Police and Firefighter Pensions (Oppose – Unfunded Mandate)

CS/CS/SB 458 (Ring) and CS/HB 1399 (Rooney) are the two bills this session relating to city firefighter and police officer pensions. CS/CS/SB 458 as amended and passed by the Senate is NOT meaningful pension reform, but rather a victory for police and fire unions. Because of this action by the Senate, the League is in opposition to both bills and urges you to contact your legislators today to OPPOSE the bills.. MORE>

Red Light Cameras (Oppose)

CS/CS/HB 7125 (Raburn), the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ legislative package, was amended with language prohibiting local governments with red light camera programs from issuing tickets for right-on-red violations via traffic infraction detectors. The bill also includes language allowing for people receiving a notice of violation via affidavit a 30-day window to pay the original violation before it becomes a uniform traffic citation. CS/CS/HB 7125 passed the House by a vote of 117-1 and now goes to the Senate for action by that body. CS/CS/SB 1458 (Brandes), the Senate companion, does not include any red light camera language, but there is a pending amendment that gives those receiving a notice of violation (NOV) the ability to challenge it within 90 days after the violation has been received. MORE>

Numeric Nutrient Criteria (Support)

CS/SB 1808 (Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee) and CS/HB 7115 (House State Affairs Committee) codify an agreement between the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding the state’s implementation of the DEP Numeric Nutrient Criteria Water Quality program for estuaries, as well as streams, canals and other conveyances. The bills also clarify that DEP is entitled to adopt its nutrient criteria for streams, lakes and estuaries. CS/SB 1808 passed the Senate by a vote of 34-4 and is now in the House for action by that body. MORE>

Total Maximum Daily Loads (Support)

SB 1806 (Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee) and HB 7113 (House Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee) amend current law to exempt legislative ratification of rules establishing Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) from the requirement found in the Administrative Procedure Act. SB 1806 passed the Senate by a vote of 38-0 and is now available for passage by the House. HB 7113 passed the House State Affairs Committee and is now awaiting action by the full House. (Matthews). MORE>

Fracturing Chemical Usage Disclosure Act (Watch)

CS/CS/HB 743 (Rodrigues) and CS/CS/SB 1028 (Clemens) create the Fracturing Chemical Usage Disclosure Act. The act requires the Division of Resource Management within the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to establish an online registry for all wells on which hydraulic fracturing treatments are performed. The owners and operators of wells where fracturing occurs must report information to the DEP as to which chemicals are used in the operation of the well, including any additional chemicals that are used during ongoing operations. CS/CS/HB 743 passed the House by a vote of 92-19 and was sent to the Senate for action by that body. MORE>

Water Supply (Watch)

CS/SB 948 (Grimsley) and CS/HB 1063 (Hutson) include utility companies, private landowners, water consumers, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) to the existing list of cities, counties and water management districts in order to achieve cooperative efforts to plan for adequate water supply. The bills require DACS to establish an agricultural water supply planning program to develop data regarding prospective agricultural water supply demand. For purposes of regional water supply plans, the water management districts are required to consider the data supplied by DACS, and agricultural demand projection data and analysis submitted by local governments, in determining the best available data for future agricultural water supply demands. CS/SB 948 passed the full Senate by a vote of 38-0. MORE>

Underground Storage of Natural Gas (Watch)

CS/CS/CS/HB 1083 (Eagle) and CS/CS/CS/SB 958 (Richter) declare underground natural gas storage to be in the public interest and authorize the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to issue permits to establish natural gas storage facilities. The bills were amended to remove the state preemption of local governments from adopting any ordinance, rule or land development regulation relating to these facilities. However, under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, local governments are restricted from adopting ordinances relating the siting and zoning of underground natural gas facilities. CS/CS/CS/HB 1083 passed the House by a vote of 102-13 and was sent to the Senate for action by that body. MORE>

Public Records Exemption for Underground Storage of Natural Gas (Watch)

CS/CS/HB 1085 (Eagle) creates an exemption from the public records requirements for certain information provided in an application for natural gas storage facility permit to inject and recover gas into and from a natural gas storage reservoir. CS/CS/HB 1085 passed the House by a vote of 97-16 and was sent to the Senate for action by that body. (Matthews). MORE>

Energy, Water, and Wastewater Savings (Watch)

CS/CS/HB 1357 (Cummings) CS/CS/CS/SB 1594 (Bradley) allow for school districts, colleges and universities access to entering into contracts that produce immediate and long-term energy cost savings through Energy Savings Contracting (ESCO). ESCO projects are required to produce a net cost savings to the state in every year of the contract. Agencies may use the recurring cost savings to repay the third-party loans, but they are required to gain the spending authority through an annual legislative budget request process. The League supported an amendment that failed in the Senate Community Affairs Committee that would have allowed for municipalities to have access to the $192 million in federal funding for Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds. MORE>

Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (Watch)

CS/HB 7087 (House Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee) expands current law prohibiting local governments from banning agricultural or silvicultural open burning in Florida to apply when an emergency order is declared. The bill allows the Florida Forest Service to delegate open burning of land clearing debris to local governments. The bill grants the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services rule-making authority to distribute 70 percent of state matching funds for local mosquito control programs to mosquito control programs that have a budget of less than $1 million when the amount of matching funds appropriated by the Legislature is insufficient to grant each local program state funds on a dollar-for-dollar matching basis. Among other provisions, the bill moves the nutrient standards and thresholds for ensuring that fertilizer sold in the state contains the amount of nutrients guaranteed to be in the product from statute to rule. MORE>

Nuclear Cost Recovery (Watch)

CS/HB 7167 (House Energy and Utilities Subcommittee) and CS/CS/SB 1472 (Legg) address the issue of investor-owned utilities’ ability to recoup expenses through a 2006 law known as Nuclear Cost Recovery. The bills establish a process by which the Public Service Commission (PSC) reviews and approves the development of a new power plant that is attempting to collect cost recovery from its customers. Under the Senate version, after obtaining the license or certificate, the utility must petition the PSC for approval before proceeding with preconstruction work beyond those activities necessary to maintain a license or certificate. The only costs a utility may recover before obtaining PSC approval are those that are previously approved or necessary to maintain the license or certification. MORE>

Consumptive Use Permits for Development of Alternative Water Supplies (Support)

CS/HB 109 (Young) and CS/SB 364 (Hays) specify conditions for issuance of consumptive use permits (CUPs) of alternative water supplies approved after July 1, 2013. These CUPs shall be granted for a term of 30 years if there is sufficient data to provide reasonable assurance that the conditions for permit issuance will be met during the life of the permit. The bills grant further extensions if the permittee issues bonds to finance the project for the life of the bond or 30 years after the date construction of the project is complete. CS/SB 364 was substituted for CS/HB 109 and passed the House by a vote of 117-0 and is now awaiting final action by the governor. MORE>

Biodiesel (Support)

CS/SB 522 (Bradley) and CS/HB 633 (Perry) exempt local governments that manufacture biodiesel for internal use from reporting, bonding and licensing requirements prescribed for wholesalers in Chapter 206, Florida Statutes. CS/HB 633 was substituted for CS/SB 522. CS/HB 633 passed both chambers and is awaiting final action by the governor. (Matthews). MORE>

Water Quality Credit Trading (Support)

CS/CS/HB 713 (Pigman) and CS/SB 754 (Grimsley) allow the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to authorize a voluntary water quality trading credit program in adopted basin management action plans. Participants in the program must notify DEP of the price for credits, how the price was determined, as well as any state funding received for the facilities/activities that generated the credits. The bills delete a provision of law that limits water quality credit trading only to the Lower St. Johns River basin. MORE>

Environmental Regulation (Support)

CS/CS/CS/HB 999 (Patronis) and CS/CS/CS/SB 1684 (Altman), in addition to a host of “regulatory streamlining” issues, amend existing law relating to municipal review of development permits. The bills add an enforcement mechanism for private companies against local governments that participate in recovered material collection in competition with private companies. The mechanism provides for injunctive relief and damages if a local government violates the fair competition aspects of solid waste and recovered materials found in Florida statutes. The bills limit a city from making more than three requests for additional information (RAI) from certain designated professionals, including engineers, landscapers and architects on development permits. MORE>

Agricultural Lands (Oppose)

CS/CS/HB 203 (Beshears) and CS/SB 1190 (Brandes) preempt municipalities from passing any duplicative ordinance, resolution or rule affecting a bona fide agricultural operation if that operation follows a best management practice, interim measures or regulations adopted as rules under Chapter 120, Florida Statutes, by the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, or a water management district as part of a statewide or regional program; or if such activity is expressly regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. MORE>

Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems (Watch)

CS/CS/CS/HB 375 (Roberson) and CS/CS/CS/SB 1160 (Bullard) state that septic tanks installed subsequent to July 1, 2010, are not required to connect to central sewer until December 31, 2020, so long as those septic tanks comply with current law maintained by the Florida Department of Health, as well as the permitting process developed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The bills allow for a property owner of a single-family residence to be approved and permitted by the Department of Health as a maintenance entity for his or her own aerobic treatment unit system upon written certification from the system’s manufacturer. CS/CS/CS/SB 1160 and CS/CS/CS/HB 375 were amended to apply only to Monroe County. CS/CS/CS/HB 375 was substituted for CS/CS/CS/SB 1160. MORE>

Public Records of Utilities (Watch)

CS/HB 649 (Cummings) and CS/SB 714 (Simmons) create a public record exemption for proprietary confidential business information held by an electric utility that is subject to Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, in conjunction with a due diligence review of an electric project or a project to improve the delivery, cost, or diversification of fuel or renewable energy resources. The bills provide that those proprietary records are to be kept confidential and exempt from the public records laws. CS/HB 649 was substituted for CS/SB 714. CS/HB 649 has passed both chamber and is awaiting final action by the governor. MORE>

Fossil Fuel Combustion Products (Watch)

CS/CS/SB 682 (Simpson) and CS/CS/CS/HB 659 (Goodson) establish standards for storage of certain fossil fuel combustion products. Fossil fuel combustion products are defined as fly ash, bottom ash, boiler slag, flue gas emission control materials and other nonhazardous materials. These fossil fuels must not be in contact with groundwater or surface water bodies or within three feet of groundwater, 15 feet of wetlands or natural water bodies, or 100 feet of a potable water well that is being used or might be used for human or livestock water consumption. CS/CS/SB 682 unanimously passed the Senate and is awaiting action by the House. MORE>

Community Development – Affordable Housing (Support)

CS/CS/HB 437 (Davis) and CS/CS/SB 928 (Simpson) delete an ad valorem tax exemption for property owned by certain Florida-based limited partnerships and used for affordable housing for certain income-qualified individuals. The bills clarify the process used by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) to allocate low-income housing tax credits and other federal and state resources. The bills modify the annual reporting requirements, clarify the information and reports included in the FHFC’s audited financial statements, and remove obsolete terms and provisions. CS/CS/HB 437 was substituted for CS/CS/SB 928. MORE>

Workers’ Compensation – Repackaged Drugs (Support)

HB 605 (Hudson) and CS/SB 662 (Hays) revise the requirements for determining the amount of a reimbursement for repackaged or relabeled prescription medication. The bills limit the price of the repackaged or relabeled drug to the amount that would have been payable if the drug had not been repackaged or relabeled. HB 605 was on the agenda, but was not considered by the House Health and Human Services Committee. CS/SB 662 passed the Senate Appropriations Committee and is now awaiting action by the full Senate. MORE>

Emergency Communication Systems - E911 (Support)

CS/CS/HB 807 (Stuebe) and CS/SB 1070 (Hays) deal with the E911 fee, which funds costs incurred by local governments to install and operate 911 emergency systems. CS/HB 807 authorizes the collection of a prepaid telephone wireless E911 fee by retailers at the point of sale. It also reduces the existing E911 fee to $0.46 per month per service identifier, and sets the prepaid wireless E911 fee at $0.46 per month for each retail transaction. CS/SB 1070 was amended to remove all substantive issues and now only permanently extends an existing moratorium on the collection of the E911 fee on prepaid phones. MORE>

Ad Valorem/Rental of Homestead Property (Watch)

CS/SB 354 (Thrasher) and CS/CS/HB 531 (Patronis) provide that certain leasehold interests and improvements to land owned by the United States, a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, or any agency or quasi-governmental agency of the United States are exempt from ad valorem taxation under specified circumstances. The bills also state that such leasehold interests and improvements are entitled to an exemption from ad valorem taxation without an application being filed for the exemption or the property appraiser approving the exemption. The bills apply retroactively to January 1, 2007. MORE>

Tax Collectors (Watch)

CS/HB 837 (Mayfield) and CS/SB 1026 (Thrasher) allow tax collectors to recover the costs for providing online tax deed application services. Under these bills, if the tax collector charges a combined fee in excess of $75 for tax deed applications and the online service, applicants for tax deeds have the option to not use the electronic service. CS/HB 837 passed the House by a vote of 116-0 and is now awaiting action by the full Senate. CS/SB 1026 passed the Senate Appropriations Committee and is now awaiting action by the full Senate. MORE>

Ad Valorem Taxation - Affordable Housing (Watch)

Ad Valorem Taxation – Affordable Housing (Watch) CS/SB 1830 (Senate Appropriations Committee) and HB 7159 (Caldwell) contain several changes to statutes related to ad valorem taxation, including authorizing the use of electronic mail by property appraisers and value adjustment boards for certain documents with taxpayer consent and clarifying that a commercial mail delivery service postmark qualifies for the filing of certain applications and returns by taxpayers. The bills delete an unconstitutional requirement that the owner of a property must reside upon the property to qualify for a homestead exemption. MORE>

Assessment of Residential and Nonhomestead Real Property (Watch)

CS/SB 1064 (Latvala) and CS/CS/HB 277 (Rehwinkel Vasilinda) deal with the 2008 constitutional amendment approved by voters to allow the value of certain installations, changes or improvements to residential real property to be excluded from the assessed value of residential real property. The bills prohibit property appraisers from considering the increase in the just value attributed to the installation of a renewable energy source device. CS/SB 1064 also prohibits the property appraiser from considering the increase in the just value attributed to improvements made for the purpose of improving a property’s resistance to wind damage. The bills delete the definition of "renewable energy source device" and "device" and repeal provisions relating to property tax exemptions for renewable energy source devices. MORE>

Taxation of Agriculture Property (Watch)

CS/SB 1200 (Simpson) and CS/HB 1193 (Beshears) eliminate specific statutory guidelines under which agricultural land can be reclassified as nonagricultural for property taxation purposes. CS/SB 1200 was amended to allow for the change in classification for land that is sold for three or more times the purchase price of bona fide agricultural land. The bills also remove the authority of the value adjustment board to review all property classified by the property appraiser upon its own motion. CS/SB 1200 passed the Senate Appropriations Committee and is now awaiting action by the full Senate. MORE>

Relating to Manufacturing Development (Watch)

CS/SB 582 (Galvano) and CS/HB 357 (Boyd) authorize local governments to establish local manufacturing development programs that provide for master development approval for certain sites. The legislation requires the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity to develop a model ordinance that local governments may adopt. Once a local government adopts this program, it must wait two years before the program can be terminated. During the two-year period, local governments must continue to accept applications from manufactures that wish to enter the program. MORE>

Inhibiting Encroachment of Military Bases (Watch)

SB 1784 (Senate Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security) and HB 7101(House Veteran and Military Affairs Subcommittee) allow the state to purchase lands near military installations that have no conservation value in order to secure buffers around military bases. SB 1784 passed the Senate by a vote of 38-0 and is awaiting action by the House. HB 7101 is awaiting a vote on the House floor. (Cruz). MORE>

Development Permits (Watch)

Development Permits (Watch) CS/HB 7019 (House Economic Development and Tourism Subcommittee) and CS/CS/SB 1840 (Senate Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security Committee) require counties and municipalities to attach disclaimers to development permits in flood zones that include a condition that all other applicable state or federal permits must be obtained before commencement of the development in a mapped flood hazard area. The legislation addresses concerns raised by the Federal Emergency Management Agency that Florida statutes were out of compliance with the National Flood Insurance Program. MORE>

Initiatives and Referendums (Support)

CS/CS/SB 528 (Simpson) and CS/CS/HB 537 (Moraitis) make revisions to the Community Planning Act provision that addressed the Yankeetown lawsuit. The legislation allows cities such as Yankeetown that had specific initiative and referendum language for comprehensive plan amendments in their charter before June 1, 2011, to remain in place. However, the legislation clarifies that those provisions do not apply to cities that have general charter provisions dealing with initiatives and referendums for ordinances. CS/CS/HB 537 was substituted for CS/CS/SB 528. MORE>

Neighborhood Improvement Districts (Support)

CS/CS/SB 770 (Ring) and HB 741 (Jones, S.) provide that an ordinance that creates a neighborhood improvement district may authorize the district to exercise certain powers in addition to those already granted to such districts, including the ability to issue bonds. An attempt was made to amend CS/CS/SB 770 with the language from SB 1716 (Garcia) requires a moratorium of certain impact fees and transportation concurrency costs, which the League opposes. CS/CS/SB 770 is awaiting action by the full Senate. HB 741 is in the House Economic Development and Tourism Subcommittee which is not scheduled to meet again. MORE>

Funding from the National Mortgage Settlement (Support)

SB 1852 (Senate Appropriations) and HB 7111 (House Appropriations) are proposed committee bills that allocate $200 million from the national foreclosure settlement, that the state was a party to in a national lawsuit against five of the nation’s largest banks that committed foreclosure abuses. The House and the Senate proposals differ significantly in the way they appropriate funds for affordable housing. HB 7111 provides funding for down-payment assistance; to the state courts to expedite the backlog of foreclosure cases; to the Florida Department of Children and Families; to the State Apartments Incentive Loan (SAIL) program; to the Attorney General’s Office; and to the non profit organization Habitat for Humanity for affordable housing. However, HB 7111 does not include a League priority regarding allocation of the settlement funds to existing local government affordable housing programs, such as the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP). MORE>

Public-Private Partnerships (Oppose – Preemption)

CS/CS/SB 84 (Diaz de la Portilla) and CS/CS/HB 85 (Steube) provide for a framework that local governments must follow when reviewing bids for public-private partnership (PPP) agreements, including unsolicited bids. A PPP is a contractual agreement formed between a public agency and a private-sector entity that allows for greater private-sector participation in the delivery and financing of public building and infrastructure projects. By requiring the framework outlined in this legislation for the adoption of PPP agreements, cities will lose the flexibility they currently have when reviewing and entering into PPP agreements. The legislation establishes a task force to develop additional or revised guidelines that local governments must implement. MORE>

Community Transportation Projects (Oppose – Preemption)

CS/CS/CS/HB 319 (Ray) and CS/CS/SB 972 (Hukill) amend the Community Planning Act to require that certain transportation projects may not be delayed or denied if the applicant has provided payment for transportation impacts. As amended, the legislation addresses concerns raised by counties that have adopted mobility plans. The bills formally require “pay and go” both for concurrency as well as any alternative system like mobility fees/plans. The bills require local governments to calculate proportionate-share contributions based only on capital improvements necessary to mitigate actual impacts, not including maintenance and mass transit costs. MORE>

Transportation Concurrency and Impact Fees (Oppose – Preemption)

CS/CS/CS/HB 321 (La Rosa) and CS/SB 1716 (Garcia) prohibit proportionate-share contributions for new development before July 1, 2016, unless authorized by a majority vote of the local government’s governing body. The prohibition would apply to commercial development of less than 6,000 square feet. CS/CS/CS/HB 321 passed the House by a vote of 103-13 and now goes to the Senate for action by that body. CS/SB 1716 is in the Senate Education Committee, which is not scheduled to meet again. MORE>

Department of Economic Opportunity (Oppose – Preemption)

CS/CS/CS/SB 1024 (Senate Commerce and Tourism) and CS/CS/HB 7007 (House Economic Development and Tourism Subcommittee) are comprehensive bills relating to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO). As originally filed, the bills contained language opposed by the League authorizing DEO to have rule-making authority over the Small Cities Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. This language has been removed from both bills. The bills also provide restrictions on the expenditure of block grant funds by local governments, including a preference for economic development applications over other approved uses. MORE>

State-Owned or State-Leased Space (Watch)

CS/CS/CS/HB 1145 (La Rosa) and CS/CS/SB 1074 (Hays) revise provisions relating to the update of an inventory of certain facilities needing repairs or renovation maintained by the Florida Department of Management Services (DMS). CS/SB 1074 was amended in the Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee to include the “Underused Property Maximization Program” which requires all governmental entities to inventory all real property they own or lease and report this information to the DMS. The inventory list is then to be used by all governmental entities looking to purchase or lease additional real property. Governmental entities must consult the inventory list to determine if the property of another governmental entity that is not being fully used would fulfill their needs. MORE>

Department of Transportation (Oppose)

CS/CS/CS/SB 1132 (Brandes) and CS/CS/HB 7127 (House Transportation and Highway Safety Subcommittee) are the omnibus transportation bills. The majority of the bills’ provisions apply only to the Florida Department of Transportation (DOT). The Florida Transportation Commission is required to conduct a study of the locations and revenues generated from parking meters located on state roads. Public transit providers would be prohibited from using federal block grant funds for advocacy purposes. MORE>

Ethics (Watch)

The House substituted CS/SB 2 (Senate Ethics and Elections Committee) for CS/HB 7131 (House Ethics and Elections Subcommittee). CS/SB 2 passed both chambers and is awaiting final action by the governor. CS/SB 2 makes several changes to ethics laws that affect both state and local government officials. This summary only provides information on provisions that affect municipalities. MORE>

Campaign Finance (Watch)

The Senate substituted CS/CS/CS/HB 569 (Schenck) for CS/CS/CS/CS/SB 1382. CS/CS/CS/SB 569 passed both chambers and is awaiting action by the governor. As passed, the bill makes several changes to campaign finance laws applicable to local, legislative and statewide candidates. Of interest to municipalities that have an ordinance or charter provisions that adopt the Florida Election Code as the controlling law for municipal elections, the contribution limit for candidates is increased to $1,000 per person per election. MORE>

Elections (Watch)

The Senate substituted the House elections bill, CS/HB 7013, for CS/CS/CS/SB 600, and CS/HB 7013 passed by the full Senate by a vote of 26-13. CS/HB 7013, as amended by the Senate, makes several changes to the Florida Election Code. The following provisions apply to municipalities that have, through their charter or by ordinance, adopted the Florida Election Code as the controlling law for municipal elections. The primary election date will be held 10 weeks before the general election, instead of 12 weeks. MORE>

Billboards (Watch)

CS/CS/CS/SB 1632 (Latvala) and CS/CS/CS/HB 1299 (Goodson) revise provisions of the outdoor advertising statute. While many of the provisions apply only to the Florida Department of Transportation (DOT), there is language specifying that outdoor advertising signs will only be permitted by DOT in commercial or industrial zones, as determined by the local government. The bills remove a requirement that local governments conduct a survey and hold a hearing of property owners who may be affected by the construction of a noise wall if the wall impacts an existing outdoor advertising sign. The Senate bill was amended to give municipalities and DOT the authority to regulate public information systems located on water management district lands. MORE>

Testimony at Public Meetings (Watch)

CS/CS/SB 50 (Negron) and CS/HB 23 (Rodrigues, R.) require local governments to provide members of the public with an opportunity to be heard on a proposition before the board or commission. The opportunity to be heard does not have to occur at the same meeting at which the board or commission takes official action on the item, if the opportunity occurs at a meeting that is during the decision-making process and is within reasonable proximity to the meeting at which the board takes the official action. The bills allow local governments to adopt policies or rules on providing testimony, while putting into place criteria that these policies must meet. Local governments may maintain orderly conduct and proper decorum in public meetings. MORE>

Recreational Vehicle Parks (Watch)

CS/HB 969 (Raburn) and CS/SB 938 (Dean) provide that separation distances within recreational vehicle sites and set-back distances for a park must be the distances established at the time of initial approval by the local government. The Senate amended and passed CS/HB 969 on April 26, and the bill now goes back to the House for consideration. (Conn). MORE>

Florida Retirement System (Watch)

CS/CS/SB 1392 (Simpson) provides that a member initially enrolled in the Florida Retirement System on or after July 1, 2014, is vested in the pension plan after 10 years of creditable service. Employees initially enrolled on or after July 1, 2014, in positions covered by the Elected Officers’ Class or the Senior Management Service Class are compulsory members of the investment plan. The bill also restricts the ability of an elected officer eligible for membership in the Elected Officers’ Class from being enrolled in the Senior Management Service Class. CS/CS/SB 1392 is awaiting action by the full Senate. MORE>

Florida Retirement System (Watch)

SB 1810 (Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee) and HB 5005 (House Appropriations Committee) set the 2013-2014 employer contribution rates for members of each membership class and sub-class of the Florida Retirement System. SB 1810 passed the Senate but the House refused to concur, which means the bill now moves to the budget conference committee process. HB 5005 was temporarily postponed in the House. (Conn). MORE>

Florida Retirement System (Watch)

CS/CS/HB 7011 (House Government Operations Subcommittee) provides that all eligible employees in the Florida Retirement System (FRS) initially enrolled on or after January 1, 2014, are compulsory members of the investment plan, and membership in the pension plan is not permitted. The bill revises the required employer retirement contribution rates for members of each membership class and subclass of the FRS. The bill requires members of the Special Risk Class (primarily police and firefighters) enrolled on or after January 1, 2014, to be provided with an in-line-of-duty disability benefit and an in-line-of-duty death benefit equal to 10 times the employee’s salary. CS/CS/HB 7011 passed the House by a vote of 74-42 and is now in the Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee. MORE>

Governmental Entity Liens (Oppose – Unfunded Mandate)

CS/HB 267 (Wood) and CS/SB 404 (Stargel) provide that a lien imposed on real property by a governmental or quasi-governmental entity for an improvement, service, fine or penalty, other than a lien for taxes, non-ad valorem or special assessments, or utilities, is valid and effectual against creditors or subsequent purchasers for a valuable consideration, only if the lien is recorded in the official records of the county in which the property is located. The recorded notice of lien must contain the name of the owner of record, a description or address of the property, and the tax or parcel identification number applicable to the property as of the date of recording. CS/HB 267 passed the Legislature, and next goes to the Governor. (Conn). MORE>

Publicly Funded Defined Benefit Retirement Plans: Reporting (Oppose – Unfunded Mandate)

CS/CS/CS/SB 534 (Brandes) and CS/CS/HB 599 (Caldwell) provide that the state is not liable for shortfalls in local government retirement systems or plans and create additional reporting standards for publicly funded defined benefit retirement plans. The bills require each defined benefit retirement plan to submit a report to the Florida Department of Management Services (DMS). The bills make the initial report due within 60 days after receipt of the certified actuarial report submitted after the close of the plan year that ends on or after June 30, 2014. This timeframe better coincides with reporting under GASB Statements 67 and 68. MORE>

Employment Benefits/Regulation (Oppose – Preemption)

CS/CS/CS/CS/SB 726 (Simmons) and CS/HB 655 (Precourt) prohibit a political subdivision, including a city, from requiring or otherwise regulating employment benefits, including family or medical leave benefits, for employees, and preempts the regulation of such benefits to the state. A political subdivision is not prohibited from establishing employment benefits for its employees. The bill also creates an 11-member task force charged with reviewing employer-sponsored employment benefits and the impact of the state preemption contained in the bill. The Senate amended and passed CS/HB 655, and the bill now goes back to the House for consideration. MORE>

Sound Devices in Motor Vehicles (Support)

CS/CS/HB 1019 (Rader) and CS/SB 634 (Simpson) clarify current law to allow cities to regulate the time, place and manner in which certain sound devices may be used within their respective jurisdictions. The bills direct the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to adopt rules defining “plainly audible” and establish standards regarding how sound should be measured by law enforcement personnel who enforce the provisions of this law. CS/CS/HB 1019 is awaiting action by the full House. CS/SB 634 was voted down by the Senate with a vote of 19-19, which effectively kills the issue for the year. MORE>

Wage Theft (Oppose – Preemption)

CS/SB 1216 (Bradley) and CS/CS/CS/HB 1125 (Goodson) preempt the local regulation of wage theft issues and provide a new civil claim for wage theft that is brought in the county court and governed by Florida Small Claims Rules. The wage theft claim must be brought in the county in which the unpaid work was alleged to have been performed within one year of the last date of performance. The bills allow local governments to establish an administrative program to help an employee recover unpaid wages. CS/SB 1216 passed the Senate Criminal Justice Committee and is now in the Senate Judiciary Committee. MORE>

Background Checks (Support)

CS/SB 1434 (Evers) and CS/HB 585 (Hood) are the comprehensive Florida Department of Law Enforcement legislative packages. CS/HB 585 was amended to allow cities to require state and national screenings for any private contractor, employee of a private contractor, vendor, repair person or delivery person who has direct contact with members of the public or who has access to public facilities in such a manner that the governing body of the city finds that preventing unsuitable persons from having such contact or access is critical to security or public safety. CS/HB 585 was substituted for CS/SB 1434. CS/HB 585 has passed both chambers and is awaiting action by the governor. MORE>

Low-Voltage Alarm System Contracting and Permitting (Oppose – Preemption)

CS/CS/CS/HB 973 (Brodeur) and CS/CS/SB 1442 (Lee) preempt ordinances relating to low-voltage alarm installations and create a uniform notice of installation. The bills require cities to offer contractors uniform basic permit labels available for purchase in bulk for no more than $55 per label. Both bills were amended to allow cities currently charging more than $55 per permit to continue charging up to $175 per permit for the next two years before conforming to current law. The bills allow an alarm contractor to commence work on a low-voltage alarm system project without notifying the local government. MORE>

Pain Management Clinics (Oppose CS/SB 1192; Support CS/HB 831)

CS/CS/SB 1192 (Grimsley) preempts the regulation of licensure, activity and operation of pain management clinics to the state if the clinic is owned or operated by a physician who meets certain standards. The bill prohibits cities from imposing a levy, charge or fee, other than the local business tax, on certain pain management clinics. The bill allows local governments to regulate these clinics through land use and zoning, but requires that pain-management services are permissible in land use or zoning categories that permit hospitals, clinics or other health care facilities. The bill contains similar provisions for pharmacies and pharmacists, but was amended to narrow the scope of the preemption and the prohibition from imposing fees, levies and charges was removed. MORE>

Energy and Environmental Quality

HB 137 (Raburn) and SB 298 (Brandes) Department of Citrus. MORE>

Finance and Tax

HB 99 (Clarke-Reed) and HB 1023 (Jones, S.) and SB 1280 (Sachs) Tax Dealer Collections Allowances. MORE>

Growth Management and Economic Development

HB 33 (Smith, J) and SB 466 (Altman) State Lands. MORE>

Transportation and Intergovernmental Relations

HB 25 (Rouson) and SB 114 (Sachs) and SB 388 (Soto) Elections. MORE>

Urban Administration

HB 3 (Slosberg) and SB 66 (Altman) Child Safety Devices in Motor Vehicles. MORE>