Week 2

March 14, 2025

The 2025 Legislative Session rolled along to its second 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.

📞 FLC members can join the weekly Monday Morning Call-Ins to get the latest information on priority issues and all things advocacy-related during legislative session. Learn More

FLC members, please remember to fill out the CityStats Survey that has been distributed.

Looming Threat to Property Taxes

Municipalities’ ability to levy property taxes IS at risk. Last week, the Governor spoke of his desire to eliminate property taxes, and there are a number of bills filed in the House and the Senate that would greatly reduce and ultimately jeopardize property tax as a revenue source. The bills that would be most harmful to municipalities have yet to be heard or placed on an agenda but that does not mean that cities are out of the woods on this issue yet.

We have our work cut out for us this year. We need your help educating legislators on the essential services that cities provide and how those services are paid for.

The following is a brief recap of the key bills heard during the second week of session.

THREATS TO CITIES

Community Redevelopment Agencies

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.

SB 1242 was heard Tuesday in the Senate Community Affairs Committee and passed on a vote of 4-3. The House companion, HB 991, was heard Thursday in the House State Affairs Committee and passed on a 17-8 vote. (Cruz)

Local Business Tax

HB 503 (Botana) and SB 1196 (Truenow) seek to cap cities’ ability to generate revenue from Local Business Tax. HB 503 was heard Thursday in the House Ways and Means Committee and passed on a vote of 14-5. The Senate companion has yet to be heard or placed on the agenda for its first committee of reference. (Chapman)

Enterprise Fund Transfers

On Wednesday, the House Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee heard CS/HB 1523 (Busatta) and passed the bill on a 14-4 vote. CS/HB 1523 and SB 1704 (Calatayud) cap municipal utility enterprise fund transfers and eliminate authority to impose a 25% surcharge for extraterritorial water and wastewater service. CS/HB 1523 is now in the House Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee and SB 1704 is still waiting to be heard in its first committee. (O’Hara)

Utility Relocation

HB 703 (Robinson, W.) and SB 818 (McClain) revise utility owners' duties after they are notified that their utility is unreasonably interfering with the use or maintenance of a public road or rail corridor. HB 703 was heard Wednesday in the House Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee and passed with an 18-0 vote. SB 818 has yet to be placed on the agenda for its first committee of reference. (Singer)

Single-Family Dwellings

HB 1035 (Esposito) and CS/SB 1128 (Ingoglia) prevent single-family home building permits from expiring before the next update of the Florida Building Code and provide that permit applications in areas affected by a state of emergency within the past 24 months if certified by a licensed architect or engineer are deemed approved. CS/SB 1128 was heard in the Senate Community Affairs Committee and passed with a 7-0 vote. The House companion has yet to be heard in or placed on the agenda for its first committee of reference. (O’Hara)

Affordable Housing

CS/CS/SB 184 (Gaetz) and 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. Both bills were heard Tuesday – the Senate bill in the Senate Appropriation Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development and the House bill in the House Housing, Agriculture, and Tourism Subcommittee. CS/CS/SB 184 passed on a 15-0 vote and CS/HB 247 passed on a 15-2 vote. (O’Hara)

REVITALIZING RURAL CITIES

Rural Communities

SB 110 (Simon) and HB 1427 (Griffitts) invest $119 million in economic development, infrastructure, and housing to boost rural communities, which would include municipalities located within fiscally constrained counties. SB 110 was heard Thursday in the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee and passed on a 19-0 vote. The House companion is still waiting to be heard or placed on its first committee. (Wagoner)

The following are bills that will take center stage during week 3 of session. 

Growth Management in the Spotlight

SB 1118 (McClain) and HB 1209 (Steele) are broad growth management bills that reduce local government authority over land use and development regulations, favoring developers. A key concern for municipalities is the requirement for administrative approval of certain developments within agricultural enclaves, overriding any local prohibitions in the future land use map or comprehensive plan. HB 1209 is still waiting to be heard in its first committee. (Cruz)

📢 SB 1118 will be considered by the Senate Community Affairs Committee on Monday, March 17, at 4 p.m. Please contact members of the Committee (click here for contact information) and urge Senators to oppose SB 1118. 

Emergency Bill Takes the Stage

HB 1535 (McFarland) is a comprehensive bill that revises current law relating to emergency management practices and procedures. Currently, the bill does not have a Senate companion. (Singer)

🗓️ HB 1535 will be heard next Tuesday, March 18, at 9 a.m., in the House Natural Resources and Disasters Subcommittee.

View All Legislative Bill Summaries