WELCOME to the SCCF 2023 Legislative Session Tracker
Florida’s 2023 - 60 day legislative session began on Tuesday, March 7 and ended on Friday, May 5. To stay current, SCCF offers you this site to help you track and actively participate in the bills that SCCF is following. If you would like to track individual bills, legislative committees or follow your local legislator through the FL Senate or House of Representatives, there are public services to do so: The FL Senate Bill Tracker and the FL House of Representatives Bill Tracker.
SCCF tracks the bills related to those affecting Everglades restoration, environmental conservation, harmful algal blooms, water quality and home rule. See the following link for a full list of our priorities: SCCF’s 2023 legislative priorities
Jan. 10, 2023 - Governor DeSantis issues Executive Order 23-06 “Achieving Even More Now for Florida’s Environment”
Feb. 1, 2023 - Governor DeSantis has released his $114.8 billion FY 2023-24 Framework for Freedom Budget
Link to: 2023 Bill Actions Page
June 15, 2023 Governor DeSantis signs $114.8 billion FY 2023-24 State Budget.
2023 Legislative Session Bill Table
House Bills odd #’s | Senate Bills even #’s | I= Identical S= Similar C= Compare | Bill Title/ Bill Description | SCCF Position Support/ Oppose | Final Outcome (*signed by Governor) |
Water Quality | |||||
Cross | Stewart | Implementation of the Recommendations of the B/G Algae Task Force | Support | Failed | |
Gosset-Seidman | Berman | I | Safe Waterways Act Requires DOH to adopt, enforce and issue certain health advisories | Support | Failed |
Maggard | Burgess | I | Land and Water Management Preempts county & municipality rules related to water quality, quantity, pollution control, wetlands protections | Oppose | Failed |
Chaney | Pizzo | Release of Balloons Prohibits the intentional release of balloons and provides standing for citizens to petition for an injunction to prevent release. | Support | Failed | |
McClure | Trumbull | I | Use of Phosphogypsum (in roads) Allows use of toxic,radio-active materials in FDoT road construction | Oppose | Signed by Governor |
Killebrew | Burton | Management and Storage of Surface Waters Provides exemption of water quality regulation for certain projects designed to ultimately provide env. improvements | Failed | ||
Land Acquisition Trust Fund (LATF)/Florida Forever | |||||
Steele/ Overdorf | Brodeur | S | Environmental Protection (H)Revises, creates and repeals various provisions relating to requirements for land acquisition and retention of state lands.(S) Includes wastewater treatment requirements and allows DEP to administer pollution reduction grants | Signed by Governor | |
Climate Change/Resiliency/Sea Level Rise | |||||
Roach | Avila | I | Local Regulation of Non-conforming or unsafe structures (aka Resiliency and Safe Structures Act) Prohibits local governments authority on restricting/demolition and/or replacement of structures in coastal high hazard zones | Oppose | Failed |
Hunschofsky | Calatayud | C | Flooding and Sea level rise VulnerabilityStudies Revises grant provision under the Resilient FL Grant program | Support | Signed by Governor |
Cross | Polsky | I | Saltwater Intrusion Vulnerability Assessments Authorizes DEP to provide grants and cost share funding, requiring study updates w certain info to be available on it’s website | Support | Failed |
Buchanan | Grall | S | Resilience Districts Authorizes the establishment of Resilience Districts, authorizing the payment of project management of infrastructure in resilience dists. | Failed | |
Growth Management/Land Use | |||||
Duggan | DiCeglie | S | Local Govt. Comprehensive Plans Discourages and penalizes citizens for challenging local comp. plans | Oppose | Signed by Governor |
McClain | Ingoglia | Land Use and Development Regulations The bill (Chapter 2023-31, L.O.F.) makes various changes to current law pertaining to local government comprehensive planning, independent special district development agreements, and local regulation of electrical substation siting. | Oppose | Signed by Governor | |
Griffitts | DiCeglie | Public Construction The Local Government Prompt Payment Act provides for timely payment by local governmental entities to construction contractors. | Oppose | Signed by Governor | |
Espsito | DiCeglie | Residential Building Permits Reduces time local government has to approve or deny building permits from 30 business days to 9 calendar days | Oppose | Failed | |
Cross | Polsky | Challenges to Development Orders Requires that prevailing parties show that the challenge to a development order was frivolous before being awarded attorney fees. | Support | Failed | |
Mooney | Rodriguez | Affordable Housing in Areas of Critical State Concern Prohibits certain development in areas of critical state concern | Failed | ||
Energy | |||||
Local Government Preemption/Citizens Rights | |||||
Brackett | Trumbell | Local Ordinances Allows for local businesses to sue local govt. for ordinances | Oppose | Signed by Governor | |
Tuck | Public Meetings Allow local governments to meet with developer’s attorneys outside of the public eye if they have made a Bert Harris Claim | Oppose | Failed | ||
Garcia | Rodriguez | Land Development Initiative and Referendum Processes Prohibit local initiatives or referendums on land development regulations | Oppose | Failed | |
Canaday | Yarbrough | Local Government The bill prohibits local governments from requiring an initiative and referendum process for amendments to land development regulations. Revises annexation and contractions procedures | Approved by Governor | ||
Mooney | Rodriguez | I | Regulation of Single-use Plastic Products Authorize coastal communities to establish pilot programs to regulate single-use plastics products. | Support | Failed |
Everglades | |||||
Cabrera | Avila | Everglades Protection Area Requires comprehensive plans in areas around the Everglades to follow a coordinated review process. | Support | Failed | |
Ecosystem Restoration | |||||
Mooney/Basabe | Garcia | Mangrove Replanting and Restoration Requires DEP to adopt rules/regs regarding mangrove replanting and restoration | Failed | ||
Robinson | Boyd | S | Seagrass Restoration Technology Initiative Provides for Mote Marine Lab to partner with DEP on seagrass restoration studies designed to allow seagrass to survive current water conditions | Approved by Governor |
Local Appropriation Requests | |||||
Sanibel Slough Stormwater Capacity and Water Quality Improvement Project - $1 million | Approved in Budget signed by Governor | ||||
(table updated 07/05/23)
To view the previous week’s meeting schedule, click: 2023 Legislative Weekly Archive
For action from the 2022 Legislative Session, click: 2022 Legislative Tracker