FNGA LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

HB 1645 Energy
Allows resiliency facilities in local government comprehensive plans & specified districts; requires PSC to conduct assessment of state’s electric grid & natural gas facilities against physical & cyber threats; expands current energy preemptions to HOAs and CDDs.

HB 275 Offenses Involving Critical Infrastructure
Provides criminal penalties for improperly tampering with critical infrastructure resulting in specified monetary damage or cost to restore; provides for civil liability upon conviction for such violations; provides criminal penalties for trespass upon critical infrastructure; provides notice requirements; provides criminal penalties for unauthorized access to or tampering with specified electronic devices or networks of critical infrastructure.

HB 293 Hurricane Protections for Homeowners Associations
Requires board or committee of homeowners’ association to adopt hurricane protection specifications; requires such specifications conform to applicable building codes; prohibits board or committee of association from denying application for installation, enhancement, or replacement of certain hurricane protection. Includes generators as a hurricane protection measure.

SB 366 Civil Penalties Relating to the Gas Safety Law
Civil Penalties Under the Gas Safety Law of 1967; Increasing, until a specified date, the civil penalty amount for violating the Gas Safety Law of 1967; increasing the maximum authorized civil penalty for any related series of violations during such timeframe; requiring the Florida Public Service Commission, after a date certain and at least annually thereafter, to establish and, if necessary, revise maximum penalties by rule based on specified factors, etc.

HB 7073 Taxation
The bill expands the ad valorem tax benefits for solar and renewable energy source devices to include infrastructure and equipment used in the collection, transmission, storage, or usage of energy derived from biogas for conversion into renewable natural gas. Creates a reduced amount for the implementation of the natural gas fuel excise tax in 2026. Creates a tool time sales tax holiday.

SB 284
Energy; Revising the selection criteria for purchasing or leasing vehicles for state agencies, state universities, community colleges, and local governments under a state purchasing plan; requiring the Department of Management Services, before a specified date, to make recommendations to state agencies, state universities, community colleges, and local governments relating to the procurement and integration of electric and natural gas fuel (includes propane) vehicles and other vehicles powered by renewable energy, etc. Effective Date: 7/1/2023

HB 1281
Prohibits certain local governmental entities, subject to specified exceptions, from enacting or enforcing resolution, ordinance, rule, code, or policy or from taking any action that restricts or prohibits or has effect of restricting or prohibiting use of appliances. Effective Date: July 1, 2023

HB 1307
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services: Revises requirements for applicants for Class “K” license; revises circumstances under which DACS may waive firearms training requirements; requires Division of Licensing of DACS to establish specified late fee by rule; authorizes DACS to publish certain information online in lieu of using paper format; provides criminal penalties for actions relating to retail fuel theft; requires law enforcement agencies to remove & reclaim, recycle, or dispose of fuel in specified manner; specifies that convicted persons are responsible for certain costs & payments. Specific to license holders of Category 1 and 5 LP Gas licenses they are statutorily able to design piping, tubing, appliances, and equipment for the use of lp gas or natural gas. Effective Date: July 1, 2023

HB 7063
Revises provisions related to taxation including an extension on the natural gas fuel excise tax exemption until 2026, provides for a sales tax exemption on machinery and equipment used to produce, store, transport, compress, or blend renewable natural gas at a fixed location, creates a tool time sales tax holiday between September 2, 2023 and September 8, 2023 (see legislation for details), creates a one year sales tax holiday on the retail sale of a new Energy Star appliance for non-commercial use, and creates a one year sales tax holiday on the retail sale of gas ranges and cook tops. Effective Date: July 1, 2023

Primarily Defense and no legislation passed that disrupted the industry.

HB 401
Prohibiting certain regulations relating to building design elements from being applied to certain dwellings; providing exceptions; providing requirements for the petition and commission; requiring the commission to issue a nonbinding advisory opinion within a specified timeframe; prohibiting the use of preliminary maps issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency under certain circumstances; authorizing the commission to issue errata to the code; prohibiting a local government from requiring certain contracts for the issuance of a building permit; authorizing certain local entities to use a private provider for code inspection services under certain circumstances; revising how certain excess funds may be used by a local government; requiring evaluation entities that meet certain criteria to comply with certain standards; authorizing the commission to suspend or revoke certain approvals under certain circumstances, etc.

SB 630
Prohibiting insurance policies from providing specified rights of subrogation under certain circumstances; authorizing a condominium association to extinguish discriminatory restrictions; authorizing the board of administration of an association to take certain actions relating to electric vehicle charging stations and natural gas fuel stations; authorizing parties to initiate presuit mediation under certain circumstances; revising the allowable uses of certain escrow funds withdrawn by developers; authorizing certain developers to include reserves in the budget, etc.

SB 896
Defining the term “solar facility”; providing that solar facilities are a permitted use in local government comprehensive plan agricultural land use categories and certain agricultural zoning districts; authorizing the Florida Public Service Commission to approve cost recovery by a gas public utility for certain contracts for the purchase of renewable natural gas, etc.

HB 919
Preemption Over Restriction of Utility Services: Prohibits municipalities, counties, special districts, or other political subdivisions from restricting or prohibiting types or fuel sources of energy production used, delivered, converted, or supplied by certain entities to customers; voids existing specified documents & policies that are preempted by this act.