RELATING TO REGIONAL SHORELINE MITIGATION DISTRICTS.

The criteria for designating regional shoreline mitigation districts were updated to require districts to be comprised primarily of contiguous shoreline and shoreline-adjacent properties.

The office is now required to assist state and county permitting agencies and must include specific technical guidance on structural, non-structural, and nature-based measures like elevating infrastructure and relocation.

The specific appropriation for hiring one full-time temporary planning analyst was removed from the text.

The bill's internal section numbering was updated (e.g., Section 4 became Section 5), and the summary description was shortened to reflect the new focus on district designation rather than just planning.

The Office of Planning and Sustainable Development's duties were modified to require active coordination with the Department of Land and Natural Resources, county agencies, and federal entities, and to engage directly with community stakeholders.

Key definitions were updated; for example, 'Regional shoreline mitigation district' was refined to emphasize areas within the same sediment cell, and 'Shoreline adaptation pathways' now explicitly includes relocation or retreat as measures.

New policy requirements were added to the Coastal Zone Management Program to mandate the support and integration of shoreline adaptation pathways planning into county special management area planning.

New funding provisions were added to appropriate money for establishing districts, reviewing plans, and hiring a temporary planning analyst.

The effective date for the main provisions was changed to July 1, 3000, while the funding and hiring sections remain effective July 1, 2026.

Created new 'Regional Shoreline Mitigation Districts' to coordinate planning across connected coastal areas rather than treating each property in isolation.

Mandated that planning must include community engagement, analysis of social/cultural/economic impacts, and comparison of alternative options.

Added specific viable financing tools to plans, including special assessment districts, community facilities districts, tax increment financing, and bond issuance.

Defined key terms like 'Shoreline adaptation pathway' to include nature-based solutions, retreat, and relocation alongside traditional armoring.

Extended the deadline for state departments to decide on permit applications from 180 to 270 days when environmental reviews are required.

Added a severability clause to ensure the rest of the bill remains valid if any single provision is found unconstitutional.

Changed the originating chamber from House of Representatives to Senate and updated the document header to indicate a Floor Amendment.

Added status checkboxes for 'Carried', 'Failed to Carry', and 'Withdrawn' to track the amendment's procedural outcome.

Added a mandatory requirement that shoreline adaptation plans must engage in community planning to determine the best path forward, considering impacts on public trust resources, private property, and social factors.

Modified the criteria for extending emergency erosion control permits to strictly require that the condition is 'immediately dangerous' and that the applicant has demonstrated the capacity to remove the temporary measures later.

Updated the definition of 'concerted effort' to specifically mandate that the applicant is working on a plan within a designated regional shoreline mitigation district.

Replaced the requirement for 'regional coastal erosion and sediment management plans' with 'shoreline adaptation pathways plans' that must evaluate multiple options including retreat and relocation, not just structural fixes.

Changed the primary goal from mitigating erosion to preserving public beaches and public access, with protection of private structures becoming a secondary consideration.

Added a mandate for 'culturally informed, community-engaged planning' to determine appropriate adaptation strategies.

Added a requirement that plans must identify viable financing tools including special assessment districts, community facilities districts, tax increment financing, and bonds.

Added new definitions for 'shoreline adaptation pathway' and 'shoreline adaptation pathways plan' to formalize the new flexible planning approach.

Removed the specific appropriation for hiring a temporary planning analyst and the fixed dollar amount, replacing them with a general severability clause and updated effective date.

Changed the effective date of the Act from January 1, 2027, to July 1, 2026.

Modified permit review procedures to allow temporary emergency measures for up to five years only if a long-term adaptation plan is being developed.