Our 60-day Legislative Session in Florida will end this week. It has been a real whirlwind in terms of proposed legislation which has the potential to impact how you operate your private residential community. We are fortunate to have once again had the opportunity to weigh in with these bill sponsors throughout the process to discuss the changes our members would like to see and the ones they wish to avoid. Your CALL team will be following up with our public policy makers in the coming months to set the stage for next year. I would urge each of you to take the opportunity the summer months present to reach out to your representatives and provide a balanced picture of what helps your boards operate optimally.
A lot can change in this final week of Session but as of this writing, here is a snapshot of the following bills:
SB 1440 by Senator Farmer amends Section 514.0315, F.S.to require locations with public pools (which includes pools in shared ownership communities such as condominiums, cooperatives and HOAs) to permanently install, no later than the end of this year, a phone within 75 feet of the pool entrance. In addition to installing the phone, an association must also post dialing instructions and be visible from within the pool premises or a sign must be posted inside the pool premises indicating the phone’s location. Although the bill did pass the Infrastructure and Security Committee (8-0) last month, there has been no action on this bill since it was referred out to the Community Affairs Committee on March 27th.
Community Affairs Committee Chair:
Anitere Flores – R. Dist. 39 (Monroe/Miami-Dade) – flores.anitere@flsenate.gov
Community Affairs Committee Members:
Gary Farmer, Jr. – D. Dist. 34 (Broward) – farmer.gary@flsenate.gov
Doug Broxson – R. Dist. 1 (Escambia) – broxson.doug@flsenate.gov
Jason Pizzo – D. Dist. 38 (Miami-Dade) – pizzo.jason@flsenate.gov
David Simmons – R. Dist. 9 (Seminole/Volusia) – simmons.david@flsenate.gov
HB 647 Representative Grieco’s Engineered Life Safety System (ELSS) Retrofit bill has been withdrawn from the referred committees (Innovation, Industry, and Technology; Community Affairs; Rules;) and is now with the Senate. HB 647 has been substituted for Senator Hooper’s retrofit bill (SB 908). Senator Hooper took up the Grieco bill and added a strike-all amendment on third reading. In a nutshell, full opt-out rights will not be achieved this year. Instead, the Hooper amendment will simply provide more time (until 2024) to install an ELSS and will add a requirement for the State to compile additional data on the impacted buildings and the components/costs of an ELSS so the dialogue can continue next year.
Click here to read that amendment.
Innovation, Industry, and Technology Committee Chair:
W. Simpson – R. Dist. 10 – (Citrus/Hernando/Pasco) – simpson.wilton@flsenate.gov
Innovation, Industry, and Technology Committee Members:
Lizbeth Benacquisto – R. Dist. 27 (Lee County) – benacquisto.lizbeth@flsenate.gov
Randolph Bracy – D, Dist. 11 (Orange) – bracy.randolph@flsenate.gov
Rob Bradley – R. Dist. 5 (Baker/Bradford/Levy/Marion/etc.) – bradley.rob@flsenate.gov
Jeff Brandes – R. Dist. 24 (Pinellas) – brandes.jeff@flsenate.gov
Oscar Braynon II, – D. Dist. 35 (Broward/Miami-Dade) – braynon.oscar@flsenate.gov
Gary Farmer, Jr. – D. Dist. 34 (Broward) – farmer.gary@flsenate.gov
Audrey Gibson – D. Dist. 6 (Duval) – gibson.audrey@flsenate.gov
Travis Hutson – R. Dist. 7 (Flagler/St.John/Volusia) – hutson.travis@flsenate.gov
Kathleen Passidomo – R. Dist. 28 (Collier/Hendry/Lee) – passidomo.kathleen@flsenate.gov
Community Affairs Committee Chair:
Anitere Flores – R. Dist. 39 (Monroe/Miami-Dade) – flores.anitere@flsenate.gov
Community Affairs Committee Members:
Gary Farmer, Jr. – D. Dist. 34 (Broward) – farmer.gary@flsenate.gov
Doug Broxson – R. Dist. 1 (Escambia) – broxson.doug@flsenate.gov
Jason Pizzo – D. Dist. 38 (Miami-Dade) – pizzo.jason@flsenate.gov
David Simmons – R. Dist. 9 (Seminole/Volusia) – simmons.david@flsenate.gov
Rules Committee Chair:
Lizbeth Benacquisto – R. Dist. 27 – (Lee) – benacquisto.lizbeth@flsenate.gov
Rules Committee Members:
Audrey Gibson – D. Dist. 6 (Duval) – gibson.audrey@flsenate.gov
Lauren Book – D. Dist. 32 (Broward) – book.lauren@flsenate.gov
Rob Bradley – R. Dist. 5 (Baker/Levy.Suwanee/Marion/Etc.) – bradley.rob@flsenate.gov
Jeff Brandes – R. Dist. 24 (Pinellas) – brandes.jeff@flsenate.gov
Oscar Braynon II, – D. Dist. 35 (Broward/Miami-Dade) – braynon.oscar@flsenate.gov
Gary Farmer, Jr. – D. Dist. 34 (Broward) – farmer.gary@flsenate.gov
Anitere Flores – R. Dist. 39 (Monroe/Miami-Dade) – flores.anitere@flsenate.gov
Travis Hutson – R. Dist. 7 (Flagler/St.John/Volusia) – hutson.travis@flsenate.gov
Tom Lee – R. Dist. 20 (Hillsborough/Pasco/Polk) – lee.tom@flsenate.gov
Bill Montford – D. Dist. 3 (Calhoun/Franklin/Gadsden/etc/) – montford.bill@flsenate.gov
Kathleen Passidomo – R. Dist. 28 (Collier/Hendry/Lee) – passidomo.kathleen@flsenate.gov
Jose Rodriguez – D. Dist. 37 (Miami-Dade) – rodriguez.jose@flsenate.gov
David Simmons – R. Dist. 9 (Seminole/Volusia) – simmons.david@flsenate.gov
Wilton Simpson – R. Dist. 10 (Citrus/Hernando/Pasco) – simpson.wilton@flsenate.gov
Kelli Stargel – R. Dist. 22 (Lake/Polk) – stargel.kelli@flsenate.gov
Perry Thurston, Jr. – D. Dist. 33 (Broward) – thurston.perry@flsenate.gov
HB 551 (Public Nuisance) passed the House unanimously with a vote of 112. This bill has been received by the Senate and referred to the following committees: Criminal Justice; Community Affairs; and Rules.
Criminal Justice Committee Chair:
Keith Perry – R, Dist. 8 (Alachua/Putnam/Marion) – perry.keith@flsenate.gov
Criminal Justice Committee Members:
Jeff Brandes – R. Dist. 24 (Pinellas) – brandes.jeff@flsenate.gov
Randolph Bracy – D, Dist. 11 (Orange) – bracy.randolph@flsenate.gov
Anitere Flores – R. Dist. 39 (Monroe/Miami-Dade) – flores.anitere@flsenate.gov
Jason Pizzo – D. Dist. 38 (Miami-Dade) – pizzo.jason@flsenate.gov
Community Affairs Committee Chair:
Anitere Flores – R. Dist. 39 (Monroe/Miami-Dade) – flores.anitere@flsenate.gov
Community Affairs Committee Members:
Gary Farmer, Jr. – D. Dist. 34 (Broward) – farmer.gary@flsenate.gov
Doug Broxson – R. Dist. 1 (Escambia) – broxson.doug@flsenate.gov
Jason Pizzo – D. Dist. 38 (Miami-Dade) – pizzo.jason@flsenate.gov
David Simmons – R. Dist. 9 (Seminole/Volusia) – simmons.david@flsenate.gov
Rules Committee Chair:
Lizbeth Benacquisto – R. Dist. 27 – (Lee) – benacquisto.lizbeth@flsenate.gov
Rules Committee Members:
Audrey Gibson – D. Dist. 6 (Duval) – gibson.audrey@flsenate.gov
Lauren Book – D. Dist. 32 (Broward) – book.lauren@flsenate.gov
Rob Bradley – R. Dist. 5 (Baker/Levy.Suwanee/Marion/Etc.) – bradley.rob@flsenate.gov
Jeff Brandes – R. Dist. 24 (Pinellas) – brandes.jeff@flsenate.gov
Oscar Braynon II, – D. Dist. 35 (Broward/Miami-Dade) – braynon.oscar@flsenate.gov
Gary Farmer, Jr. – D. Dist. 34 (Broward) – farmer.gary@flsenate.gov
Anitere Flores – R. Dist. 39 (Monroe/Miami-Dade) – flores.anitere@flsenate.gov
Travis Hutson – R. Dist. 7 (Flagler/St.John/Volusia) – hutson.travis@flsenate.gov
Tom Lee – R. Dist. 20 (Hillsborough/Pasco/Polk) – lee.tom@flsenate.gov
Bill Montford – D. Dist. 3 (Calhoun/Franklin/Gadsden/etc/) – montford.bill@flsenate.gov
Kathleen Passidomo – R. Dist. 28 (Collier/Hendry/Lee) – passidomo.kathleen@flsenate.gov
Jose Rodriguez – D. Dist. 37 (Miami-Dade) – rodriguez.jose@flsenate.gov
David Simmons – R. Dist. 9 (Seminole/Volusia) – simmons.david@flsenate.gov
Wilton Simpson – R. Dist. 10 (Citrus/Hernando/Pasco) – simpson.wilton@flsenate.gov
Kelli Stargel – R. Dist. 22 (Lake/Polk) – stargel.kelli@flsenate.gov
Perry Thurston, Jr. – D. Dist. 33 (Broward) – thurston.perry@flsenate.gov
SB 1128 (the fraudulent Emotional Support Animal (ESA) bill) was temporarily postponed by the Senate after the second reading and there is still no House vote scheduled for the companion bill HB 721. We continue to push for this bill’s passage as it will assist communities who are struggling with a growing number of fraudulent ESA requests.
HB 1075 / SB 1362, the association omnibus bills proposed in large part by CAI, are now dead.
Senator Jason Pizzo’s SB 610 is also dead.
Click here to read our CALL Bill Tracker which is updated several times per week.
I hope many of you have taken advantage of the proverbial ‘seat at the table’ that CALL provides to our members both in the form of our CALL Alerts, our updated Bill Tracker, our Legislator Connect feature, and our Live Capitol Feed.
For those of you who appreciate trivia, May 3rd is the expected date of Sine Die for Florida’s 2019 Legislative Session. The term comes from the Latin meaning “without day” which means without assigning a day for a further meeting or hearing. To adjourn a legislative body sine die is to adjourn without appointing a day on which to appear or assemble again although our legislators will be back at work in just a few short months!