The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My Public Portal About2015 Legislative Final Report201.E LEGISLATIVE FINAL REPORT 2015 FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES LEGISLATIVE ACTION AGENDA The Action Agenda reflects the priorities of 410 municipalities, as prepared by the Florida League of Cities' five legis- lative policy committees and adopted by the full membership at the League's 54th Annual Legislative Conference, November 14, 2014, in Orlando. Below are the priority statements included in the Action Agenda. For background information and the current status on any of these issues, please read the Issue Brief available on the Florida League of Cities website. MUNICIPAL POLICE AND FIREFIGHTER PENSION REFORM The Florida League of Cities SUPPORTS legislation that protects municipalities' home rule powers to set and fund municipal employee benefit levels, and specifically provides: comprehensive pension reform, including elim- ination of the extra benefit requirement; disability presumption reform; and a mechanism for municipalities to revoke their participation in the Florida Retirement System. The League also SUPPORTS legislation that provides municipalities with flexibility in the use of insurance premium taxes, as currently interpreted by the Department of Management Services. COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES TAX AND LOCAL BUSINESS TAX PROTECTION The Florida League of Cities SUPPORTS legislation that protects general revenues collected from the com- munications services tax and the local business tax. These revenues are used to provide essential munic- ipal services, such as public safety and constructing and maintaining roads and bridges, public parks and open spaces. Maintaining a diversified revenue base strengthens the fiscal stability of local governments and improves their ability to serve citizens and businesses. STORMWATER FEE COLLECTION The Florida League of Cities SUPPORTS legislation that clarifies all users of a stormwater utility, including govern- mental entities, are required to pay stormwater charges to pay the cost of operation and maintenance of such a utility. WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY The Florida League of Cities SUPPORTS legislation that provides a recurring source of funding for local government programs and projects that protect wa- ter resources, improve water quality and quantity, and expand the use of alternative water sources. ENTERPRISE ZONES The Florida League of Cities SUPPORTS legislation that reauthorizes and improves the Enterprise Zone program due to sunset on December 31, 2015. DEVELOPMENTS OF REGIONAL IMPACT The Florida League of Cities OPPOSES ex- panding exemptions or repeal of the Develop- ments of Regional Impact (DRI) process. TRANSPORTATION FUNDING The Florida League of Cities SUPPORTS legislation that preserves local control of transportation planning, provides equitable transportation funding among municipalities and counties, and provides opportunities for additional revenue options for municipal transportation infrastructure projects. RIDE -FOR -HIRE SERVICES The Florida League of Cities SUPPORTS legisla- tion that defines and establishes uniform safety and insurance standards for transportation network ser- vices and their independent contractors, and that pre- serves home rule authority over such services. HOMELESSNESS The Florida League of Cities SUPPORTS legisla- tion that provides a sustainable and dedicated fund- ing source to deliver training and technical assistance to programs that offer the necessary support ser- vices for Florida's homeless individuals and families and those who are at risk of becoming homeless. SOBER HOMES The Florida League of Cities SUPPORTS legislation that defines and establishes statewide minimum regulatory standards for properties used for "sober home" purpos- es and allows for local regulation of such properties. 2015 LEGISLATIVE FINAL REPORT decision not to renew the program. HEI 33A provides a process to phase the program out rather than abruptly ending it at the end of this year. The bill preserves state incentives for businesses entered into a contract with the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) be- tween January 1, 2012, and July 1, 2015, for a project that is located in an enterprise zone. The bill provides that these eligible businesses may continue to apply for certain enterprise zone incentives, if the contract with the DEO is still deemed active by the department. The total impact of the bill on municipalities for FY 2015-2016 is estimated to be $1.34 million recur- ring and $9.28 million nonrecurring. The bill was ap- proved by the governor on June 16, and became effective on July 1, 2015, except as otherwise ex- pressly provided in the act. (Hughes/Cruz) GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT SEI 2500A (Appropriations Committee) Is the final ad- opted budget for state fiscal year 2015-2016. It totaled approximately $78.7 billion before going to the gov- ernor. Upon receipt of the bill, the governor vetoed $461.4 million. The following provides a brief over- view of issues within the 2015 General Appropriations Act that may significantly impact municipalities. Affordable Housing The budget included $175 million in housing appropria- tions from the Housing Trust Funds. A total of $70 million Is allocated to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC), with $48 million of that for the State Apartment Incentive Loan (SAIL) program, and $10 million for a competitive grant program for developments designed, constructed and targeted for persons with developmental disabilities. The remaining $105 million from the original $175 million goes to the State Housing Initiatives Part- nership (SHIP) program. Each local government must use 20 percent of its SHIP allocation to serve persons with developmental disabilities. In addition, local govern- ments are permitted to create regional partnerships across jurisdictional boundaries through the pooling of appropri- ated funds to address homeless housing needs identified in local housing assistance plans. (Sirjane-Samples) Economic Development The budget includes $117 million for economic devel- opment purposes through the funding of Visit Florida at $74 million and another $43 million for economic in- centives used to recruit businesses to Florida. (Cruz) Education The budget boosts spending for public schools by $780 million and would increase per -student funding by 3 per- cent, but the increase in public school spending relies on a nearly $500 million rise In local property taxes. (Hughes) Environment Legislators set aside $55 million to acquire conservation lands but only about $17 million is going to the Florida Forever program (land acquisition of environmentally en- dangered or unique lands). There is nearly $50 million for springs restoration projects and nearly $82 million for Ever- glades restoration work. The budget also provides approxi- mately $25 million for beach and dune restoration projects. Other budget items impacting municipal environmental programs are: Grants to local governments for Clean Marina program — $1.8 million in federal dollars; $300,000 from the Department of Environmental Protection Grants and Donations Trust Fund • $13 million in land management • $151 million in debt service to Florida Forever program • $15 million in grants to local governments for Non -Point Source Management Planning Grants • $95 million in State Revolving Loan — Drinking Water Facility Construction • $190 million In Wastewater Treatment Facility Construc- tion Loan Program • $16 million in Small County Wastewater Treatment Grants • $110 million in Petroleum Tank Cleanup Program • $3 million in grants to local governments for solid waste cleanup $500,000 in grants for local government brownfields programs • $20 million for Kissimmee River restoration • $15 million for conservation easements • $13.65 million for dispersed water storage or "water farming" (Matthews) Homelessness A total of $4 million for Challenge Grants relating to home- lessness was also included in the budget. The grants will continue to be administered through the Department of Children and Families and be available to local homeless- ness continuums of care for funding to Improve home- lessness issues in communities around Florida. (Cook) 3 SPECIAL SESSION A: SUMMARY OF BILLS REGULAR SESSION MAJOR BILLS THAT PASSED (listed alphabetically by policy area) Public Service Commission CS/HB 7109 (Energy & Utilities) limits the length of time an appointee to the Public Service Commission can serve to a total of three consecutive terms. The bill also prohibits a regulated electric utility from charging a higher rate under a tiered -rate structure due to an increase in usage attribut- able to a billing cycle extension. The bill also allows Duke Energy to finance the shutdown of its Crystal River nuclear power plant with bonds, rather than passing those costs on to ratepayers. Effective July 1, 2015. Chapter No. 2015- 129. (Matthews) Recycled and Recovered Materials CS/HB 787 (Peters) exempts from liability a person who sells, transfers or arranges for the transfer of recycled and recovered materials to a reclamation, recycling or manu- facturing facility owned by another person for solid waste released or threatened to be released from the receiving facility. This legislation applies to causes of action accru- ing on or after July 1, 2015, and applies retroactively to causes of action accruing before July 1, 2015, for which a lawsuit has not been filed. Effective July 1, 2015. Chapter No. 2015-150. (Matthews) Confirmation of Auditor General HCR 8009 (Raulerson) confirms the appointment made by the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee of Sherrill Foltz Norman to the position of auditor general. Effective July 1, 2015. (Hughes) Downtown Development Districts CS/CS/SB 278 (Diaz de la Portilla) authorizes a municipal- ity, which has a population of 400,000 or more, is located in a county with a home rule charter and has created a downtown development district, to levy ad valorem tax up to 0.475 mills on all real and personal property in the district to finance the district's operation. The 0.475 mills is included within the municipality's regular ad valorem taxes and special assessments. In total, a municipality's millage may not exceed the 10 mills allowed under the Florida Constitution for municipal purposes. Effective July, 1, 2015. Chapter No. 2015-43. (Hughes) Emergency Fire Rescue Services and Facilities Surtax CS/CS/HB 209 (Artiles) removes the requirement that the majority of fire service providers within a county enter into an interlocal agreement as a prerequisite to a county con- ducting a referendum enacting the Emergency Fire Rescue Service and Facilities Surtax. Instead, if a county passes an ordinance to levy the tax and the measure is approved by the voters, the proceeds will be distributed based on the average annual expenditures of ad valorem and non -ad valorem as- sessments for fire control and emergency fire rescue services in the preceding five fiscal years. The bill does not remove the requirement to reduce ad valorem or non -ad valorem fire assessments by the estimated amount of surtax revenues. The bill returns any surplus surtax revenues to the county to redistribute if it cannot be applied to reduce ad valorem or non -ad valorem assessments levied by the local government or if the local government declines its share of the revenues. Effective July, 1, 2015. Chapter No. 2015-169. (Hughes) Firefighter Pension Plans/Municipal Services Taxing Units CS/HB 105 (Eagle) authorizes imposition of the insurance premium tax under Chapter 175, Florida Statutes, within a mu- nicipal services taxingWi reement, a municipality Providesn the taxing unit. Tservice must be establi id the county must levy the revenues generated would be allocated to the municipalityproviding the fire protection services. Effec- tive July 1, 2015, pending action by the governor. (Conn) Florida PrimeyLGIP Fund S SB 7024 (Governmental Oversight and Accountability) directs the State Board of Administration to distribute any residual balance in the Fund B Surplus Funds Trust Fund, after the original principal balance has been repaid to the trust fund participants, based on each participant's pro- portional share of the November 2007 interest earnings that were withheld from distribution and transferred to the Fund B Surplus Funds Trust Fund. Effective July, 1, 2015. Chapter No. 2015-75. (Hughes) Local Bonds Newsletter SB 522 (Brandes) deletes the statutory requirement that the Division of Bond Finance issue a regular newsletter containing information about local and state bonds. Cur- rently, the division does not produce the newsletter and all of the information can be found on its website. Effective July, 1, 2015, Chapter No. 2015-22. (Hughes) 5 MAJOR BILLS THAT PASSED Exemption from Legislative Lobbying Gift Ban SB 984 (Braynon) creates an exemption from the legisla- tive lobbying requirements or "gift ban," allowing local gov- emment to facilitate the use of a public facility to a legisla- tor for a public purpose. For example, facilitating the use of a city hall for a legislator's town hall meeting. Effective July 1, 2015. Chapter No. 2015-28. (Cruz) Flood Insurance CS/CS/CS/SB 1094 (Brandes) gives insurers greater flexi- bility to offer customized flood insurance policies to replace those offered by the National Flood Insurance Program. The bill requires local governments to include development and redevelopment principles, strategies, and engineering solutions that reduce flood risks and losses within coastal areas in their comprehensive coastal management plan. Effective July 1, 2015. Chapter No. 2015-69. (Cruz) Growth Management CSICS/SB 1216 (Simpson) is a comprehensive growth management package. The bill has provisions that replace the current Development of Regional Impact (DRI) process for future large-scale developments with a state -coordinat- ed review process for comprehensive plan amendments; dissolve the Withlacoochee Regional Planning Council (RPC); revise statutory functions of the remaining 10 RPCs; and amend the sector plan process by reducing certain regulatory reviews. The definition of "blighted" is also amended to Include areas with sinkhole activities within a Community Redevelopment Area (CRA). Finally, the bill creates a 10 -year pilot program in Pasco County authorizing connected -city corridor comprehensive plan amendments that can be approved by the county without state review in certain situations. Effective upon becoming law. Chapter No. 2015-30. (Cruz) Municipal Skate Park Liability SB 408 (Simmons) deletes the requirement that cities and counties collect written consent from the parents of minors prior to minors using public skating facilities. Effective July 1, 2015. Chapter No. 2015-48. (Cruz) Online Voter Registration CSICS/SB 228 (Clemens) directs the Division of Elections in the Department of State to develop an operational, on- line voter registration system by October 1, 2017. The bill provides an appropriation of $1.8 million in nonrecurring funds from the Federal Grants Trust Fund to the Depart- ment of State for the development and implementation of the online voter registration system. Effective July 1, 2015. Chapter No. 2015-36. (Cruz) Private Property Rights CSICS/CS/HB 383 (Edwards) creates a new cause of action within the Bert Hams Act for a "prohibited exaction." Based on a recent U.S. Supreme Court case, prohibited exaction is defined in the legislation as a permitting condition imposed by a governmental entity on a property owner's proposed use of real property that lacks an essential nexus to a legitimate public purpose and Is not roughly proportionate to the harm the governmental entity seeks to avoid, minimize or mitigate. Amendments to CS/CS/CS/HB 383 narrowed the scope of damages and attorney fees provisions. The legislation in- cludes a waiver of sovereign immunity for these new causes of action, which could have a large fiscal impact on cities. The bill does contain some favorable provisions to local govem- ments, including limiting who has a cause of action under the Bert Hams Act, creating greater flexibility to settle Bert Harris lawsuits at any time during litigation, and specifying that the act of a county adopting FEMA floodplain maps is not action- able under Bert Hams. Effective October 1, 2015. Chapter No. 2015-142. (Cruz) Affordable Housing SR 174 (Joyner) recognized April 2015 as "Fair Housing Month" in Florida. The bill encouraged state and local gov- ernment leaders, communities and Individuals to observe the month through ceremonies and activities celebrating historical and future efforts to ensure fair and equal access to housing for all Floridians. SR 174 was adopted by the Legislature. (Sir)ane-Samples) Disabled Parking CS/HB 471 (DuBose) prohibits a county, municipality or any other agency from charging a parking fee for vehi- cles displaying a disabled parking permit in a facility or lot providing timed parking spaces. Effective July 1, 2015. Chapter No. 2015-114. (Sidane-Samples) Disabled Parking Permits CS/SB 132 (Joyner) prohibits the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles from requiring a veteran who has been previously evaluated and certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as permanently and totally disabled from a service -connected disability to resubmit a certificate of disability in order to renew his or her disabled parking permit. Effective July 1, 2015. Chapter No. 2015- 11. (Sidane-Samples) MAJOR BILLS THAT PASSED bill requires that the contractor's response to a notice of claim Indicate whether he or she is willing to make repairs, settle the claim with a monetary offer, or both, whether the contractor disputes the claim, or whether the contractor's insurer will cover the claim. Effective October 1, 2015. Chapter No. 2015-165. (Matthews) Controlled Substances CS/HB 897 (Ingram) adds several synthetic cannabinoids to Schedule I of Florida's controlled substances schedules. Effective upon becoming law. Chapter No. 2015-34. (Cook) Local Preferences CS/CS/SB 778 (Hays) preempts local preference ordinances if 50 percent or more of the public construction project is paid for with state -appropriated funds. The bill define "state -ap- propriated funds" to mean only those funds appropriated in the General Appropriations Act, excluding federal funds. Only those state -appropriated funds received by the city at the time of the bid are to count toward the percentage of state funds used to pay for the project. The bill also requires cities to disclose on the bid document whether or not the local construction preference applies to the project, instead of list- ing the percentage of state funds used to pay for the project on every bid document, regardless of whether or not state funds were used to pay for the project. Effective July 1, 2015. Chapter No. 2015-63. (Cook) Pain Management Clinics SB 450 (Benacquisto) reenacts current law to the regula- tion of pain management clinics. The current resolutions were scheduled to sunset on January 1, 2016. Effective upon becoming law. Chapter No. 2015-49. (Cook) Residential Master Building Permits CSIHB 1151 (Ingoglia) requires local governments to create, if requested, a master building permit program to expedite the approval of building permits for contractors constructing multiple, identical single family and townhome structures. The bill allows local governments to establish reasonable fees for the creation of the program, as well as the permit fees that will be charged. Effective July 1, 2015. Chapter No. 2015-156. (Matthews) Sober Homes CS/CS/HB 21 (Hager) requires the Department of Chil- dren and Families (DCF) to create a voluntary certification program for recovery residences, also referred to as "sober homes." DCF must approve one or more credentialing enti- ties for developing and administering the voluntary certifica- tion program. Among other requirements, this entity must: establish recovery residence certification requirements; monitor and inspect recovery residences to ensure compliance; • interview and evaluate residents, employees and volun- teer staff on their knowledge and application of certifi- cation requirements; provide training for owners, managers and staff; and • develop a code of ethics. The bili requires a Level 2 background screening of the owners, directors and chief financial officers. Certification must be renewed annually. The bill establishes penalties for recovery residences that advertise as a "certified recovery residence" without first securing this designation. The bill prohibits recovery residence operators convicted of cer- tain crimes from achieving certification. The bill requires the credentialing entity to submit a list of certified recovery residences to DCF by April 1, 2016, and to notify the de- partment within three business days when a new residence is certified or a residence's certificate has expired or been revoked. The bill also prohibits licensed treatment facilities from referring patients to non -certified sober homes. Effeo- live July 1, 2015. Chapter No. 2015-100. (Cook) Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) CS/SB 1312 (Simmons) adds protection of "free speech in connection with public issues" to the anti-SLAPP suit statute. The bill defines the term "free speech in connec- tion with public issues" as any written or oral statement that is protected under applicable law and is made before a governmental entity in connection with an issue under consideration or review by a governmental entity; or In connection with a play, movie, television program, radio broadcast, audiovisual work, book, magazine article, musical work, news report or other similar work. It includes a person in the prohibition against bringing a SLAPP suit and in the provisions for expedited resolution of a lawsuit claimed to be a SLAPP suit. Effective July 1, 2015. Chap- ter No. 2015-70. (Conn) ricket Quotas CS/SB 264 (Bradley) prohibits a law enforcement agency from establishing a traffic citation quota. If a law enforce- ment agency receives more than 33 percent of the total revenues it incurs within the fiscal year from traffic cita- tions, the agency must submit a report to the Legislative Auditing Committee detailing its total revenue from traffic citations and its total expenses for law enforcement. This report must be submitted within six months after the end of the fiscal year. Effective July 1, 2015. Chapter No. 2015-15. (Cook) 9 MAJOR BILLS THAT PASSED Trust Fund. Additionally, the bill would have eliminated the current distribution to various trust funds currently receiving documentary stamp tax distributions, including the Ecosys- tem Management and Restoration Trust Fund, Water Man- agement Lands Trust Fund, Conservation and Recreation Lands Trust Fund, General Inspection Trust Fund, Invasive Plant Control Trust Fund, State Game Trust Fund, and Wa- ter Quality Assurance Trust Fund. The bill also would have terminated a number of existing trust funds including the Department of Environmental Protection's Florida Commu- nities Trust Fund, Florida Preservation 2000 and others. The bill died on the House floor. (Matthews) Implementation of the Water and Land Conservation Constitutional Amendment CS/SB 584 (Dean) would have established the Land Acquisition Trust Fund (LATF) and conformed changes in law to allow for the constitutional amendment on water and land conservation to be implemented. The bill also would have terminated multiple trust funds within the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department ofAgricul- ture and Consumer Services, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and mandated that any outstanding debts or obligations of the trust funds that are deleted be paid through the LATF. The bill passed both chambers, but died in returning messages. (Matthews) Implementation of the Water and Land Conservation Constitutional Amendment CS/CS/CS/SB 586 (Dean) would have revised the statuto- ry distributions of revenues derived from the excise tax on documents to satisfy the recently enacted water and land conservation constitutional amendment, otherwise known as Amendment 1. The bill would have required the Land Acquisition Trust Fund (LATF) to receive 33 percent of net revenues from the excise tax on documents. It also would have required payment of debt service for Florida Forever and Everglades bonds from the LATF, and deleted existing distributions to trust funds that serve environmental pur- poses. The bill died on the Senate floor. (Matthews) Land Application of Septage CS/HB 687 (Drake) and CS/SB 648 (Evers) would have repealed the current prohibition of the land application of septage, which is currently set to take effect on January 1, 2016, and would have required certain conditions to be met in order to apply septage. If septage was to be ap- plied to land in springs protection and management zones, those areas would be subject to monthly inspections by the Department of Health (DOH), sampling, metered receiving at treatment facilities and annual tracking of nutrient loads. If the area of application was not a spring protection or management zone, the bills would have required quarterly inspections by DOH. CS/HB 687 passed the House, but died awaiting action by the Senate. CS/SB 648 died in committee. (Matthews) 11 Legislative Ratification —Air Pollutants CS/HB 849 (Wood) and SB 1076 (Gibson) would have re- quired the Department of Environmental Protection to sub- mit to the Legislature a State Implementation Plan (SIP) relating to standards of performance for existing sources of air pollutants, as required by the Federal Clean Air Act. The bills would have required that the SIP be ratified by the Florida Legislature before being sent to the U.S. Envi- ronmental Protection Agency for approval. The bills died in committee. (Matthews) Local Government Services HB 337 (Mayfield) and SB 442 (Altman) would have al- lowed a county, upon expiration of a franchise agreement or interlocal agreement, to provide water, wastewater, re- claimed water or natural gas service to the unincorporated area that was previously served by the municipality. The bills would have also prohibited municipalities from extend- ing or executing their corporate powers outside of their boundaries and into the unincorporated area without the express consent of the board of county commissioners. The prohibition of extension of corporate powers was pro- spective in nature. The bills died in committee. (Matthews) Municipal Power Regulation HB 773 (Mayfield) would have changed the definition of a "public utility" to include utilities that are members of the Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA). There are cur- rently 31 municipal utilities that are members of the FMPA. By designating the members of FMPA as public utilities, the Public Service Commission would have regulatory authority over those utilities. The bill died in committee. (Matthews) Natural Gas Rebate Program CS/CS/CS/HB 1141 (Ray) and CS/CSISB 1538 (Simpson) would have created the Heavy Transportation Industry Natu- ral Gas Rebate Program within the Department of Agricul- ture and ConsumerAffairs (DACS). The rebate program would have attempted to reduce transportation costs in the state by encouraging freight mobility investments in natural gas vehicles or fleets. The maximum rebate an applicant could have received was $500,000 per vehicle, up to a total of $1 million per fiscal year. The bills would have appropriat- ed $10 million in recurring funds, beginning with FY 2015- 2016 through FY 2019-2020, from the General Revenue Fund to DACS. The bills also would have required the Office of Program Policy Analysis and GovemmentAccountabil- ity to submit a report reviewing the rebate program to the governor, House speaker and Senate president by January 31, 2017. CS/CS/CS/HB 1141 passed the House, but died awaiting action by the Senate. CS/CS/SB 1538 died on the Senate floor. (Matthews) MAJOR BILLS THAT FAILED Water Resources SB 1408 (Evers) would have encouraged the conservation of water by prohibiting the water management district from modifying the consumptive use permit of a water user if the actual water use was less than the permitted water use due to documented implementation of water conservation measures. The bill died in committee. (Matthews) Water Supply Planning and Oversight SB 1436 (Gibson) would have created the Florida State- wide Water Oversight and Planning Council. The council's mission was to advise the Legislature in determining the best approach to prevent or minimize damage from floods, protect and enhance the natural system of floodplains, and improve and protect the quality of surface and ground water. The council would have also created a five-year, 10 -year and 20 -year water forecasting plan for the State of Florida. The bill died in committee. (Matthews) Water and Wastewater CS/SB 776 (Hays) and CS/HB 1173 (Porter) mandated the Division of Bond Finance of the State Board of Adminis- tration to review the allocation of private activity bonds to determine the availability of additional allocation of bonds for water and wastewater infrastructure projects. The bills also would have exempted investor-owned utilities from the state sales tax. The bills died in committee. (Matthews) Well Stimulation Treatments HB 169 (Jenne) would have prohibited well stimulation treatments used for the exploration or production of oil or natural gas in Florida effective October 1, 2015. The bill died in committee. (Matthews) Ad Valorem Taxation SJR 1142 (D. Gaetz) proposed an amendment to the Florida Constitution that would have expanded the authority of the Legislature to regulate ad valorem taxes. Under the amendment, the Legislature could have prohibited increas- es in the assessed value of a person's homestead when the market value of the homestead is decreasing, which is also known as the "Recapture Rule" of the Save Our Homes benefit. This joint resolution authorized the ex- pansion of the Save Our Homes property tax assessment benefit for homestead properties. If approved by voters and implemented, the resolution would have shifted the property tax burdens from homestead properties onto other properties and was estimated to have a recurring negative fiscal impact on local governments of $128.7 million. The joint resolution died in committee. (Hughes) Communications Services Taxes — Rate Reduction CSICS/SB 110 (Hukill) would have reduced the state portion of the communications services tax (CST) rates by 3.6 percent, which would have reduced the general state rate from 6.65 to 3.05 percent and the rate on direct -to -home satellite from 10.8 to 7.2 percent. This bill did not reduce the rate or anticipated revenues collected from the local CST levied by cities and coun- ties. The bill included a "hold harmless" provision that protected local governments by modifying the revenue sharing distribution formulas to offset the negative recurring impact caused by the reduction in revenues shared with local governments. The bill would have allowed communications services dealers to report tax collections on a non -calendar month basis and clarified that when a dealer remits a portion of CST collections late, the dealer loses its collection allowance only for the late portion of the payment. This language was also included in HB 7141 (see page16), which was the House Tax Reform Plan. CS/CS/SB 110 and HB 7141 died in committee. (Hughes) Deferred Compensation CS/SB 1352 (Smith) would have prohibited contracts with in- vestment providers and record keepers for local government deferred compensation programs from exceeding a five-year term. The bill specified requirements for the competitive solicitation or bidding process for investment providers and record keepers. The bill would have required the administra- tor of a local deferred compensation program to comply with specified fiduciary standards and authorized the creation of an oversight committee to evaluate the performance of the plan administrator. The bill died In committee. (Conn) Discrimination In Employment Screening SB 214 (Clemens) and HB 977 (Powell) would have pro- hibited an employer from inquiring into or considering an applicant's criminal history on an initial employment appli- cation unless required to do so by law. An employer could have inquired into or considered an applicant's criminal history only after the applicant's qualifications had been screened and the employer had determined that the appli- cant met the minimum employment requirements for the position. Both bills died in committee. (Conn) False Homestead Claims SB 1508 (Margolis) would have authorized the property ap- praiser to contract for services to audit homestead tax exemp- tions claimed on assessment rolls and allowed contractors to be paid from penalties. Property owners falsely claiming a homestead exemption were authorized to enter into a pay- ment plan, and a tax lien based on a false homestead claim would be collected in the same manner as, and in addition to, the current ad valorem taxes. The bill would have deleted the provision restricting governmental entities from contracting for certain services regarding the collection of unpaid taxes. The bill was withdrawn from consideration. (Hughes) 13 MAJOR BILLS THAT FAILED Property TaxAssessments HB 417 (Wood) amended the definitions of "Fair market val- ue" and "just value" for the purposes of assessment of prop- erty for property taxes. The bill died in committee. (Hughes) Property Tax— Exempt Use CS/CS/SB 924 (Hays) and CS/HB 839 (Burton) clarified the current exemption from ad valorem taxation for exempt purposes, such as religious, educational and charitable organizations, by requiring the property owner to take affir- mative steps to ready the property for the exempt purpose. The bills died in committee. (Hughes) Property Tax Exemptions HB 173 (Goodson) would have increased the property tax exemption from $500 to $5,000 for residents who are widows, widowers, blind or totally and permanently disabled. This language was also included in HB 7141 (see page 16), the House Tax Reform Plan. The bill died in messages. (Hughes) Property Tax— Exemption for Deployed Servicemembers CS/SB 7052 (Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Do- mestic Security) would have updated the designated oper- ations for which deployed service members may qualify for an additional ad valorem tax exemption. This language was also included in HB 7141 (see page 16), the House Tax Re- form Plan. CS/SB 7052 died in House messages. (Hughes) Property Tax: Renewable Energy Devices CS/SJR 400 (Grandes) and HJR 865 (R. Rodrigues) pro- posed an amendment to the Florida Constitution to require the Legislature, by general law, to exempt the assessed value of a renewable energy device from tangible person- al property tax and the installation of those devices from determining the assessed value of real property, both res- idential and nonresidential, for the purpose of ad valorem taxation. The joint resolutions died in committee. (Hughes) Public Depositories HB 907 (Hager) and SB 1154 (Garcia) would have expand- ed the definition of "qualified public depositary" to include credit unions as entities that are qualified to take public deposits. The bills died in committee. (Hughes) Report of Tax Incentives SB 122 (Margolis) would have required the Office of Eco- nomic and Demographic Research to prepare an annual state tax incentive revenue report. SB 122 was withdrawn from consideration. (Hughes) Sales Tax Exemption — Manufacturing Equipment SB 316 (Hukill) would have made permanent the existing temporary exemption from the sales and use tax for certain purchases of industrial machinery and equipment. The bill also would have removed existing limitations of the exemp- tion. The current exemption is set to expire in 2017. SB 316 was withdrawn from consideration. (Hughes) Sales Tax on Commercial Leases SB 140 (Hukill) would have reduced the sales and use tax that is levied on the rental or license fees charged for real property from 6 to 5 percent. The estimated fiscal impact to local government was approximately $31.5 million. The House Tax Cut Plan, HB 7141 (see page 16), included a reduction of 0.2 percent, from 6 to 5.8 percent, on the rent charged for commercial leases. SB 140 died in committee. (Hughes) Sales Tax on Commercial Leases HB 245 (Ahem) would have provided exemptions from the tax imposed on rental or license fees charged for commercial real property. Beginning January 1, 2016, the first $10,000 of total rent would have been exempt from the sales tax and each subsequent year, an additional $10,000 of total rent would be exempt. The bill died in committee. (Hughes) Sales Tax Exemption— Original Works of Art HB 89 (Richardson) and SB 188 (Margolis) would have ex- empted specific original works of art from the sales and use tax. HB 89 died in committee, and SB 188 was withdrawn from consideration. (Hughes) Sales Tax Exemption — Rental Commercial Property SB 1368 (J. Latvala) would have exempted common area maintenance charges that are separately stated in a lease agreement and do not exceed 5 percent of the base rent amount from the sales tax that is charged on the rental of commercial property. The bill died in committee. (Hughes) Small Business Saturday Sales Tax Holiday CS/HB 259 (Fant) and CS/CS/SB 384 (Garcia) would have created a one -day sales tax holiday on Saturday, Novem- ber 28, 2015. During the holiday, purchases of certain items sold at small business would have been exempted from the state sales tax and county discretionary sales surtaxes. The bills died in committee. (Hughes) 15 MAJOR BILLS THAT FAILED Value Adjustment Board CS/CS/HB 695 (Avila) and CS/CS/SB 972 (Flores) would have amended multiple provisions relating to Value Adjustment Boards (VABs), including specifying who could represent a prop- erty owner at a hearing and requiring the petition to be signed by the taxpayer or accompanied by written authorization to represent a taxpayer. CS/CS/HB 695 would have modified the composition of the VAB board from two county commis- sioners, one school board member and two citizen mem- bers to five citizen members nominated by the legislative delegation and appointed by the governor. The bills died in messages. (Hughes) Agritourism CS/HB 569 (Combee) and SB 594 (Stargel) would have prohibited local governments from enforcing ordinances relating to agritourism on agricultural lands. CS/HB 569 passed the House, but died awaiting action by the Senate. SB 594 died on the Senate floor. (Cruz) Community Contribution Tax Credit Program CS/SB 302 (Simpson) and HB 311 (Ingoglia) would have extended the expiration date applicable to the granting of the community contribution tax credit against the sales and use tax, corporate income tax and insurance premium tax for contributions and donations to eligible sponsors of revital- ization and housing projects approved by the Department of Economic Opportunity. The bills died in committee. (Cruz) Community Redevelopment Agency SB 752 (Hukill) would have exempted certain hospital districts that levy ad valorem taxes from paying increment revenue funds to any new community redevelopment agency (CRA) established after July 1, 2015. The bill died in committee. (Cruz) Constrained Agricultural Parcels SB 1244 (Dean) and HB 1175 (Hutson) would have autho- rized, under limited circumstances, a process for the owner of unincorporated, undeveloped parcels of land previously used for agricultural purposes to apply for a comprehensive plan amendment to develop the parcel, despite local government objections. To be eligible, at least one mile of the parcel's boundary would have to be adjacent to existing commercial, industrial or residential uses and the parcel could not exceed 6,400 acres. The bills died in committee. (Cruz) Department of Economic Opportunity Website HB 75 (Combee) and SB 232 (Hays) would have autho- rized the Department of Economic Opportunity to request comprehensive data from cities in order to create a web - page to disseminate this information to businesses looking to expand or move into the state. The information request- ed would have included millage rates, local business taxes, sign ordinances, landscaping ordinances and more. The bills did not designate a funding source for cities to comply with these requirements. The bills died in committee. (Cruz) Development of Regional Impact SB 562 (Simpson) and HB 579 (M. Gaetz) would have required any future large-scale development currently ap- proved through the Development of Regional Impact (DRI) process to be approved through a comprehensive plan amendment requiring state -coordinated review. In doing so, the legislation would have curtailed the current DRI process in which regional planning councils play a role in providing technical assistance in the planning of a project, including making recommendations on how to address extra -juris- dictional traffic impacts caused by a DRI. The substance of these bills was amended into CS/SB 1216 (see page 7), which passed the Legislature. SB 562 and HB 879 died in committee. (Cruz) Economic Development — House Package CS/HB 7067 (Economic Development & Tourism) was a 200 -plus page comprehensive economic development package. Of specific concern to municipalities were provi- sions dealing with enterprise zones, impact fees and permit extensions. Specifically, the bill would have authorized local governments to create local enterprise zones in which newly established or expanding businesses were exempt from local business taxes, impact fees, building permit fees, all local special assessments, sign ordinances, tree ordinances, and for 24 months could not issue a citation or civil code ordinance violation on any business located within the zone, unless the violation related to health and safety. The bill would have prohibited local governments from imposing impact fees on small businesses of 12 or fewer employees for buildings less than 6,000 square feet. This impact fee provision was amended on the House floor to prohibit local governments from exercising a super majority vote provision to reinstate these impact fees if they regulate "transportation network companies" (Uber). Last, the bill would have extended for another two years the expiration of permits issued by the Department of Envi- ronmental Protection or a water management district and local government Issued development orders and building permits. This would have been the fifth time since the 2009 legislative session that these permit expiration dates have been extended. The bill passed the House, but died await- ing action by the Senate. (Cruz) 11 IF/ MAJOR BILLS THAT FAILED Impact Fees SB 850 (Hays) and HB 923 (Costello) would have autho- rized local governments to impose a discretionary sur- charge on the documentary stamp tax for financing capital improvements, in lieu of charging impact fees. The discre- tionary surcharge could not have exceeded the rate of $1 for each $100. The discretionary surcharge would have been created by a local option ordinance. The legislation would have prohibited a local government from collecting impact fees if it opted to receive the discretionary surcharge for the same purpose. The bills died in committee. (Cruz) Improvements to Real Property Damaged by Sinkhole Activity SB 404 (Simpson) and HB 973 (Rabum) would have declared there is a compelling state interest in enabling property owners to voluntarily finance certain improvements, with local governmental assistance, to property damaged by sinkhole activity. The bills would have authorized local gov- ernments to voluntarily assist property owners in the financ- ing of improvements necessary to repair property damaged by sinkhole activity, subject to local ordinance through an expansion of the PACE program. Additionally, the bills would have expanded the definition of "blighted area," enabling community redevelopment areas to enter into voluntary contracts to redevelop properties damaged by sinkhole ac- tivity. The provision expanding the definition of blighted was amended to CS/SB 1216 (see page 7), which passed the Legislature. SB 404 and HB 973 died in committee. (Cruz) Inspectors General CS/HB 1283 (Rader) and SB 1412 (Evers) would have required the chief inspector general (CIG) to publish, on the website of the governor, final investigative reports performed by the CIG or received from an agency inspector general. The legislation would have required an agency inspector general to publish final investigative reports, including all responses and rebuttals, on the agency's website and to provide a copy to the CIG for publication on the website of the governor. In addition, the legislation would have required a unit of local government to publish on its website the final investigative report by an inspector general prepared for, or on behalf of, the unit of local government within 10 days after finalizing the report, except if the investigation was confidential or otherwise exempt from disclosure. The bills died in committee. (Cruz) Online Voter Registration and City Elections by Mail HB 1161 (Passidomo) would have required the Department of State to create an online voter registration system in 2018, after the next presidential election. In addition, the bill would have provided that cities could conduct mail elec- tions. The bill died in committee. (Cruz) Private Property Rights HB 551 (Perry) and SB 1424 (Evers) would have required local governments to adopt private property rights elements in their comprehensive plans and required all land devel- opment regulations to be consistent with the property rights element. The bills died in committee. (Cruz) Public -Private Partnerships CS/HB 63 (Steube) and CS/CS/CS/SB 824 (Evers) would have amended the statutory framework that local govem- ments must adhere to when engaging in public-private part- nerships (P3s). The legislation would have provided supple- mental authority to local governments, therefore allowing cities to rely on Home Rule authority to enter into P3 agreements or follow the process in Florida statutes. Lastly, the legislation would have authorized local governments to collect a fee, as determined by local ordinance, to cover the costs associated with reviewing unsolicited proposals. CS/HB 63 died in com- mittee. CS/CS/CS/SB 824 died on the Senate floor. (Cruz) Public Records Exemption for Public -Private Partnerships CS/HB 65 (Steube) and CS/SB 826 (Evers) would have created a temporary public records exemption for unsolic- ited public-private partnership proposals received by local governments. The bills were designed to protect the work product of the private entity submitting the original unsolicit- ed proposal, which could be copied and undercut when the local government uses a competitive bid process to award the contract. CS/HB 65 died on the House floor. CS/SB 826 died on the Senate floor. (Cruz) Qualified Television Revolving Loan Fund SB 196 (Bean) and CS/HB 237 (C. Latvala) would have created the "Qualified Television Revolving Loan Fund" (QTV Fund) within the Department of Economic Opportu- nity. The QTV Fund would have been administered as a public-private partnership, loaning a combination of state and private funds to qualified television productions at low to no interest rates. SB 196 died in committee. CS/HB 237 died on the House floor. (Cruz) Regional Planning Councils CS/CS/SB 484 (Simpson) and HB 873 (Mayfield) as originally filed would have removed regional planning councils (RPCs) from statute and assigned many of the duties fulfilled by RPCs to counties and water management districts. The bills were subsequently amended to dissolve only the Withlacoochee Regional Planning Council, as well as remove some statutory responsibilities of RPCs. The substance of this bill was amended into CS/SB 1216 (see page 7), which passed the Legislature. CS/CS/SB 484 and HB 873 died in committee. (Cruz) 19 MAJOR BILLS THAT FAILED Charter Schools — School Choice SB 720 (Ring) would have required a person or officer of an entity that submitted a charter school application to undergo background screening and would have prohibited a sponsor from approving a charter school application until the comple- tion and receipt of the results of the screening. In addition, the bill would have required a charter school application to provide evidence of accreditation, would have revised the deadline by which a charter school must have a certificate of occupancy or temporary certificate of occupancy, and would have required that approval of a charter be based on documentation of adequate financial resources to support the charter school's operation. The bill died in committee. (Sirjane-Samples) Department of Transportation SB 7054 (Appropriations) would have redirected the portion of the $225 additional fee imposed on initial registration of motor vehicles (referred to as the "New Wheels Fee") that is currently deposited into the General Revenue Fund to the State Transportation Trust Fund (STTF). In addition, the bill specified how the revenues from this fee were to be used by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT): $25 million Florida Shared -Use Nonmotorized Trail Network; 3.4 percent ($7.1 million) New Starts Transit Program; 5 percent ($10.2 million) Small County Outreach Program; 20.6 percent ($42.5 million) Florida Strategic Intermodal System; 6.9 percent ($14.2 million) and all remaining funds could have been used for any transportation purpose authorized by law. The bill would have created the Florida Shared -Use Nonmotorized Trail (SunTrail) network and would have required FDOT to annually allocate $50 million for the SunTrail network in the FDOT work program. The bill passed the Senate and the House, but died in returning messages. (Sirjane-Samples) Department of Transportation CS/CS/HB 7039 (Transportation and Ports) would have removed the ability of municipalities and counties to charge a developer for removing vegetation within the right-of-way limits of road improvements for which the developer completed or contributed funding as required under transportation concur- rency for a development project. Each municipality or county could have, by a majority vote of its governing body, exempt itself from this provision of the bill. Lastly, the bill would have increased the minimum amount transferred to the Florida Sea- port Transportation and Economic Development Program from $15 million to $25 million. The bill passed the House, but died awaiting action by the Senate. (Sirjane-Samples) Gaming — Campaign Contributions SB 116 (Margolis) would have created the "Public Confi- dence in Gaming Act," prohibiting applicants for and permit holders of pari-mutuel permits from making contributions to certain election campaigns. The bill was withdrawn from consideration. (Sirjane-Samples) Gaming — Constitutional Amendment HB 1239 (Young) would have attempted to amend the state constitution by allowing the electors of the state to approve or reject the expansion of gambling and proposed a con- stitutional amendment to be voted on at the next general election or at an earlier special election specifically autho- rized by law for that purpose. The bill did not limit the right of the Legislature to exercise its authority through general law to restrict, regulate or tax any gambling activity. In addition, it did not limit the authority of the state to negoti- ate a tribal -state compact under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act or to affect any existing tribal -state compact. The bill died in committee. (Sirjane-Samples) Gaming — Destination Resort Trust Fund HB 1237 (Young) would have created the Destination Resort Trust Fund within the Department of Gaming Control for the deposit of application and licensing fees of destination resorts and any other funds as provided by law. The money in the trust fund would have been used by the Department of Gaming Control and the Department of Law Enforcement for the regulation of limited gaming, investigations, enforcement and the review of applications and background investigations of applicants. The bill died in committee. (Sirjane-Samples) Gaming — Gaming Control Commission/ Department of Gaming Control CS/CS/HB 1233 (Young) would have created the Gaming Control Commission. The commission would have regulated pari-mutuels, amusements games or machines, historical racing or historical racing systems, greyhound racing, jai alai frontons, destination resorts and the associated fees and taxes. The bill would have directed the Department of Gaming Control to adopt rules relating to the Gaming Compact between the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the State of Florida. The Division of Pari-mutuel Wagering and the Pari-mutuel Wagering Trust Fund within the Department of Business and Professional Regulation would have been transferred to the Department of Gaming Control. The bill would have preempted the regulation of gaming at a "desti- nation resort" to the state and would have required a waiver of sovereign immunity for certain entities. In addition, the bill would have restricted the awarding of resort licenses and would have authorized the Department of Gaming Control to limit gaming and issue licenses for a limited number of des- tination resorts. The bill died in committee. (Sirjane-Samples) Gaming — Online Ticket Sales SB 120 (Margolis) would have authorized the Department of Lottery to create and administer a program that provided for the sale of Florida lottery tickets through the Intemet. The bill was withdrawn from consideration. (Sidane-Samples) 21 MAJOR BILLS THAT FAILED Transportation — Vulnerable Users CS/CSICS/HB 231 (Passidomo) and CSICS/SB 908 (Al- tman) would have broadly defined a "vulnerable user" to include any pedestrian; bicyclist; motorcyclist; skateboard- ers; person operating farm equipment; a person riding an animal; or a person operating an electric personal assis- tive mobility device or a wheelchair. The bills would have established enhanced penalties for drivers endangering vulnerable users. CS/CS/CS/HB 231 was substituted for CS/CSISB 908. CS/CS/SB 908 died on the Senate floor. (Sirjane-Samples) Transportation — TNC's Vehicle -Miles Traveled Study CS/CS/HB 7075 (Transportation and Ports) and CSISB 1186 (Brandes) would have authorized a public transit pro- vider to enter into an agreement with a transportation net- work company (TNC) under which the company provides public transit service. CSISB 1186 would have required the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged and the Center for Urban Transportation Research to coopera- tively develop and implement a pilot program and provide a report to assess the potential for increasing accessibility and cost effectiveness of providing transportation to certain transportation disadvantaged individuals through the use of a TNC. The center would have also been directed to conduct a study, establish a pilot project and provide a report regarding the feasibility and means of implementing a vehicle -miles -traveled funding mechanism for transpor- tation projects. CS/CS/HB 7075 previously included the vehicle -miles -traveled study and the transportation disad- vantaged pilot program but these provisions were removed. CS/SB 1186 would have authorized Escambia and Santa Rosa counties to the Northwest Florida Regional Transpor- tation Finance Authority. Lastly, CS/SB 1186 would have created the Shared -use Nonmotortzed Trail (Sun Trail) Network as a component of the Florida Greenways and Trail System. CS/CS/HB 7075 passed the House but died awaiting action by the Senate. CS/SB 1186 died in commit- tee. (Sirjane-Samples) Transportation — Transfer of Funds SB 1456 (Latvala) would have required that a minimum of $25 million instead of $15 million per year be made avail- able from the State Transportation Trust Fund to fund the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council. In addition, the Department of Transportation would have included no less than $25 million per year in its annual legislative budget request for the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Program, and the total amount of funding to be allocated to the program during the successive four fiscal years must have been included in the tentative work program. The bill died in com- mittee. (Sirjane-Samples) Alarm Systems SB 412 (Diaz de la Portilla) and HB 543 (J. Rodriguez) would have allowed local government law enforcement agencies to establish a verification call program that au- thorizes law enforcement to be dispatched to the property before a verification call has been made. Residents would have been required to register with the law enforcement agency to participate. The bills died In committee. (Cook) Backyard Gun Ranges CS/CS/SB 1444 (Richter) and CS/CSICSIHB 995 (Trumbull) were bills relating to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services that were amended to address back- yard gun ranges. The bills would have allowed law enforce- ment officers to charge a person with a first degree misde- meanor if the person recreationally discharged a firearm outdoors in a residential neighborhood with a density of one or more dwelling units per acre. CS/CS/SB 1444 died on the Senate floor. CS/CS/CS/HB 995 passed the House, but died awaiting action by the Senate. (Cook) Body Cameras CS/CSICS HB 57 (Jones) and SB 7080 (Criminal Justice) would have required law enforcement agencies using body cameras to develop policies and procedures addressing the proper use, maintenance, and storage of body cameras and the data record- ed by body cameras. The bills also required that each law en- forcement agency using body cameras adequately train employ- ees who are involved in the camera program about the policies and procedures associated with the department's program. CS/CS/CS HB 57 passed the House, but died awaiting action by the Senate. SB 7080 died on the Senate floor. (Cook) Building Codes CS/CSICSISB 1232 (Simpson) and CS/CS/CSIHB 915 (Eagle) were comprehensive building code bills. There were numer- ous provisions that were problematic for local building officials including language in CS/CS/CS/HB 915 that would have re- quired the building code to be ratified by the Legislature instead of revised through the typical process by the Florida Building Commission. Additionally, CS/CS/CSISB 1232 included contro- versial provisions such as prohibiting the Florida Building Code from requiring more than one fire service access elevator in any residential building and loosening the building code inspector licensing requirements by allowing individuals to take the build- ing code inspection examination after accruing a minimum of 100 hours, but no more than 200 hours of cross -training offered by an approved provider. CS/CS/CS/SB 1232 died on the Senate floor. CSICS/CS/HB 915 passed the House, but died awaiting action by the Senate. (Matthews) 23 MAJOR BILLS THAT FAILED the council, accept and administer funds appropriated to it to provide annual "Challenge Grants" to lead agencies of homeless assistance continuums of care, with preference given to those projects that leverage matching funds. The bill specified that rapid rehousing must be included in each continuum of care plan. CS/SB 1500 clarified that a local government could not expend its portion of the local hous- ing distribution to provide ongoing rent subsidies unless certain conditions are met. Finally, the bill specified that funds made available to the state from the National Hous- ing Trust Fund be deposited into the State Housing Trust Fund would be used to develop and construct housing to reduce homelessness in Florida. The dedicated funding source language from CS/CS/SB 1500 was amended onto CS/CS/SB 1214 (see page 18), a bill dealing with economic development. CS/CS/SB 1214 died on the Senate floor. CS/CS/SB 1500 and HB 379 died in committee. (Cook) Law Enforcement DogsyRetfred HB 711 (Kerner) and CS/SB 1016 (Abruzzo) would have created the Care for Retired Law Enforcement Dogs Program within the Department of Law Enforcement. The program applied to dogs used for state or local law enforce- ment purposes. CS/SB 1016 passed the Senate, but died in messages. HB 711 died in committee. (Conn) Limitation of Actions CS/HB 501 (Fant) and SB 1158 (Stargel) would have reduced the time within which actions based on a latent de- fect in the design, planning or construction of an improve- ment to real property, could be brought from a time period of 10 years to seven years. This change in law would have applied only to actions commenced on or after July 1, 2015. The bills died in committee. (Cook) Low -THC Cannabis CS/CSISB 7066 (Regulated Industries) would have autho- rized the cultivation, processing and dispensing of low -THC cannabis and expanded the current list of conditions for which low -THC cannabis could be prescribed. Of impor- tance to cities, the bill would have preempted to the state the location of all marijuana cultivation and processing facilities. The bill was amended to allow municipalities the authority to determine by ordinance the number, location and other permitting requirements of retail facilities. The bill died on the Senate floor. (Cook) Medical Use of Marijuana SB 528 (Brandes) and HB 683 (Steube) would have creat- ed the "Florida Medical Marijuana Act," which would have authorized registered patients and caregivers to purchase, possess and use medical -grade marijuana. The bills would have also authorized the cultivation, processing and retail sale of medical -marijuana, including the transportation of medical -grade marijuana throughout the state. Both bills preempted to the state the location of all cultivation and marijuana processing facilities and preempted to the county the location and number of retail facilities, stipulating that all such facilities could not be located within 1,000 feet of an existing public or private elementary or secondary school, a child care facility or a licensed service provider offering sub- stance abuse services. The bills died in committee. (Cook) Notaries Public SB 436 (Soto) and HB 663 (DuBose) would have required a notary public to record specified information in a notarial journal when performing notarial acts. The bills required a notary public to secure and retain the notarial journal for a specified period, and provided a process if the journal was lost or became otherwise inaccessible during the retention period. The requirement to retain the notarial journal did not apply to a notary public employed by a law enforcement agency, an office of state attorney or the Office of Attorney General when he or she was acting within the scope of such employment. Both bills died in committee. (Conn) Playground Safety SB 504 (Sobel) would have required public playgrounds to meet ASTM International playground safety standards. Any public playground constructed after July 1, 2016, would have been required to be built to these specifications, while existing playgrounds would have to meet these safety stan- dards by July 1, 2021. The bill also required cities to have each public playground inspected by a certified playground safety inspector on or before July 1, 2017. The bill required cities to post a link to the playground safety standards and guidelines on its website by July 1, 2016. The bill died in committee. (Cook) Public Facilities SB 1464 (Dean) and CS/CS/HB 583 (Artiles) would have required that single -sex public facilities designated for a specified sex would be restricted to persons who are biologically of that sex. The bills preempted cities from regulating single -sex public bathrooms. The bills died in committee. (Cook) 25 MAJOR BILLS THAT FAILED Wireless Communications HB 17 (Slosberg) and SB 492 (Thompson) would have pro- hibited the use of cellphones or other electronic communi- cations devices by drivers in a legally posted school zone, designated school crossing or on school district property. The bills died in committee. (Cook) Use of Tobacco Products In Motor Vehicles SB 548 (Clemens) and HB 671 (Powell) would have pro- hibited a person from smoking a tobacco product in a motor vehicle if a child under 13 years of age is present. The bills died in committee. (Cook) Volunteer Firefighting HB 495 (Beshears) would have exempted volunteer fire- fighters from cities or counties under a certain population from the training requirements required of full-time firefight- ers. The bill died in committee. (Cook) CS/CSISB 244 (Dean) would have created the Volunteer Rural Firefighter Certification Program, which would have applied only to volunteer firefighters in municipalities with a population of less than 12,000 or a county with a population of less than 150,000. The bill established minimum train- ing criteria and certain limitations on the use of volunteer firefighters. The bill died in committee. (Cook) Vacation Rentals HB 735 (Moraltis) and SB 1344 (Altman) would have allowed cities that had vacation rental ordinances in place prior to June 1, 2011, to amend their ordinance without losing their "grandfather" status. The bills also would have allowed cities to adopt ordinances specific to vacation rentals requiring stays of up to seven days. The bills died in committee. (Cook) HB 4015 (Campbell) would have repealed a preemption in place preventing local governments from regulating short- term vacation rentals. The bill died in committee. (Cook) HB 4009 (Eagle) would have repealed the definition of vacation rentals and transient apartments from statute. In effect, this would have deregulated vacation rentals in Flor- ida and removed their requirement to obtain licensure from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The bill died in committee. (Cook) 27 MAJOR BILLS THAT FAILED BILL NAME............................................................. PAGE # Low THC Cannabis.....................................................25 Sales Tax Exemption - Rental Commercial Property..... 15 Low -Voltage Alarm Systems..........................................8 Medical Use of Marijuana............................................25 Municipal Capital Recovery .........................................14 Municipal Police/Fire Pensions (Passed)........................6 Municipal Police/Fire Pensions (Failed) ........................14 Municipal Police/Fire Pensions — Boards of Trustees ...14 Municipal Power Regulation..........................................11 Municipal Property Tax Exemption..............................14 Municipal Skate Park Liability.........................................7 Natural Gas Rebate Program......................................11 Nonresidential Farm Buildings.....................................12 Notaries Public.............................................................25 Online Voter Registration................................................7 Online Voter Registration and City Elections by Mail ....19 Open Government Sunshine Review: Public Transit Providers.....................................................................8 Pain Management Clinics................................................9 Playground Safety .......................................................25 Private Property Rights (Passed)....................................7 Transportation — Transfer of Funds...............................23 Private Property Rights (Failed)....................................19 Transportation — Vehicle -Miles Traveled Study.............22 Property Tax —Assessment of Common Elements .......14 Transportation — Vulnerable Users................................23 Property Tax — Exempt Use..........................................15 Transportation Network Companies .............................22 Property Tax — Exemption for Deployed Transportation Network Company Insurance ..............22 Servicemembers........................................................15 Transportation Services Procurement .........................22 Property Tax— Homestead Exemption/Living Spouse Use of Tobacco Products In Motor Vehicles .................27 of Deceased Combat -Disabled Veteran ....................14 Utility Projects..............................................................12 Property Tax — Homestead Exemption/Low-income Vacation Rentals...........................................................27 Seniors.....................................................................14 Value Adjustment Board..............................................17 Property Tax — Military Housing Ad Valorem Tax Value Adjustment Board Proceedings ............................6 Exemptions..................................................................6 VesselSafety...............................................................12 Property Tax Assessments...........................................15 Volunteer Firefighting....................................................27 Property Tax Exemptions..............................................15 Water............................................................................12 Property Tax: Assessment Limitation for Business ........ 14 Property Tax: Renewable Energy Devices....................15 Water Conservation.....................................................12 Public Depositories.......................................................15 Water Resources..........................................................13 Public Facilities............................................................25 Water Supply Planning and Oversight ..........................13 Public Records..............................................................26 Well Stimulation Treatments........................................13 Public Records Exemption — Emergency Information Wireless Communications............................................27 Gathering Systems....................................................26 Public Records Exemption for Public -Private Partnerships.............................................................19 Public Service Commission.............................................5 Public -Private Partnerships..........................................19 Qualified Television Revolving Loan Fund ....................19 Recycled and Recovered Materials...............................5 Red Light Cameras......................................................26 Regional Planning Councils..........................................19 Renewable Energy.......................................................12 Report of Tax Incentives..............................................15 Residential Gun Ranges...............................................26 Residential Master Building Permits................................9 BILL NAME............................................................. PAGE # Sales Tax Exemption — Manufacturing Equipment ......15 Sales Tax Exemption — Original Works of Art ..............15 Sales Tax Exemption - Rental Commercial Property..... 15 Sales Tax on Commercial Leases................................15 SchoolSafety...............................................................26 SectorPlans.................................................................20 Small Business Financial Assistance ..........................20 Small Business Saturday Sales Tax Holiday ................15 SoberHomes.................................................................9 SolarEnergy.................................................................12 Special Assessment for Law Enforcement ...................16 StateLands.................................................................12 State Public Safety Officers/Death Benefits .................16 Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation(SLAPP)...................................................9 Tangible Personal Property Taxation ...........................16 TaxReform...................................................................16 Taxation........................................................................16 Taxis............................................................................22 Texting While Driving....................................................26 TicketQuotas..................................................................9 Transportation —TNC's Vehicle -Miles Traveled Study ..23 Transportation — Transfer of Funds...............................23 Transportation — Vehicle -Miles Traveled Study.............22 Transportation — Vulnerable Users................................23 Transportation Network Companies .............................22 Transportation Network Company Insurance ..............22 Transportation Services Procurement .........................22 Use of Tobacco Products In Motor Vehicles .................27 Utility Projects..............................................................12 Vacation Rentals...........................................................27 Value Adjustment Board..............................................17 Value Adjustment Board Proceedings ............................6 VesselSafety...............................................................12 Volunteer Firefighting....................................................27 Water............................................................................12 Water and Wastewater.................................................13 Water Conservation.....................................................12 Water Resources..........................................................13 Water Supply Planning and Oversight ..........................13 Well Stimulation Treatments........................................13 Wireless Communications............................................27 29 ALPHABETICAL INDEX BILL NUMBER PAGE# HB735 ......................................27 SB 1062 ....................................10 SB 752 .......................................17 CS/CS/CS/HB 1063 ..................14 HB757 .......................................22 SB 1076 ....................................11 CS/SB 764 ................................24 HB 1077 ....................................12 HB773 ......................................11 SB 1086 .....................................14 CS/SB 776 ................................13 HB 1089 ....................................12 HB777 ......................................10 CS/CS/CS/SB 1094 .....................7 CS/CS/SB 778 ............................9 CS/HB 1095 ..............................24 CS/SB 780 .................................16 CS/CS/SB 1102 ........................12 CS/HB 787 ..................................5 SB 1118 ....................................12 HB 797 ......................................20 HB 1125 ....................................18 CS/CS/HB 817 ..........................22 CS/CS/CS/HB 1141 ...................11 CS/CS/CS/SB 824 ....................19 SJR 1142 ..................................13 CS/SB 826 ................................19 CS/SB 1148 ..............................24 CS/SB 832 ................................20 CS/HB 1151 ................................9 CS/HB 839 ................................15 SB 1154 .....................................15 HB 847 .......................................14 SB1158 ....................................25 CS/HB 849 ................................11 SB 1160 .....................................14 SB 850 ......................................19 HB 1161 ....................................19 HJR 865 .....................................15 CS/HB 1173 ..............................13 SB 868 ......................................12 HB 1175 ....................................17 HB 873 ......................................19 CS/CS/SB 1184 ........................26 CS/CS/SB 896 ..........................22 CS/SB 1186 ..............................23 CS/HB 897 ..................................9 CS/CS/CS/HB 1205 ..................10 HB 903 .....................................18 SB 1206 .....................................14 SB 906 ......................................20 CS/SB 1214 ..............................18 HB 907 .......................................15 CS/CS/SB 1216 ..........................7 CS/CSISB 908 ..........................23 HB 1227 ....................................12 SJR 910 .....................................14 CS/CS/CS/SB 1232 ..................23 CS/CS/CS/HB 915 ....................23 CS/CS/HB 1233 ........................21 CS/CS/SB 918 ..........................12 HB1237 .....................................21 CS/HB 919 .................................16 HB 1239 ....................................21 HB 923 ......................................19 SB 1244 .....................................17 CS/CS/SB 924 ........................... 15 CS/CS/SB 972 ........................... 17 CS/CS/HB 933 ..........................20 CS/HB 1283 ..............................19 CS/SB 934 ................................24 HS 1291 ...............................10,11 SS952 .......................................20 CS/SB 1298 ..............................22 CSISB 966 ................................10 CS/CS/HB 1309 ..........................6 HB 973 ......................................19 CS/SB 1312 ................................9 HB 977 .......................................13 SB 1344 ....................................27 SB984 ........................................7 CS/SB 1352 ..............................13 SB 986 ......................................22 SB 1368 .....................................15 SB 992 ......................................12 SB 1408 ....................................13 CS/CS/CS/HB 995 ....................23 SB 1412 ....................................19 CS/SB 1016 ..............................25 SB 1424 ....................................19 CS/CS/SB 1024 ........................20 CSICS/HB 1025 ........................24 BILL NUMBER PAGE # CSIHB 1043 ..............................20 CS/SB 1046 .............................18 CS/SB 1430 ..............................24 SB 1062 ....................................10 SB 1436 ....................................13 CS/CS/CS/HB 1063 ..................14 CS/CS/SB 1444 ........................23 SB 1076 ....................................11 SB 1456 ....................................23 HB 1077 ....................................12 SB 1464 ....................................25 SB 1086 .....................................14 CSISB 1468 ..............................10 HB 1089 ....................................12 CS/CS/SB 1500 ...................24,25 CS/CS/CS/SB 1094 .....................7 SB 1508 .....................................13 CS/HB 1095 ..............................24 SB 1516 ....................................18 CS/CS/SB 1102 ........................12 CS/SB 1520 ..............................20 SB 1118 ....................................12 CS/CS/SB 1534 ........................18 HB 1125 ....................................18 CS/CS/SB 1538 .........................11 CS/CS/CS/HB 1141 ...................11 CS/CSISB 1548 ........................12 SJR 1142 ..................................13 CS/CS/SB 1554 ........................22 CS/SB 1148 ..............................24 S81556 ....................................18 CS/HB 1151 ................................9 HB4005 ....................................24 SB 1154 .....................................15 HB 4009 ....................................27 SB1158 ....................................25 HB 4015 ....................................27 SB 1160 .....................................14 HB 4025 ....................................26 HB 1161 ....................................19 HB 5401 ....................................18 CS/HB 1173 ..............................13 CS/HB 7003 ..............................12 HB 1175 ....................................17 CSICS/SB 7006 ..................18, CS/CS/SB 1184 ........................26 HB7011 ......................................8 CS/SB 1186 ..............................23 CS/HB 7017 ..............................18 CS/CS/CS/HB 1205 ..................10 SB 7024 ......................................5 SB 1206 .....................................14 CS/CS/HB 7039 ........................21 CS/SB 1214 ..............................18 CS/SB 7052 ...............................15 CS/CS/SB 1216 ..........................7 SB 7054 ....................................21 HB 1227 ....................................12 CS/HB 7067 ........................17, CS/CS/CS/SB 1232 ..................23 CS/CS/HB 7071 ........................26 CS/CS/HB 1233 ........................21 CSICS/HB 7075 ........................23 HB1237 .....................................21 SB 7080 ....................................23 HB 1239 ....................................21 CS/SB 7086 ..............................12 SB 1244 .....................................17 SB 7090 .....................................14 SB1272 ....................................26 CS/HB 7109 ................................5 CS/CS/CS/HB 1279 ...................14 CS/HB 7123 ..............................10 CS/HB 1283 ..............................19 CS/HB 7135 ..............................12 HS 1291 ...............................10,11 HB 7139 .....................................14 CS/SB 1298 ..............................22 HB 7141 .....................................16 CS/CS/HB 1309 ..........................6 HCR 8009 ...................................5 CS/SB 1312 ................................9 SB 1344 ....................................27 CS/SB 1352 ..............................13 SB 1368 .....................................15 SB 1408 ....................................13 SB 1412 ....................................19 SB 1424 ....................................19 31 BILL NUMBER PAGE # CS/SB 1430 ..............................24 SB 1436 ....................................13 CS/CS/SB 1444 ........................23 SB 1456 ....................................23 SB 1464 ....................................25 CSISB 1468 ..............................10 CS/CS/SB 1500 ...................24,25 SB 1508 .....................................13 SB 1516 ....................................18 CS/SB 1520 ..............................20 CS/CS/SB 1534 ........................18 CS/CS/SB 1538 .........................11 CS/CSISB 1548 ........................12 CS/CS/SB 1554 ........................22 S81556 ....................................18 HB4005 ....................................24 HB 4009 ....................................27 HB 4015 ....................................27 HB 4025 ....................................26 HB 5401 ....................................18 CS/HB 7003 ..............................12 CSICS/SB 7006 ..................18, 25 HB7011 ......................................8 CS/HB 7017 ..............................18 SB 7024 ......................................5 CS/CS/HB 7039 ........................21 CS/SB 7052 ...............................15 SB 7054 ....................................21 CS/HB 7067 ........................17, 22 CS/CS/HB 7071 ........................26 CSICS/HB 7075 ........................23 SB 7080 ....................................23 CS/SB 7086 ..............................12 SB 7090 .....................................14 CS/HB 7109 ................................5 CS/HB 7123 ..............................10 CS/HB 7135 ..............................12 HB 7139 .....................................14 HB 7141 .....................................16 HCR 8009 ...................................5 BILL INDEX BY NUMBER Message—the houses of the Legislature send formal communications to each other regarding action taken on bills. This measure is usually reserved for the last couple of weeks of a legislative session. If a bill dies in messages, it has passed each chamber in form; however, one of the two chambers has made a change or amended the bill so that the two versions are no longer identical. Proposed Committee Bill (PCB) — a draft legislative measure taken up by a committee for the purpose of con- sidering whether or not to introduce it in the name of the committee. Proviso— language used in a general appropriations bill to qualify or restrict the way in which a specific appropriation is to be expended. Referendum — a vote by the citizens upon a measure that has been presented to them for either approval or rejec- tion. Repeal — the deletion by law of an entire section, subsec- tion or paragraph of language from the Florida statutes. Session — Regular Session: the annual session that beings on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March of each odd -numbered year, and on the first Tuesday after the first Monday In March, or such other date as may be fixed by law, of each even -numbered year, for a period not to exceed 60 consecutive days. There Is no limit on the subject matter that may be introduced in a regular session. Special Session: special sessions may be called by procla- mation of the governor, by joint proclamation of the House speaker and the Senate president, or by the members of the Legislature for the purpose of considering specific leg- islation and shall not exceed 20 consecutive days unless extended by a three-fifths vote of each house. In order for members of the Legislature to call a special session, three- fifths of the members of both houses must vote in favor of calling a special session. Special Order Calendar —a list of bills determined by the Rules chairman considered to be of high importance and priority scheduled for consideration in a specific order during a floor session on a particular day. Sponsor— the legislator or committee that files a bill for introduction. Temporarily Postponed — a motion can be made in the chamber or in committee to temporarily defer a consider- ation of a measure. Veto — an objection by the governor to an act passed by the Legislature. Vetoes can be overridden by vote of two- thirds of the membership of each chamber. A line Item veto may be performed by the governor of specific measures in the general appropriations bill (the budget). 33 FLC LEGISLATIVE GLOSSARY