Rural Communities; Requiring the state land planning agency to give preference for technical assistance funding to local governments located in a rural area of opportunity; revising the conditions required for a county to be considered a fiscally constrained county; creating the Office of Rural Prosperity within the Department of Commerce; requiring the Office of Rural Prosperity to administer the Renaissance Grants Program to provide block grants to eligible communities; creating the Public Infrastructure Smart Technology Grant Program within the Office of Rural Prosperity; creating the Florida Arterial Road Modernization Program within the Department of Transportation, etc. APPROPRIATION: $144,813,977
School Zone and Pedestrian Safety; Requires that design & construction plans for installation of crosswalks in school zones or on certain streets, roads, or highways include certain traffic control devices.
Impact of Perimenopause and Menopause on Women's Health; Requires DOH to establish perimenopause & menopause policy workgroup; provides requirements for workgroup; requires department, in collaboration with others, to develop & make publicly available information relating to perimenopause & menopause; provides requirements for such information.
SB 64 revises Florida's definition of "medical review committee" to include more healthcare entities like mental health facilities, substance abuse programs, pharmacy quality committees, and insurer review groups. It clarifies that committee proceedings and records generally cannot be used as evidence in malpractice lawsuits against healthcare providers, protecting confidentiality during peer reviews. The bill also specifies that information already available from other sources remains discoverable, and committee members cannot be questioned about their committee testimony in court. This applies to committees evaluating care quality, treatment appropriateness, or cost reasonableness across hospitals, clinics, and health systems. The changes take effect July 1, 2026.
HB 103 repeals Florida's existing Chapter 205, which governed local business taxes, while creating new authority for municipalities to continue imposing their own business taxes measured by gross receipts. It specifically allows cities or counties that already levy such taxes to maintain them, revise the definition of "merchant" for tax purposes, but prohibits any changes to the tax rate. The bill affects local governments (not businesses directly) that currently impose business taxes, ensuring continuity for existing tax structures. Amendments to other statutes (like towing service rules) adjust references to reflect this repeal and new authority.
Taxation; Prohibiting counties, municipalities, and special districts, respectively, from levying certain special assessments against more than a specified square footage amount per recreational vehicle parking space or campsite; prohibiting a taxpayer from being assessed certain penalties or interest under certain circumstances; revising a specified finding that a taxing authority must make in order to elect not to exempt certain property from certain ad valorem taxation; providing that the provision of electricity to a consumer at an electric vehicle charging station shall be considered the retail sale of electricity, etc.
Speech and Debate Education; Designates Florida Speech & Debate Week annually in February; subject to legislative appropriation, establishing Florida Debate Initiative, Inc., (FDI) as statewide speech & debate organization that performs certain functions in support of Florida Civics & Debate Initiative (FCDI) in DOE; provides duties of FDI & FCDI.
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.
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.
