Rep. Lindsay Cross

Local Occupational Licensing; Prohibits local governments from requiring license issued by local government or state for certain job scopes; prohibits local governments from requiring license issued by local government or state to obtain building permit for such job scopes; authorizes local governments to impose local licensing requirements for certain specialty jobs scopes.

Taxation of Affordable Housing; Authorizes counties & municipalities to adopt ordinances to grant partial ad valorem tax exemptions to property owners whose properties are used to provide affordable housing; specifies duties of boards of county commissioners & municipal governing bodies adopting ordinances granting such exemptions; requires owners of property that is improperly granted such exemptions to pay owed taxes, penalties, & interest.

Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System Inspections; Requires owners of certain onsite sewage treatment & disposal systems to have periodic inspections & pay specified costs; directs DEP to administer inspection program; provides for implementation schedule, qualified contractors, exemptions, assessment & inspection procedures, fees, notices, disciplinary actions, & penalties; prohibits partial inspection & omission of inspection portions.

Health Care Provider Accountability; Provides immunity to health care workers of hospitals & nursing home facilities who carry out directives of supervising health care practitioner or entity; requires AHCA to provide report on success of personal care attendant program; requires nursing home facilities to report to agency common ownership relationships they or their parent companies share with certain entities; requires agency to submit report of such reported common ownership relationships to Governor & Legislature; revises rate methodology for agency's long-term care reimbursement plan; requires agency to add quality metric to its Quality Incentive Program for specified purpose.

Implementation of the Recommendations of the Blue-Green Algae Task Force; Requires owners of certain onsite sewage treatment & disposal systems to have systems inspected; requires DEP to administer program; requires estimated pollutant load reductions in basin management action plans to meet or exceed specified requirements; revises requirements for allocation of such reductions; requires plans to provide & reevaluate certain mitigation & elimination strategies; requires new or revised plans to list certain spatially focused projects; requires DEP to assess certain projects; requires assessments to be included in plan updates.

Land Acquisition Funding; Extends retirement date of bonds issues to fund Florida Forever Act; revises distribution of proceeds from Florida Forever Trust Fund for land acquisition & capital project expenditures under Florida Forever Act; requires specified annual appropriation to Florida Forever Trust Fund; prohibits use of moneys from Land Acquisition Trust Fund for specified costs. APPROPRIATION: Indeterminate

Saltwater Intrusion Vulnerability Assessments; Authorizes DEP to provide grants to coastal counties for saltwater intrusion vulnerability assessments; requires DEP to update comprehensive statewide flood vulnerability & sea level rise data, post certain assessment information on website, & provide cost-share funding for grants; exempts certain counties from cost-share funding.

Urban Agriculture Pilot Projects; Redefines term "urban agriculture."

Challenges to Development Orders; Requires prevailing party to show challenge to development order was frivolous before prevailing party is entitled to recover reasonable attorney fees & costs; provides intervenors are not entitled to recover reasonable attorney fees & costs.

Housing; Creates Department of Housing & Tenant Rights; provides for secretary be appointed by Governor & confirmed by Senate; provides purpose of department; requires department submit a specified report; revises provisions relating to residential tenancies, landlords, & tenants, including requirements for rental agreements, security deposits, notices, evictions, rights to purchase, rent control, impact fees, & documentary stamp taxes.