Palm Beach County State Legislative Update

Week of April 21

Session Hits 50-Day Mark



Tuesday marked the 50^th Day of the 2025 Legislative Session. This year, session is scheduled to adjourn sine die on May 2. However, with no agreement between the House and Senate on budget allocations this end date is becoming close to impossible to meet due to the mandatory 72-hour cooling off period for the budget before members can vote. The Legislature can choose to extend the current session for purposes of completing the budget or they can adjourn sine die without one and come back at a later date in a special session.

Legislative proposals can't really be considered truly dead until the Legislature adjourns sine die, but after the 50th day of session it becomes extremely unlikely that any bill not heard in at least one Senate committee will become law. Senate rules say that no Senate committee, except for the Rules committee, can meet after the 50th day, although exceptions may be made at the discretion of the Senate president. The rules also say that bills can't be considered on the floor unless they've received a favorable vote in at least one Senate committee. That rule is extremely difficult to get around, requiring unanimous consent of the Senate. The Rules Committee was working through a marathon of bills on Monday to get bills in a posture to go to the floor, and the committee isn’t planning to meet again this session. There was one House Health Care Budget Subcommittee meeting scheduled this week, on Day 52, but no other committees hearing bills.

State Budget Update



At this time, it appears the 2025 Legislative Session will not be ending on time with an approved budget to send to the Governor. The House proposed budget is $4.4 billion smaller than the Senate's $117.4 billion proposal, and the chambers have very different approaches on tax cut plans. As of Friday, lawmakers still hadn't announced an agreement on the broad framework on how much money would go to different sections of the budget, known as allocations. In fact, both presiding officers addressed their chambers on Thursday, letting them know that they were free to head back home for the weekend as conferencing would not be taking place.

In his remarks on Thursday, Senate President Ben Albritton told the chamber that the biggest hurdle in budget negotiations is regarding tax relief. The Senate had offered the House a historic $1.3 billion recurring and $1.5 billion nonrecurring in tax relief. The Senate’s offer included a permanent elimination of the sales tax on clothing and shoes valued at under $75, a permanent 1% reduction of the business rent tax, a one-time credit for vehicle registrations, and sales tax holidays. He reinforced his commitment to a responsible, broad-based approach to sales tax reductions while creating a pathway for voters to consider a more comprehensive reduction in property taxes during the next general election. He reiterated his respect for the House and Speaker Perez, but shared he was not comfortable with the House proposal and believed it could lead to substantial shortfalls in the long-term.

House Speaker Daniel Perez, in his comments, shared it was his preference not to share the intimate details of budget negotiations in public but that due to the remarks made by President Albritton he felt compelled to share the House’s perspective. He began by citing the work the House budget subcommittees have done to expose what he deems financial mismanagement and misuse of state funds by executive agencies. The House believes that the state budget has become significantly bloated over the years and needs to take a strict approach to tighten its belt and remove the temptation to spend. Speaker Perez characterized the Senate’s budget proposal as “pathological overspending” and shared that during budget negotiations the Senate began by offering the House proposals that were higher than the budget originally passed off the Senate floor. He shared his promise to not be moved by threats, time or ultimatums in these discussions and that the House will continue to negotiate in good faith.

House Appropriations Chair Lawrence McClure on Friday informed the House that a “good faith offer” was sent to the Senate that afternoon and they expected a response from the Senate that evening. 

Palm Beach County Senator Lori Berman Elected as Senate Minority Leader



On Thursday, Senator Jason Pizzo announced his resignation as the Leader of the Senate Minority Caucus and shared he would be updating his voter registration to “no party affiliation”. Following his resignation, the Senate Democrats unanimously elected Palm Beach County Senator Lori Berman to be the new Minority Leader for the remainder of the 2024-2026 term. 

House Continues Probe into Hope Florida's Finances



Florida House Republicans, led by Rep. Alex Andrade, have launched an investigation into the First Lady’s Hope Florida initiative and a controversial $10 million payment tied to a 2024 Medicaid settlement with Centene. Lawmakers allege that the money—labeled an “incentive” and not technically Medicaid funds—was funneled through two nonprofits, Secure Florida’s Future and Save Our Society From Drugs, before being routed to Keep Florida Clean, a political committee chaired by DeSantis ally and now-Attorney General James Uthmeier. That committee actively opposed the 2024 ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana.

Andrade, who chairs the House Health Care Budget Subcommittee, issued six letters demanding records from state agencies, the Hope Florida Foundation, and several key individuals, including nonprofit leaders Mark Wilson, Amy Ronshausen, and Josh Hay. Lawmakers are requesting emails, contracts, tax documents, and communications related to how the $10 million was used. So far, hearings have been tense, with some witnesses refusing to appear or citing attorney-client privilege. The subcommittee is weighing whether the funds were misused for political purposes rather than serving their intended purpose of Medicaid recovery. Governor DeSantis has defended the transaction, calling the funds a “cherry on top” of the Centene settlement and denying any misuse.

Senate Delays Confirmation of Key Health Appointees Tied to Hope Florida



The Florida Senate Ethics and Elections Committee had its last meeting this week and did not confirm two of Governor Ron DeSantis’s top health agency appointees—Shevaun Harris and Taylor Hatch—citing time constraints and unresolved questions about their roles in the Hope Florida initiative.

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Harris, who leads the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), and Hatch, head of the Department of Children and Families (DCF), have both been scrutinized over a $10 million donation from a Medicaid settlement that was directed to the Hope Florida Foundation. Senate Ethics and Elections Chair Don Gaetz indicated that while the decision was partly due to scheduling limitations, lingering concerns about agency operations and the handling of the funds contributed to the delay. ​

Under Florida law, both officials can continue serving in their roles if reappointed by the governor, but they must be confirmed in the next legislative session to remain in their positions long-term.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON FISCAL POLICY

The following bills of interest were considered and approved by the committee this week.

SB 200, Comprehensive Waste Reduction & Recycling Plan

This legislation passed its final committee of reference this week in Senate Fiscal Policy. Sponsored by Palm Beach County Senator Lori Berman, the bill directs the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to develop a comprehensive waste reduction and recycling plan by July 1, 2026, and convene a technical assistance group within the DEP to help develop the plan. The bill provides minimum criteria for the plan and directs the DEP to provide a report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives upon its completion. The House version of the bill has already passed the floor and awaits consideration by the Senate.

SB 572, Dangerous Dogs



Approved by its final committee stop, SB 572 strengthens regulations around dangerous dogs. It mandates the confiscation and impoundment of any dog under investigation that has killed a person or inflicted a level 5 or higher bite on the Dunbar scale. Owners must be formally notified of a dangerous dog classification and, if confirmed, are required to microchip the dog and carry at least $100,000 in liability insurance.

The bill allows for the humane euthanasia of such dogs under certain conditions, particularly if they are surrendered. Penalties for owners are increased, including a second-degree felony if a previously declared dangerous dog causes serious harm or death. An amendment that Palm Beach County worked closely with the sponsor of the bill on was adopted in this committee. The amendment introduces new misdemeanor charges for obstructing animal control officers in certain circumstances or for reckless disregard of a known dangerous dog. The House version of the bill has already passed off the floor and has been sent over to the Senate.

ON THE FLOOR



The following bills of interest were considered and approved by either chamber this week.

House

HB 4011, Palm Beach County

Palm Beach County’s local bill, HB 4011, revises the Building Code Advisory Board of Palm Beach County’s Special Act to amend the definition of “building official” as it pertains to the BCAB. The bill now heads to the Senate for approval on Wednesday before being sent to the Governor for his action. 

HB 1221, Local Option Taxes



The bill provides that local governments may reduce or repeal any local discretionary sales surtax by a two-thirds vote of the levying body beginning four years after the tax is levied. The bill also changes tourist development taxes from limited use revenue to general revenue, of which 75% of revenues must be used to offset county property taxes beginning in 2026. It dissolves tourist development councils and dissolves tourism promotion agencies unless the agency is affirmatively approved by resolution of the board of county commissioners.

The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners voted to issue a letter to the Delegation, Senate President, Speaker of the House, and Governor voicing their opposition to the bill’s impacts to our local tourism industry. The letter was sent late Thursday. The bill passed the House by a vote of 62-45 on Friday, however, the Senate has already shared that they will not accept the House language as currently written. The Senate version of the bill, which is significantly different and does not include language about property taxes, was passed in its last committee this week.

HB 211, Farm Products



This bill amends the definition of “farm product” to include plants and plant products, regardless of whether the plants and plant products are edible or nonedible. The bill revises the prohibition on governmental entities adopting or enforcing any ordinance, resolution, regulation, rule, or policy that prohibits, restricts, regulates, or otherwise limits an activity of a bona fide farm operation to include the collection, storage, processing, and distribution of farm products on agricultural land. The Senate version of the bill was heard in one of its three committee references, meaning the House bill can potentially be taken up for consideration on the Senate floor if the chamber chooses to.

SB 110, Rural Communities



The House took up the Senate President’s priority legislation on the floor this week but adopted a significant strike all amendment before passing the bill and sending it back to the Senate. The amendment removed the rural health care and education initiatives from the bill but left intact the rural roads program, including language that would assist Palm Beach County in funding the reconstruction of County Road 880. The amendment also added the substance of several other pieces of legislation onto SB 110, including language that would sunset all community redevelopment agencies and provisions that would deregulate licenses for certain professions. 

HB 703, Utility Relocation

The House adopted a strike all amendment to this bill on the floor which allocates $50 million of communication services taxes and funds a new grant program within the Department of Commerce. These funds will be available to communications services providers to apply for reimbursement, subject to availability, for relocating their utilities from a local government’s right-of-way when required to relocate upon notice by the right-of-way owner. This amendment emphasizes that a county or municipal government is not responsible for the expense of relocating the utility and is a great improvement from the previous version of the bill. The Senate companion measure passed its last committee this week and is ready to be considered on the Senate floor.

HB 913, Condominium Associations



This bill requires local governments to confirm by October 1, 2025, that each condominium association has completed both a structural integrity reserve study (SIRS) and a milestone inspection, and to report this information to the Division of Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes. The law also clarifies that insurance coverage may be based on the replacement cost of the property. Condominium boards are authorized to levy special assessments and obtain loans for necessary maintenance identified in the SIRS and milestone inspection reports without needing prior approval from association members. Additionally, unit owners may approve a secured line of credit by majority vote to meet the funding requirements outlined in the SIRS. Reserve accounts may also be pooled to cover two or more components required by the SIRS. To avoid conflicts of interest, individuals who conduct SIRS or milestone inspections are prohibited from providing repair services or having any financial interest in entities that do. Finally, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation is directed to initiate rulemaking related to these provisions. The Senate version of the bill was temporarily postponed on the floor.

Senate

SB 1386, Assault of Battery on a Utility Worker

SB 1386 updates Florida law to increase penalties for assault or battery against utility workers who are working on critical infrastructure. The bill defines a "utility worker" as someone clearly identified by visible markings (like a patch or emblem) as being employed by or contracted with a utility company that provides services such as electricity, gas, water, wastewater, or communications. These offenses are reclassified when committed knowingly during the worker's duties on critical infrastructure. The bill now heads to the House for consideration.

SB 954, Recovery Residences



This legislation requires local governments to adopt an ordinance, subject to certain restrictions, to formalize and streamline the process for applicants seeking reasonable accommodations from land use regulations to open a certified recovery residence. For certain Level IV certified recovery residences, the bill also eliminates staffing requirements when patients are not present, and increases the number of residents that a recovery residence administrator can oversee from 150 to 300 if the operator maintains a minimum 1:6 personnel-to resident ratio when residents are present. This bill was sent to the House for consideration, and the House version of this bill is ready for the floor as well.