Water Management Districts

Requires the Commission on Ethics to investigate lobbyists or principals who make prohibited expenditures and report findings to the Governor.

Mandates detailed annual reports on Everglades restoration costs and performance indicators, with project components categorized by planning, construction, operational, or pending phases.

Requires water management districts to include specific budget sections showing actual state revenue amounts and capital improvement plans in their budget documents.

Establishes separate ranking lists for water management district projects in the Statewide Flooding and Sea Level Rise Resilience Plan.

Requires referendum questions on tax levies to specify the purpose of the levy and maximum duration the millage may be imposed.

Requires water management districts to give preference to bids with proof of minimum work experience, payment bonds, and 2-year warranties for projects over $20 million.

Creates a new revolving loan program for water management districts to finance flood resilience projects, with interest-free 20-year loans and penalties for defaults.

Sets maximum millage rates for all water management districts and limits South Florida Water Management District basin tax apportionment to 60%.

Restricts water management districts from using state funds as local matches for state grants unless specifically appropriated for that purpose.

Defines 'capital improvement projects' to include water supply, water quality, flood protection, and natural systems projects for tax levy purposes.

Requires the Commission on Ethics to investigate lobbyists or principals who make prohibited expenditures and report findings to the Governor, strengthening enforcement of lobbying laws.

Clarifies quorum requirements for water management district governing boards, specifying that a majority of members including vacancies constitutes a quorum and that remote attendance counts toward quorum determination.

Enhances Everglades restoration reporting requirements, requiring detailed annual reports on remaining costs, performance indicators, and project status categorized by planning, construction, operational, and pending phases.

Requires water management districts to include detailed capital improvement plans in preliminary budgets with specific information about project costs, timelines, funding sources, and progress metrics.

Establishes a separate account in the Resilient Florida Trust Fund to administer revolving loans for flood resilience projects submitted by water management districts.

Requires water management districts to give preference to the lowest responsible and responsive bid for capital improvement projects over $20 million, with specific requirements for payment bonds and warranties.

Creates a loan program for water management districts to finance flood resilience projects, with provisions for repayment terms, penalties for default, and restrictions on additional state funding if districts default.

Authorizes water management districts to levy ad valorem taxes through referendum for capital improvement projects, with specific millage limits and expiration dates tied to project completion.

Appropriates specific funding amounts for the 2025-2026 fiscal year for Everglades restoration projects, northern Everglades protection, and Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Estuaries discharge reduction projects.

Modifies cost-share requirements for the Statewide Flooding and Sea Level Rise Resilience Plan, requiring a minimum 50 percent cost share unless the project is submitted by a water management district or serves a community eligible for reduced cost share.