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The 2025 Legislative Session rolled along to its sixth week! A number of bills of significance to municipalities were heard and voted on this week. On Tap @ the Cap, sent every Friday during session, is your weekly source for updates on key legislation, helping you stay informed and engaged. To see the full list of bills impacting cities, view FLC’s Legislative Bill Summaries.
đź“ž FLC members can join the weekly Monday Morning Call-Ins that began March 3 to get the latest information on priority issues and all things advocacy-related during legislative session. Learn More
Due to the unique nature of certain legislative terms, we have included the Language of the Legislature guide created by the Florida House of Representatives to help enhance your advocacy efforts as we continue along in session. With that in mind, let’s begin.
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Committee Weeks Wrapping Up
Week 6 and Week 7 will be the final weeks some committees and subcommittees meet. Seeing as there is a large volume of bills referred to those committees and subcommittees, many bills were placed on agendas to ensure the bills stay alive through the second half of session. Therefore, this On Tap, similar to the past two weeks’ On Tap, will be lengthier than most so far this session.
Budget Proposals
The House and the Senate both released their proposed 2025-2026 Fiscal Year budgets. The chambers are about $4.4 billion apart with their initial proposals, with the House proposing $112.95 billion and the Senate proposing $117.36 billion. Certain budget items will be traded for policies during the negotiation process between the chambers and should be watched as we roll on in session.
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Senate President’s Property Tax Statement
This week, Senate President Albritton released a memorandum outlining his plan for state tax relief. In his statement, he announced the release of Senate Proposed Bill (SPB) 7034 that would renew certain tax holidays, such as the Back-to-School Tax Holiday, and permanently eliminate the sales tax on clothing and shoes priced at $75 or less. Notably, the bill also directs the Office of Economic and Demographic Research to conduct a study to establish a framework to reduce or eliminate property taxes for homesteaded property. The President has hinted at his hesitancy with the wide-sweeping approach of eliminating property taxes entirely, stating, “I believe we need to accept the fact that unwinding the State’s largest source of revenue that funds local emergency response, public safety services, and education should not be taken lightly.” To read the full statement, please see the following link: Senate President Albritton’s Tax Relief Memo
Stay Ready
With budget negotiations and the winding down of committee meetings, it is paramount that we all continue to stay as informed and energized as we have been from Day 1. Keep your devices close and accessible because it is important to be able to quickly respond to alerts and information that we will be sharing. We need all of us in order to ensure a successful Legislative Session. Please continue the hard work and dedication you have shown!
| The following is a brief recap of the key bills heard during Week 6 of session. | |
Sovereign Immunity (Oppose)
CS/HB 301 (McFarland) and SB 1570 (DiCeglie) increase the statutory limits on liability for tort claims against the state and its agencies and subdivisions (which include cities). The bills increase the current caps to $1 million per person and $3 million per incident. (Cruz)
SB 1570 has not been heard in its first of three committees of reference.
CS/HB 301 was heard Tuesday in the House Judiciary Committee and passed on a 19-3 vote.
CS/HB 301 is on the House Special Order Calendar for Wednesday, April 16, and we need your help!
📢 Please contact members of the House Judiciary Committee to inform the committee members of the dangers the bill presents to cities and respectfully ask them to oppose the bill.
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Affordable Housing (Monitor)
CS/CS/SB 1730 (Calatayud) revises a myriad of land use policy provisions within the Live Local Act, including provisions relating to zoning eligibility and restrictions on height, density, and non-residential use.
CS/CS/HB 943 (Lopez, V.) is the Senate companion to CS/CS/SB 1730, however, CS/CS/HB 943 presents a much greater danger to cities than its Senate counterpart. The bill substantially revises current law relating to the Live Local Act and to local government comprehensive plans and land development regulations. This bill greatly risks cities’ ability to plan for and regulate housing development within their jurisdiction. (O’Hara)
CS/CS/SB 1730 was heard Tuesday in the Senate Rules Committee and passed on a 24-0 vote.
CS/CS/HB 943 was heard Wednesday in the House Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee and passed on a 13-3 vote.
CS/CS/SB 1730 is on the Senate Special Order Calendar for Wednesday, April 16.
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Local Option Taxes (Oppose)
CS/HB 1221 (Miller) and CS/SB 1664 (Trumbull) propose significant changes to the process for adopting and renewing local option taxes and surtaxes, requiring voter approval via referendum rather than adoption by ordinance, with limited exceptions for previously authorized bond indebtedness. (Chapman)
CS/HB 1221 was heard Wednesday in the House Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee meeting and passed on a 10-7 vote.
CS/SB 1664 is on the agenda for the Senate Finance and Tax Committee meeting on Tuesday, April 15, at 12:30 p.m.
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Utility Relocation (Oppose)
CS/HB 703 (Robinson, W.) and CS/SB 818 (McClain) would require cities to pay the full cost of relocating broadband, cable, and video service infrastructure in the public right-of-way when they initiate a public works project, even though the infrastructure is privately owned by telecommunications companies. (Singer)
CS/HB 703 was heard in the House Commerce Committee on Monday and passed on a 23-1 vote.
CS/SB 818 will be heard on Wednesday, April 16, at 8:30 a.m. in the Senate Rules Committee.
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Emergency Preparedness and Response (Monitor)
CS/CS/SB 180 (DiCeglie) and CS/CS/HB 1535 (McFarland) are both bills relating to emergencies, but the bills differ in substantial ways.
CS/CS/SB 180 is a comprehensive bill revising Florida’s emergency preparedness and response infrastructure. Of note to municipalities, the bill revises several disaster recovery procedures and expands training requirements for municipal emergency officials.
CS/CS/HB 1535 is a comprehensive bill that revises current law relating to emergency management practices and procedures. The bill imposes new restrictions on local governments regarding floodplain management, impact fees, disaster recovery processes, and emergency response coordination. (Singer)
On Wednesday, April 9, CS/CS/SB 180 was heard on the Senate Floor, passing on a 37-0 vote.
CS/CS/HB 1535 was heard Thursday in the House Transportation & Economic Development Budget Subcommittee and passed on a vote of 10-0.
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State Sales Tax Rate Reductions (Monitor)
HB 7031 (Duggan) reduces the general rate of state sales tax, currently at 6%, by 0.75%. The bill also reduces other sales tax rates by the same 0.75%, including the commercial rent tax, the rate on electricity, the rate on sales of new mobile homes, and the rate on coin-operated amusement machines. (Chapman)
The bill was heard on the House Floor on Wednesday and passed on a 112-0 vote.
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Recovery Residences (Oppose)
CS/CS/HB 1163 (Owen) and CS/SB 954 (Gruters) update requirements for recovery residences and their administration. Specifically, the bills require cities to allow the establishment of a recovery residence in all districts zoned for multi-family use without any additional requirements. This preempts local planning and fails to balance patient and community needs. (Wagoner)
The House bill was heard Wednesday in the House Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee and passed on an 11-4 vote.
CS/SB 954 will be heard Tuesday, April 15, at 8:30 a.m., in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services. For more information on CS/SB 954, please see the following link: Sober Homes Preemption
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Affordable Housing
CS/CS/CS/SB 184 (Gaetz) and CS/CS/HB 247 (Conerly) require local governments to allow accessory dwelling units by-right in any area zoned for single-family residential use, except for areas designated as planned unit developments or master planned communities. (O’Hara)
CS/CS/HB 247 was heard on Wednesday in the House Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee and passed on a 16-1 vote.
CS/CS/CS/SB 184 was heard on the Senate Floor on Wednesday and passed on a 37-0 vote.
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Government Administration (Monitor)
HB 5009 (Budget Committee) is a conforming bill to this year’s House budget that significantly strengthens and increases the Legislature’s authority to investigate the operations, performance, and financial management of all governmental entities in the state. (Wagoner)
The bill was heard on the House Floor on Wednesday and passed on a 112-0 vote.
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Unlawful Demolition of Historical Buildings and Structures (Support)
HB 717 (Greco) and SB 582 (Leek) authorize municipalities to impose an enhanced fine for the unauthorized demolition of a structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places or designated as a local historic landmark if the code enforcement board or special magistrate makes specific findings. (Cruz)
SB 582 was heard on the Senate Floor on Wednesday, April 9, and passed on a 34-0 vote.
HB 717 has been heard in all of its committees of reference and is waiting to be placed on the House Special Order Calendar so it can be heard on the House Floor.
| The following are bills that will take center stage during Week 7 of session. | |
Community Redevelopment Agencies (Oppose)
CS/HB 991 (Giallombardo) and SB 1242 (McClain) require all community redevelopment agencies (CRAs) in existence as of July 1, 2025, to terminate by the earliest charter expiration date or by September 30, 2045. The bills prohibit CRAs from initiating new projects or issuing new debt after October 1, 2025, and prohibit the creation of any new CRAs after July 1, 2025. (Cruz)
SB 1242 has been heard and voted for in two of its three committees of reference and is currently waiting to be heard in the Senate Rules Committee.
CS/HB 991 will be heard Tuesday, April 15, at 1 p.m. in the House Commerce Committee, and we need your help!
📢 Please contact members of the House Commerce Committee to inform the committee members of the dangers the bill presents to cities and respectfully ask them to oppose the bill.
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Homestead Property Exemption and Assessment Limitations (Oppose)
SJR 1510 (Avila) proposes a constitutional amendment to extend homestead exemption benefits and assessment limitations to additional properties owned by homestead property owners that are leased for terms of six months or more to other persons. SB 1512 (Avila) implements SJR 1510. (Chapman)
SJR 1510 and SB 1512 will be heard Tuesday, April 15, at 12:30 p.m. in the Senate Finance and Tax Committee.
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