Use of Digital Currency by the Department of Financial Services; Establishes Florida Stablecoin Pilot Program within DFS; authorizes DFS to engage in certain activities, designate one or more payment stablecoins for certain activities, & accept payment stablecoins; requires that certain payment stablecoins meet specified criteria; authorizes program participants to elect to voluntarily participate in program & remit payment stablecoins to compatible digital wallet address; requires certain participants to provide DFS with such address; requires DFS to comply with certain requirements & provide such address for specified purpose; authorizes DFS to conduct examinations, audits, & investigations of permitted payment stablecoin issuers; requires DFS to coordinate with OFR under certain circumstances; requires DFS to monitor & evaluate pilot program & collect certain data; requires DFS to submit annual report containing certain information to Governor & Legislature beginning on specified date & annually thereafter; authorizes DFS to adopt rules.
Stormwater Treatment ; Prohibits certain stormwater treatment & net improvement activities; requires DEP to require specified documentation for issuance of environmental resource permit for regional stormwater management systems; provides requirements for environmental resource permits authorizing such systems; authorizes certain permit applicants to purchase & use certain pollution reduction allocations & water quality enhancement credits; requires DEP & water management districts to use specified information to establish drainage areas; provides that certain use of enhancement credits constitutes stormwater treatment; provides that certain pollutant load reductions may not be referred to as enhancement credits; requires DEP to file specified rules for adoption by specified date; provides for water quality enhancement provisional permits; provides for modification of such permits under certain conditions; requires DEP & water management districts to recognize enhancement credits established in provisional permits; clarifies types of mitigation measures for compensating stormwater treatment which DEP or water management district governing boards must consider.
Promoting Stability and Democratic Values in the Western Hemisphere; Recognizing the importance of the United States’ actions against narco-terrorism, affirming the national security significance of holding Nicolás Maduro accountable, supporting democratic transition in Venezuela, and expressing solidarity with the Venezuelan people, etc.
Utility Services; Requiring that a new agreement, or an extension, renewal, or material amendment of an existing agreement, to provide certain utility services at retail be in writing; requiring that certain public meetings be held as a condition precedent to the effectiveness of a new or extended agreement under which a municipality will provide specified utility services in other municipalities or unincorporated areas; revising provisions relating to permissible rates, fees, and charges imposed by municipal water and sewer utilities on consumers located outside the municipal boundaries; requiring municipalities that provide specified utility services to report certain information by a specified date, and annually thereafter, to the Florida Public Service Commission, etc.
Aging and Disability Services; Deleting expired requirements for Medicaid recipients to receive an offer for enrollment for long-term care services; requiring the CARES program to review or perform the initial assessment of an enrollee’s level of care; providing procurement requirements for area agencies on aging; requiring that high-risk vulnerable adults be given priority consideration for receiving community-care-for-the-elderly services; revising professional and public guardians’ continuing education requirements to include Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, etc.
HB 1169 requires local governments in Florida to use all fees, fines, and earnings collected for enforcing the Florida Building Code *only* for building code-related activities like permit processing, inspections, and enforcement. It limits how much excess funds can be carried forward (to the average of the previous 4 years' operating budget for code enforcement) and mandates that unspent funds be used for fee rebates, technology upgrades, building construction for enforcement agencies, or inspector training. The bill prohibits using these funds for unrelated activities like zoning, public events, or inspections of public buildings at reduced rates. It directly affects local governments managing building code enforcement and building permit applicants paying related fees.
Transportation; Revises membership of Florida Transportation Research Institute; requires Florida Greenways & Trails Council to meet within specified timeframe to update specified recommendations; requires seaports to include critical infrastructure resource strategies in specified plan; revises provisions relating to personal delivery devices & mobile carriers; increases certain speed limits; modifies terms for elections to attend basic driver improvement course; authorizes certain rental trucks to elect permanent registration period; requires motor vehicle registration renewal to be recorded electronically; removes provisions relating to validation stickers; revises provisions relating to drone delivery services & drone ports; revises powers & duties of DOT with respect to state airport systems; provides requirements for commercial service airports relating to critical infrastructure resources; revises provisions relating to certain communications facilities; revises construction materials that may be used for certain multiuse trails or shared-use paths; provides that certain provisions relating to paratransit services apply only to persons with disabilities; revises provisions authorizing certain sign owners to increase sign height under certain circumstances; provides penalties for shooting into or throwing deadly missiles into occupied or unoccupied autonomous vehicle; provides penalties for defacing, injuring, or damaging autonomous vehicle.
Data Centers; Prohibits agency from entering into nondisclosure agreement or other contract that restricts agency from disclosing certain information to public; specifies that local governments maintain authority to exercise power & responsibility over comprehensive planning & land development regulations related to large load customers; prohibits large load customer from being considered electric substation; requires applicants for construction permits for certain new data center in specified areas to demonstrate that operation of data center will comply with certain provisions & submit specified study in support of such application; requires PSC to develop minimum tariff & service requirements for large load customers; prohibits governing board of water management district or DEP from issuing permit for consumptive use of water to large-scale data center; requires governing board or DEP to require use of reclaimed water for large-scale data center applicant's allocation when certain requirements are met.
Department of Financial Services; Revises provisions related to DFS including financial subsystems, warrants, firefighter employment, , My Safe Florida Home & Condominium Programs, payments, coordinating council, licensing & examination, fire safety, fire codes, licensee requirements, deferred payment processors, public adjusters, bail bonds, abandoned & unclaimed property, & legal tender.
Elections; Defining the term “document acceptable as evidence of United States citizenship”; revising the information the uniform statewide voter registration application is designed to elicit from an applicant to include a certain acknowledgment; requiring that an agreement between the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the Department of State match information regarding the legal status as a United States citizen of applicants applying to vote; requiring supervisors to verify the current eligibility of certain applicants within a specified timeframe by reviewing specified information provided by governmental entities to make a determination under specified conditions; prohibiting a person from qualifying for nomination as a candidate of a political party if the person has not been a registered member of such party for a specified timeframe; requiring that all voting be done by official ballot using certain pens, etc.
Public Employees Relations Commission; Revises provisions relating to certain final orders issued by PERC; specifies annual salaries of chair & other commissioners of PERC; revises provisions for delivery of service; requires employee organization, within specified timeframe, to revoke membership of, & cease collection of membership dues from, public employee; revises requirements for registration, registration renewal, certification, recertification, or decertification of employee organizations; removes provisions relating to revocation of certification of employee organizations; requires commission or one of its designated agents to conduct investigation if challenge is filed; provides prohibitions on public employers, their agents or representatives, & any person acting on their behalf; revises provisions relating to impasse; authorizes certain actions by public employees upon agreement between public employer & bargaining agent; provides exceptions for certain bargaining units; increases fines for certain violations.
Farm Equipment; Authorizes consumer to report farm equipment that is defective & does not conform to specified warranties to manufacturer or its authorized service agent; requires manufacturer or its authorized agent to make repairs to conform farm equipment to warranty at no cost to consumer; requires manufacturer or its authorized agent to replace or accept return of defective farm equipment; authorizes extension of repair period under certain conditions; provides presumption & affirmative defenses.
