Becker’s State Lobbying Update: Week 9, April 28 – May 5, 2025
Hot Topics
“2025 Legislative Session Extended and Budget”
On Friday, May 2, both chambers announced that the 2025 Legislative Session has been extended to Friday, June 6, 2025. During this time, the Legislature may only consider the General Appropriations Act, implementing bills, and conforming bills. All other bills are indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration as of Saturday, May 3, 2025. Senate President Albritton and House Speaker Perez also announced that they have reached allocations and that budget conference committees will begin during the Week of May 12th. Members are expected to return to Tallahassee during this week and shall remain until business is complete but no longer than June 6, 2025.
“2025 Regular Session”
As of Friday, May 2, 2025, a total of 243 bills passed both chambers, with 223 waiting to be presented to the Governor. Currently, 19 bills have been approved and signed by Governor DeSantis.
“Select Committee on Property Taxes”
On Tuesday, April 29th, House Speaker Perez announced the formation of the Select Committee on Property Taxes to look into property tax relief for Floridians, including reviewing the current state of property taxes and exploring new policy solutions to reduce the financial burden on homeowners in the state. This select committee will be chaired by Representatives Vicki Lopez of Miami-Dade County and Toby Overdorf of Martin and St. Lucie counties. The committee will meet over the next coming months to study five major proposals, including requiring local governments to hold referendums on eliminating property taxes, expanding the homestead exemption to $500,000 or up to $1 million for seniors and long-term homeowners, giving the Legislature authority to increase exemptions without voter approval, altering caps on property tax increases to slow local government growth, and banning foreclosures over unpaid taxes. These five proposals will most likely require constitutional amendments, meaning voters must approve any proposed changes in the 2026 election. The first meeting was held on Friday, May 2nd.
“Governor’s Activity”
On Friday, May 2, Governor DeSantis was presented with the following bill:
HB 1205 Amendments to the State Constitution by Representative Persons-Mulicka strengthens the regulation and accountability over the citizen initiative petition process for amending the State Constitution. It requires the Secretary of State to receive the ballot title, ballot summary, full text of the Amendment, and a financial impact statement before submitting any initiative petition to the Attorney General. It revises the Attorney General’s criteria for petitioning the Supreme Court for an advisory opinion, including ensuring compliance with the financial impact statement. The bill also mandates sponsors to deliver signed petitions promptly to supervisors of elections, impose stricter penalties for late submissions, and declare sponsors fiduciaries to petition signers. In addition, the bill expands the supervisor of elections’ responsibilities for verifying, scanning, and tracking signatures, including sending notices to voters whose petition forms are validated. Lastly, the bill requires rescinding a measure’s placement on the ballot if the Supreme Court deems the initiative petition invalid and modifies procedures for producing and displaying a financial impact statement on the ballot. After a lengthy debate, HB 1205 favorably passed both chambers and was presented to the Governor for approval. On May 2, Governor DeSantis approved and signed HB 1205, which is effective upon becoming law.
Agriculture
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services “Farm Bill”
SB 700 by Senator Truenow revises and expands the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ authority and programs while updating various agricultural, consumer, and criminal regulations across the state. Some of the provisions included are the preemption of local laws on the construction of farmworker housing and a ban on operating a drone over someone else’s farmland. A controversial provision included the issue of local governments being prohibited from putting fluoride in their local water supply. In addition, the bill would ban psychedelic mushrooms and create new marketing rules for certain plant-based products. On Tuesday, April 29th, SB 700 was read a second and third time and favorably passed off the House floor with a vote of 88 Yeas and 27 Nays. It has now been enrolled and will soon be presented to the Governor for approval.
Status: Passed
Effective Date: Except as otherwise expressly provided in this act, this act shall take effect July 1, 2025.
Education
Middle School and High School Start Times
SB 296 by Senator Bradley allows school districts and charter schools to meet the statutory requirement that by July 1, 2026, the instructional day at all district and charter middle schools may not start before 8 a.m. High schools may not start before 8:30 a.m. by submitting a report to the Department of Education that includes specific information by June 1, 2026. On Tuesday, April 29th, SB 296 was read a second and third time and unanimously passed off the House floor with a vote of 116 Yeas. It has been enrolled and will soon be presented to the Governor for approval.
Status: Passed
Effective Date: July 1, 2025
Healthcare
Healthcare
HB 1427 by Representative Griffitts addresses issues and policies to increase access to healthcare and reduce administrative burdens for patients. The bill creates and revises multiple healthcare funding programs to expand access to healthcare in rural communities, including the Florida Reimbursement Assistance for Medical Education Program. The bill also requires healthcare providers to notify patients of potential higher costs when referring them to out-of-network providers. Insurers must apply patient payments for covered services by non-preferred providers to the patient’s deductible and out-of-pocket maximum in certain circumstances. An amendment filed by Representative Griffitts modifies the application prerequisites for nursing education programs, including legal details of directors and any disciplinary statuses. It also establishes specific faculty qualifications, curriculum content, and clinical training requirements. The Amendment also sets forth stricter accountability measures for programs that do not meet required pass rates, including mandatory remediation strategies. Lastly, it allows the Board of Nursing to investigate and act upon adverse actions from other regulatory jurisdictions against nursing programs. On Friday, May 2nd, HB 1427 favorably passed off the Senate floor with a vote of 26 Yeas and 5 Nays. It has been ordered, engrossed, and then enrolled. It will soon be presented to the Governor for his approval.
Status: Passed
Effective Date: July 1, 2025
Local Government
Municipal Water and Sewer Utility Rates
HB 11 by Representative Robinson and SB 202 by Senator Jones requires a municipality to charge customers receiving utility services in another municipality the same rates, fees, and charges as it charges consumers within its municipal boundaries under certain circumstances. On Wednesday, April 30th, HB 11 unanimously passed off the House floor with a vote of 111 Yeas. It has now been enrolled and will soon be presented to the Governor for approval.
Status: Passed
Effective Date: July 1, 2025.
Utility Service Relocations
HB 1137 by Representative Shoaf prohibits local governments, state commissions, and cooperatives from restricting or prohibiting certain fuel sources and appliances. On April 28th, HB 1137 was read a second time, and it was substituted for its Senate companion, SB 1002, by Senator Truenow. On its third reading, it unanimously passed off the Senate floor with a vote of 36 Yeas. It is now enrolled and will soon be presented to the Governor for his approval.
Status: Passed
Effective Date: July 1, 2025
Utility Relocation
SB 818 by Senator McClain creates a new Utility Relocation Reimbursement Grant Program within the Department of Commerce and revises certain utility relocation requirements and communications services tax distributions. SB 818 favorably passed its final committee and was read a second time on the House floor, where it was substituted for HB 703 by Representative W. Robinson. On April 30th, HB 703 was read a second and third time and favorably passed off the Senate floor with a unanimous vote of 37 Yeas. It has now been enrolled and will be sent to the Governor for approval.
Status: Passed
Effective Date: July 1, 2025
Utility Services
HB 1523 by Representative Busatta requires new public meeting requirements and annual consumer input sessions for municipal utility services limits non-utility revenue use, sets stricter caps on surcharges, mandates utility reporting, and broadens preemption on local energy restrictions. The bill reduces the maximum permissible surcharge on out-of-area water and sewer rats from 50% to 25%. The bill also limits the portion of out-of-area utility revenues a municipality may transfer to fund general government functions to 10%, with excess revenues reinvested or returned to those customers. On Thursday, April 24th, HB 1523 favorably passed off the House floor with a vote of 80 Yeas and 31 Nays. It was sent to Senate Messages, where it was received and referred to Senate Rules, where it died. Its Senate companion, SB 1704 by Senator Calatayud, was never heard; thus, it also died.
Status: Failed
Community Redevelopment Agencies
SB 1242 by Senator McClain requires local governing bodies to declare themselves as community redevelopment agencies, restrict plan modifications, prohibit certain expenditures, and revise termination requirements. On Wednesday, April 30, 2025, SB 1242 was scheduled to be heard on second reading but was temporarily postponed. It was again postponed on Thursday, May 1st, and Friday, May 2nd; thus, it died on the second reading. Its House companion, HB 991 by Representative Giallombardo, was substituted for SB 110 by Senator Simon, which will be considered when the Legislature returns for the budget conference.
Status: Failed
“Suits Against the Government”
House Bill 301 by Representative McFarland raises liability for tort claims against government entities in three-phased amounts depending on when the cause of action accrues. It also revises notice and filing deadlines and clarifies settlement and insurance requirements. On April 16, 2025, HB 301 favorably passed off the House floor in a vote of 103 Yeas and 11 Nays. The bill was sent to Senate messages, where it was received and referred to Senate Rules. The bill was never heard in Senate Rules; thus, it died. Its Senate Companion, SB 1570 by Senator DiCeglie, has been referred to three committees and was never considered.
Status: Failed
Local Option Taxes
SB 1664 by Senator Trumbull requires certain local option taxes to be periodically renewed or reenacted through ordinances approved by referendum, establishes expiration date requirements, clarifies bond obligation provisions, and outlines new referendum procedures. The bill favorably passed its final committee and was placed on the calendar for a second reading but was never heard on the Senate floor; thus, it died. Its House companion, HB 1221 by Representative Miller, favorably passed its final committee and was read on the House floor for a second time, where two amendments were adopted. On the third reading, it favorably passed off the House floor with a vote of 62 Yeas and 45 Nays. It was then sent to Senate messages, where it was received and referred to Senate appropriations, where it died.
Status: Failed
Waste Incineration
HB 1609 by Representative Weinberger prohibits the Department of Environmental Protection and local governments from issuing a construction permit for certain types of waste disposal facilities with proposed locations within a half-mile radius of residential properties or schools. This prohibition does not apply to any construction, current operation, or modification to existing structures or operations as of July 1, 2025. On Wednesday, April 23rd, HB 1609 was heard on the House floor, where two amendments filed were ruled out of order, one failed, and one was adopted. It favorably passed off the House floor with a vote of 99 Yeas and 13 Nays. The bill was then sent to Senate messages, where it was received and referred to Rules. In the final days of the 60-day session, many amendments were filed on HB 1609. One of the main amendments filed by Senator Martin was to redesignate various sections of the statute related to waste management and recycling with specific definitions and provisions for auxiliary containers. The House refused to concur with the Amendment and asked the Senate to recede. The Senate refused to recede and insisted that the House concur. The bill died in returning messages.
Status: Failed
Taxes
HB 7033 by Ways & Communities and Representative Duggan revises tourist development tax provisions, reduces and adjusts multiple state and local taxes, and modifies local government procedures and property tax rules. For sales tax, the bill reduces Florida’s state sales tax rates by 0.75%. The bill also changes Tourist Development Taxes from limited use to general revenue, which must be used to offset county property taxes beginning in 2026. On Friday, April 25, 2025, HB 7033 was read a second time, where three amendments failed, and two amendments were adopted. The bill favorably passed on third reading with a vote of 78 Yeas and 29 Nays. The bill is now in Senate Messages, where it was received in reference to Appropriations. The bill will now be considered when the Legislature returns for a budget conference during the week of May 12th.
Status: Temporarily Postponed.
