HB 577 By Rep. Nix, has not been heard this session.  

On Wednesday, CS/HB 683 by Rep. Griffitts Jr. was heard in the Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee. The bill prohibits local governments from banning or regulating synthetic turf on single-family residential properties of one acre or less. It also requires local governments to approve or deny contractor price quotes for change orders within 30 days or face financial liability for delays. The bill prohibits local agencies from requiring contracts or ancillary documents between permit applicants and property owners for building permit approvals. Additionally, it bars state and local governments from penalizing or rewarding bidders based on the volume of prior construction work performed for them. During Committee, an amendment was adopted that clarified the language that local governments may not require building applicants to submit ancillary documentation between an owner and builder in order to receive a permit. 

The Senate companion, SB 712 by Sen. Grall, has not been heard this session.