Release of Conservation Easements; Requires certain water management districts, upon application by fee simple owner of parcel subject to conservation easement, to release conservation easement if specified conditions are met; specifies that land released from conservation easement may be used for development consistent with certain zoning; requires property owners to assume responsibility for stormwater requirements in certain circumstances; requires property owners to comply with specified ordinances & seek approval for modification of certain permits; provides applicability.
Provision of Municipal Utility Service to Owners Outside the Municipal Limits; Prohibiting a municipal utility from declining to extend service to properties outside its corporate limits under certain circumstances; requiring a municipal utility to expand its service to an owner who makes such a request under certain circumstances, subject to the utility’s service requirements; requiring the municipal utility to make a determination within a specified timeframe and provide such determination to the owner in writing; requiring the municipal utility to provide the owner with specified information and to connect properties in a timely manner; authorizing a municipal utility to establish minimum application filing requirements, etc.
Enforcement of Protections for Minors; Providing criminal penalties for health care practitioners who willfully or actively aid or abet another in a violation of specified provisions; clarifying that a private cause of action exists to recover damages for personal injury or death resulting from a violation of a specified provision; providing that an individual may recover all economic and noneconomic damages for injuries sustained before or after turning 18 years of age which result from such violation; creating a private cause of action to recover damages against certain public employees and health care practitioners for violations of specified provisions, etc.
Homeowner's Insurance Premium Reductions; Requires premium reductions to be applied to homeowners who maintain certain claim-free periods; provides requirements for such premium reductions; provides that homeowners who file major storm claims remain eligible for premium reductions; requires OIR to determine premium reduction schedules for such homeowners; prohibits homeowners' insurers from treating major storm claims as certain other claims; requires homeowners' premium reductions for mitigation upgrades.
SB 976 amends Florida law to allow counties collecting tourist development taxes to use those revenues for operating commuter rail services within regional transportation authorities. This change specifically adds commuter rail operations as an authorized use under Section 125.0104(5)(a)(8) of the Florida Statutes, alongside existing permitted uses like convention centers, beach maintenance, and tourism promotion. The bill does not alter other existing uses of tourist tax funds but expands the scope to include public transit infrastructure. It takes effect on July 1, 2026, and applies to all Florida counties imposing the tourist development tax.
Locations of Sheriffs' Offices; Authorizes sheriffs' offices to be located at any location in counties, rather than requires offices to be at county seats.
Notice of Restoration of Voting Rights Information on Sentencing Scoresheets; Specifying information to be provided on sentencing scoresheets concerning restoration of voting rights; requiring that a scoresheet be provided to a defendant before a sentence is imposed, etc.
Roofing Material Restrictions for Homeowners’ Associations; Revising the prohibition on the adoption of certain covenants, rules, or guidelines by a homeowners’ association or a specified committee of an association to include a prohibition on requiring specific types of materials for the building or rebuilding of a roof if the built or rebuilt roof meets certain criteria and standards; revising the prohibited clauses in homeowners’ association documents to include a requirement that a property owner may not be precluded from using any type of building material to build or rebuild his or her roof if the built or rebuilt roof meets certain criteria and standards, etc.
Instructional Personnel and School Administrator Salaries; Revises provisions relating to school district salary schedules & certain FEFP funding relating to instructional personnel salary increases & school district, charter school, & DOE responsibilities.
Nonprofit Religious Organizations; Revising the conditions under which a nonprofit religious organization is not subject to the requirements of the Florida Insurance Code; requiring certain agents to provide a specified written disclaimer on certain applications and guideline materials, etc.
Prohibited Uses of Public Funds by Political Subdivisions; Defines "not-for-profit entity or organization" & "political subdivision"; prohibits political subdivisions from using public funds to fund any not-for-profit entity or organization in this state; provides exception.
Paid Parental Leave; Requires state to provide paid parental leave to certain employees for specified period of time; prohibits state from requiring that employee use his or her annual or sick leave for paid parental leave; provides that employee is entitled to accumulate specified benefits during such leave; prohibits state from refusing to grant such leave.
