SB 996 Perry / HB 997 Killebrew — Administrative Proceedings
This legislation punishes concerned citizens and non-profit organizations for challenging development decisions that impact Florida’s environment and quality of life.  It stymies public participation in government by forcing Floridians who unsuccessfully challenge development decisions to pay the attorney fees and costs of real estate developers up to $50,000. Shockingly, Senator Perry’s bill requires citizens to pay developer’s legal tabs even if the case is settled under mutually agreed upon terms. In a major victory, this bill was temporarily postponed in its first Senate Committee stop. 
Senate referrals: Judiciary; Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government (temporarily postponed); Appropriations
House referrals: Oversight, Transparency & Administration Subcommittee (temporarily postponed); Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee; Government Accountability Committee

SB 1158 Passidomo / HB 17 Fine — Regulation of Commerce, Trade, and Labor
Both SB 1158 and HB 17 preempt local governments from adopting new regulation on a business, profession, or occupation unless the regulation is expressly authorized by general law. HB 17 would also sunset existing regulations on July 1, 2020. 1000 Friends opposes SB 1158 and HB 17.
Senate referrals: Commerce and Tourism; Community Affairs; Appropriations; Rules
House Referrals: Careers & Competition Subcommittee (passed); Commerce Committee

SB 940 Perry / HB 1309 Payne — Growth Management
Requires local governments to adopt a “private property rights element” into their comprehensive plans that must require the local government to weigh “economic development” and “private property rights” over other policies in its comprehensive plan when issuing development permits.  1000 Friends opposes SB 940.
Senate referrals: Community Affairs (passed); Environmental Preservation and Conservation; Rules
House referrals: Agriculture and Property Rights Subcommittee; Local, Federal and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee; Commerce Committee

SB 422 Lee / HB 719 — Municipal Conversion of Independent Special Districts
Requires an area within an independent special district to meet minimum population criteria already in statute to be eligible for municipal conversion. Essentially closes a loophole in statute that allowed conversion of certain developments to cities. This provision had been used by the new city of Westlake in Palm Beach County. House Bill 719 unanimously passed the House on 4/5/2017.  This bill has not been taken up by the Senate. 
1000 Friends supports SB 422/HB 719.
Senate Referrals:  Community Affairs (passed); Ethics and Elections (passed); Rules
House referrals: Local, Federal and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee (passed); Government Accountability Committee (passed)

SB 1770 Lee / HB 13 Raburn — Community Redevelopment Agencies

Both bills propose to significantly change how Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRAs) operate and require a super-majority vote by local governments that have CRAs to keep them from automatically sunsetting. HB 13 would prohibit creation of new CRAs. 1000 Friends of Florida opposed these bills.  SB 1770 was voted down, pending reconsideration, in the Senate TED Appropriations Subcommittee. HB 13 passed the House 78-37. HB 13 has not been taken up by the Senate.

Senate referrals: Community Affairs (passed); Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development (did not pass); Appropriations; Rules
House Referrals: Local, Federal and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee (passed); Ways and Means Committee (passed); Government Accountability Committee (passed)

SB 1696 Stuebe / HB 1241 Eagle — Subdivided Lands
Defines Legacy communities which are antiquated subdivisions created before modern growth management controls and lacking adequate infrastructure but still entitling property owners to use for residential development. Gives local governments with Legacy communities preference for certain state grants.
Senate referrals: Agriculture and Property Rights Subcommittee; Appropriations Committee; Commerce Committee
House referrals: Agriculture & Property Rights Subcommittee (passed); Appropriations Committee; Commerce Committee

SB 1048 Lee / HB 1055 Ingram, Payne: Linear Facilities
Would preempt local government regulation of utility corridors including transmission lines and pipelines. Specifies that the Public Service Commission has sole ability to determine whether transmission lines must be placed underground.  SB 1048 passed the full Senate 34-3 on 4/6/2017. It has not been taken up by the House.
Senate referrals: Communications, Energy, and Public Utilities (passed); Community Affairs (passed); Full Senate (passed)
House referrals: Energy & Utilities Subcommittee (passed); Natural Resources & Public Lands Subcommittee (passed); Commerce Committee

SB 250 Artiles / HB 777 Willhite — High-occupancy Toll Lanes and Express Lanes
Prohibits the Department of Transportation from establishing tolled express lanes.  HB 777 was defeated on a 6-8 vote in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee. These bills are dead for the 2017 session.
Senate Referrals: Transportation (passed); Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development; Appropriations
House referrals: Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee (did not pass), Government Accountability Committee, Transportation & Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee

SB 386 Mayfield / HB 269 Magar/Grall — High-speed Passenger Rail
Requires a railroad company operating a high-speed passenger rail system to be solely responsible for all rail corridor improvements or upgrades relating to its operation and safety, essentially ensuring costs are not shifted to local governments.  1000 Friends supports SB 386/HB269.  HB 269 was temporarily postponed in the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee.
Senate Referrals:  Transportation (passed); Community Affairs; Appropriations
House Referrals:  Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee (Temporarily Postponed); Transportation and Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee; Government Accountability Committee

SB 234 Bradley / HB 847 Payne — St. Johns River Restoration Funding
Requires an annual allocation of $20 million from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund to the St. Johns River Water Management District for projects dedicated to the restoration and enhancement of the St. Johns River and its tributaries or the Keystone Heights Lake Region. Funds could be used for land management, land acquisition, increasing recreational opportunities, and improving public access.  SB 234 unanimously passed the Senate on 4/13/17. Its House companion has yet to be heard in committee.
Senate Referrals: Environmental Preservation and Conservation (Passed); Appropriations Subcommittee on the Environment and Natural Resources (Passed); Appropriations  (Passed)
House Referrals: Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee; Natural Resources and Public Lands Subcommittee; Appropriations Committee

SB 874 Young / HB 551 Stone — Indian River Lagoon and Caloosahatchee Septic Tank Remediation Funding
Requires an annual appropriation of $20 million from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund to fund septic system upgrades or connection to central sewer when DEP finds that septic systems are contributing excess nutrient pollution to the Indian River Lagoon and the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries. The funds would also be used for muck dredging and storm-water improvements in the northern Indian River Lagoon. The bill requires the adoption of septic tank remediation plans for these areas.
Senate Referrals: Environmental Preservation and Conservation (passed); Appropriations Subcommittee on the Environment and Natural Resources; Appropriations 
House Referrals:  Natural Resources and Public Lands Subcommittee; Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee; Government Accountability Committee 

SB 678 Montford / HB 629 Payne — Financial Assistance for water and wastewater infrastructure
Eases process for local governments to finance septic to sewer conversions by allowing them to receive payments from the State for invoices, rather than paying the invoices themselves and then waiting for reimbursement from the State.  1000 Friends supports SB 678/HB629.
Senate Referrals: Communications, Energy, and Public Utilities (passed); Appropriations Subcommittee on the Environment and Natural Resources (passed); Appropriations
House Referrals: Natural Resources and Public Lands Subcommittee (passed); Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee; Government Accountability Committee

SB 442 Young / HB 551 Miller — Advanced Well Stimulation (Fracking) Ban
This bill would ban “advanced well stimulation” techniques, including “fracking,” in Florida. It makes it clear that a permit for drilling or operating a well doesn’t authorize the performance of “advanced well stimulation treatments.” 1000 Friends supports SB 442/HB551.
Senate Referrals: Environmental Preservation and Conservation (passed); Appropriations Subcommittee on the Environment and Natural Resources; Appropriations
House Referrals: Natural Resources and Public Lands Subcommittee; Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee; Government Accountability Committee

SB 162 Rodriguez / HB 93 Richardson — “Disposable Plastic Bags Ban in Coastal Communities”
Allows coastal communities with a population of fewer than 100,000 to implement pilot programs testing regulations or bans of disposable plastic bags. The pilot programs would take effect on or after January 1, 2018 and would end on or before June 30, 2020. The pilot regulations or bans cannot include new taxes or fees on the use or distribution of disposable plastic bags. Municipalities that implement such pilot programs would collect data on the impact of their regulations or ban and submit a report by April 1, 2020 with this information to the governing board of their municipality at a public hearing. They would also provide a copy of this report to the Department of Environmental Protection.  1000 Friends supports SB 162/HB 93.
Senate Referrals: Environmental Preservation and Conservation (passed); Community Affairs; Commerce and Tourism; Rules
House Referrals: Local, Federal and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee; Careers and Competition Subcommittee; Government Accountability Committee

SB 982 Mayfield / HB 1033 Altman — “Land Acquisition Trust Fund Allocation for the Indian River Lagoon System”
Amends the Land Acquisition Trust fund statute to appropriate $30 million annually for projects dedicated to the restoration of the Indian River Lagoon system. From these funds, $15 million would be distributed to the St. Johns River Water Management District and $15 million would be distributed to the South Florida Water Management District. The funds could be used for land acquisition, land management, increasing recreational opportunities, and improving public access.
Senate Referrals: Environmental Preservation and Conservation (passed); Appropriations Subcommittee on the Environment and Natural Resources; Appropriations
House Referrals: Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee; Natural Resources and Public Lands Subcommittee; Appropriations Committee

SB 1700 Farmer — Water Management
After the passage of Senate Bill 552, industry-backed water legislation, by the Florida Legislature in 2016 many legislators acknowledged shortcomings with the bill raised by water advocates and environmental groups. Senate Bill 1700 by Senator Gary Farmer improves upon the 2016 legislation with commonsense provisions to protect Florida’s waters, including precious Outstanding Florida Springs, and ensure that our tax dollars are being used efficiently and effectively in a manner which provides maximum benefit for Florida’s people and environment.  Click here for more information.
Senate Referrals: Environmental Preservation and Conservation; Appropriations Subcommittee on the Environment and Natural Resources; Appropriations

SB 198 Stewart / HB 861 Willhite – Environmental Regulation Commission
Requires the Governor to fill vacancies to the ERC within 90 days; requires a supermajority to approve standards relating to air and water pollution. Passed the Senate unanimously. Has not been taken up by House.
Senate Referrals: Environmental Preservation and Conservation (Passed); Ethics and Elections (Passed); Rules
House Referrals: Natural Resources and Public Lands Subcommittee (Passed); Oversight, Transparency and Administration Subcommittee; Government Accountability Committee

SB 1590 Latvala / HB 1213 Peters – Coastal Management
Amends the Land Acquisition Trust fund statute to appropriate the lesser of 7.6 percent or $50 million annually for projects that preserve and repair the state’s beaches. Additionally, it requires DEP to include a strategic beach management plan, a critically eroded beaches report, and a statewide long-range budget plan in their comprehensive long-term management plan. The House companion legislation, HB 1213, does not include the guaranteed funding. Passed the Senate unanimously. Has not been taken up by House.
Senate Referrals: Environmental Preservation and Conservation (Passed); Appropriations Subcommittee on the Environment and Natural Resources (Passed); Appropriations
House Referrals: Natural Resources and Public Lands Subcommittee (Passed); Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee (Passed); Government Accountability Committee