Sixth Week of the 2025 Legislative Session  



Welcome to week 6 of the 2025 legislative session! The Countdown Clock reads 21 days until Sine Die. Bills will be heard and amended every day—stay on top of county priorities with this weekly legislative bulletin or with our comprehensive Bill Tracker.   

FAC Check: Season 5, Episode 6
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2025 House and Senate Budget Proposals  

The House and Senate passed their proposed appropriations packages this week. For full details on the chambers’ spending proposals, please see our Budget Report here.

 ACTION ALERT: Local Option Tax Reauthorization Scheduled to be Heard Tuesday 

On Tuesday, April 15th at 12:30 PM, the Senate Finance & Tax Committee, is scheduled to hear SB 1664 in committee room 301 Senate Office Building. SB 1664 requires 8-year reauthorization of all local option sales taxes. The bill undermines voter-approved referenda reversing the promises made by each surtax. 

 

An 8-year reauthorization: 

  • Destabilizes revenue and planning horizons 
  • Manifests operational deficiencies and project disruptions 
  • Leads to capital program delays 
  • Increases the costs of future projects 

 

The House companion HB 1221 passed House Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee (10-7) on April 9th. 

 

Please come to Tallahassee and testify in 301 Senate Office Building or call/contact committee members and ask them to vote no on SB 1664. 

 

Committee Members for Senate Finance & Tax Committee: 

 

ACTION ALERT: Bill Shifting Utility Relocation Costs to Counties Scheduled To Be Heard Wednesday!

On Wednesday, April 16th at 8:30 AM, the Senate Rules Committee is scheduled to hear SB 818 which shifts the cost of relocating broadband, video, and cable utilities in the public right-of-way from the private providers to the local government. 

 SB 818 is a fundamental and generational shift in policy that reverses decades of precedent of these communication providers paying for relocation costs and creates a costly unfunded mandate that threatens the viability of current and future road construction and expansion projects. Simply put, fewer road projects will be completed because of this mandate. 


If implemented, other publicly regulated utilities may seek the same treatment with future legislation. 


 Please come to Tallahassee and testify or call committee members and ask them to vote no on SB 818. 


 The House companion HB 703 is on the House Calendar, on 2nd reading. 

 

Committee Members for Senate Rules 

 Term Limits for County Commissioners Moves to House Floor 

On Tuesday, 4/8, CS/HJR 679: Term Limits for Members of County Commissions and District School Boards by Rep. Salzman passed in the House State Affairs Committee 16-6, following the adoption of an amendment that imposes an eight-year consecutive term limit for county commissioners and school board members. The bill also removes the lifetime ban on term-limited commissioners and allows a term-limited commissioner elected from a single-member district to run for a county-wide elected chairperson or county mayor position, if provided for in the county charter. The bill proposes an amendment to the Florida Constitution to provide term limits for county commissioners and school district board members after serving eight consecutive years. This limitation applies to terms of office for county commissioners beginning after November 3, 2026, and terms of office for school district board members beginning on or after November 8, 2022. If a county charter provides that a chairperson or county mayor is elected county-wide, the joint resolution allows a term-limited county commissioner elected from a single-member district to appear on the ballot for election as chairperson or county mayor. 


 The bills strip voters of their ability to self-govern by forcing them to vote on term limits statewide, potentially imposing their choices on other counties. Currently, 12 counties have term limits in place, and every county has the ability to enact limits through a citizen initiative process or an established charter. Currently, 58% of the state’s population has already voted to impose term limits upon themselves through their county charter. FAC’s Deputy Director of Public Policy, Jeff Scala testified in opposition. 


The Senate companion, SJR 802: Term Limits for Members of Boards of County Commissioners and District School Boards is waiting to be heard in Senate Community Affairs. 


CS/HJR 679: Term Limits for Members of County Commissions and District School Boards has been placed on special order to be heard on the House floor on Wednesday, April 16th. 

For more information on this bill, please contact Jeff Scala. 

House Advances Costly Utility Relocation Mandate 

On Monday, 4/7, CS/HB 703 - Utility Relocation by Rep. Robinson, passed in the House Commerce Committee 23-1 following the adoption of an amendment that expands the application of the bill’s cost responsibility provisions to all providers of communications services subject to the communications services tax. It applies the bill’s existing provisions regarding the initiation of relocation work solely to providers of communications services. Additionally, the amendment includes a legislative finding of an important state interest. 


 The bill modifies the process under which certain utilities located within the right-of-way (ROW) limits of any public road or publicly owned rail corridor must be relocated upon request of the government entity that has jurisdiction and control over the road or rail corridor. These government entities, referred to as “authorities,” include the Department of Transportation and local governments.  


Specifically, the bill creates an exception to the general requirement that a utility owner is responsible for the expense of relocating such facilities. If an authority requires a provider of communications services that is subject to the Communications Services Tax Simplification Law to relocate a facility used to provide such services, the bill provides that, upon written notice by the authority, the provider owning or operating the facility must provide the authority a reasonable utility relocation schedule to expedite the completion of the authority’s construction or maintenance project identified in the notice. The bill provides that the provider must initiate the work within 60 days of the notice. Under the bill, the authority must pay the entire expense properly attributable to the work. FAC’s Associate Director, Peter Abello, spoke in opposition. 


The Senate companion, CS/SB 818: Utility Relocation, by Sen. McClain, is waiting to be heard in Senate Rules. 



For more information on this bill, please contact Peter Abello. 

Sovereign Immunity Continues Moving Through the House 

On Tuesday, 4/8, CS/HB 301: Suits Against the Government by Rep. McFarland, passed 19-3 in the House Judicial Committee following the adoption of an amendment that increases the sovereign immunity caps for claims accruing after October 1, 2025, to $500,000 per person and $1,000,000 per incident. For claims accrued after October 1, 2030, the caps are further raised to $600,000 per person and $1,100,000 per incident. 


The applicable liability limits are those in effect when the claim accrues. The bill allows state subdivisions to settle claims above the caps without legislative approval and prohibits insurance policies, beginning October 1, 2025, from requiring the passage of a claim bill for benefit payments. It also updates statutes of limitation and pursuit procedures for certain claims against government entities. FAC, along with other local governments, opposed the legislation. 


The Senate companion, SB 1570 - Suits Against the Government by Sen. DiCeglie, has not been heard this session.  



For more information on this bill, please contact Jeff Scala. 

Local Government Salary Freeze Clears Second Stop in the House 

On Tuesday, 4/8, CS/CS/HB 1581 - Local Government Salaries and Benefits by Rep. Buchanan, passed unanimously in the House State Affairs Committee following the adoption of an amendment that removes provisions that would have eliminated the automatic annual increase of county commissioner salaries subject to the population formula. The bill prohibits the governing body of a county, municipality, or special district from increasing the salary, retirement benefits, or any other type of compensation received by its members unless the increase is approved at a referendum held during a general election in a presidential election year. The bill prohibits the governing body of a county, municipality, or special district from increasing the salary, retirement benefits, or any other type of compensation received by its members unless the increase is approved at a referendum held during a general election in a presidential election year.  


The Senate companion, SB 1762 - Local Government Salaries and Benefits by Sen. Gruters has not been heard this session. 



For more information on this bill, please contact Jeff Scala. 

Administrative Approval of Final Plats Passes in Senate Rules 

On Tuesday, 4/8, CS/CS/CS/SB 784: Platting by Sen. Ingoglia passed unanimously in Senate Rules following the adoption of amendments that revise the mechanism of plat or replat approval in the bill to require that a local government designate an administrative authority responsible for the approval process. The authority must accept plat or replat submittals, respond within 7 days with a written notice including any outstanding required documentation and an outline of the procedures and timeline leading to approval, and ultimately approve, approve with conditions, or deny the submittal based on its compliance with law. The bill requires local governments to review, process, and approve plats or replat submittals without action or approval by the governing body through an administrative authority and official designated by ordinance. The administrative authority must be a department, division, or other agency of the local government, and includes an administrative officer or employee which may be a county or city administrator or manager, or assistant or deputy thereto, or other high-ranking county or city department or division director with direct or indirect oversight responsibility for the local government’s land development, housing, utilities, or public works programs. Under the bill, the authority must provide written notice in response to a submittal within seven days acknowledging receipt, identifying any missing documents or information required, and providing information regarding the approval process, including requirements and timeframes. Unless the applicant requests an extension, the authority must approve, approve with conditions, or deny the submittal within the timeframe identified in the initial written notice. A denial must be accompanied by an explanation of why the submittal was denied, specifically citing unmet requirements. The authority or local government may not request or require an extension of time.

 

The House companion, CS/CS/HB 381: Platting by Rep. Holcomb is waiting to be heard in the House Commerce Committee. 


For more information on this bill, please contact Courtney Mooney. 

Affordable Housing Reform Moves in Both Chambers 

On Tuesday, 4/8, CS/CS/SB 1730: Affordable Housing by Sen. Calatayud unanimously passed in Senate Rules after the adoption of an amendment that defines "story" in the Florida Keys height entitlement context as habitable space above the base flood elevation, limited to 10 feet per story. It clarifies that "allowable density" refers to the base density permitted on a property without requiring additional density or development unit transfers. The term "commercial use" is clarified to include hotels but exclude vacation rentals for land use preemption purposes. Additionally, it revises language from “enact” to “enforce” regarding the prohibition on Live Local moratoria. 


 Meanwhile, the House companion, CS/HB 943- Real Property and Land Use and Development, by Rep. Lopez (V),  passed 13-3 in the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday, 4/9, following the adoption of an amendment that provides exceptions to moratorium prohibitions for those enacted to address water issues. The amendment also removes requirements for local governments to administratively approve proposed urban infill developments and to adopt increases in height or floor area ratio through a simple majority vote. Additionally, the amendment prohibits the use of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) for short-term rentals and requires property appraisers to issue letters verifying multifamily project exemption eligibility based on site plans. Lastly, the amendment limits the Florida Housing Finance Corporation to supporting one housing project per year for healthcare workers or public sector employees and removes provisions related to expedited foreclosure proceedings for abandoned properties. 


 The bill amends provisions of the Live Local Act to clarify and strengthen zoning and land use preemptions for affordable housing developments. It defines "commercial," "industrial," and "mixed-use zoning," extending preemptions to areas like planned unit developments. It prohibits local governments from requiring regional impact amendments or mandating specific residential portions in mixed-use projects. The bill clarifies administrative approval processes, mandates parking requirement reductions, and allows priority docketing and attorneys' fees for prevailing parties in Live Local Act lawsuits. It also prohibits local moratoria that delay affordable housing permitting or construction, with limited exceptions. Outside the Act, it revises evacuation time rules in the Florida Keys, establishes a state policy supporting employer-sponsored housing for public sector and hospital workers, and clarifies that the Fair Housing Act bars land use discrimination based on a development’s affordable housing status.  



For more information on this bill, please contact Courtney Mooney. 

Local Option Tax Sunset Passes Second House Stop

On Wednesday, 4/9, HB 1221 - Local Option Taxes by Rep Miller, passed 10-7 in the Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee. The bill requires that any local discretionary sales surtax, tourist development tax, or local option food and beverage tax that is subject to approval in a referendum and is in effect on June 30, 2025, be renewed on or before January 1, 2033. The bill provides an exception for taxes pledged for debt service before July 1, 2025, on bonds that mature on or after January 1, 2033, requiring those taxes to be renewed before January 1 of the year after the bonds mature. The bill generally creates a new 8-year duration for these taxes but allows future levies to be pledged for debt service to be subject to a maximum 30-year duration. These changes do not revise which taxes are subject to referendum, and do not apply to the Pension Liability Surtax in s. 212.055(9), F.S. 


The Senate companion bill, SB 1664 - Local Option Taxes by Sen. Trumbull, is waiting to be heard in Senate Finance and Tax. 



For more information on this bill, please contact Jeff Scala. 

FAC Bill Watch list 

Below are bills that were heard this week but not reported on. For more information on these bills, please contact the corresponding member of our Public Policy Team. 

 
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