SB 1574 – Energy Infrastructure Investment
 
On Tuesday, April 15, SB 1574 by Senator Nick DiCeglie (R-Indian Rocks Beach) was heard by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government and was reported favorably. AIF stood in support of this legislation.
 
Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) continues to expand its presence in Florida’s economy as it becomes a more practical and cost-effective source of renewable energy. SB 1574 would grant public utilities with a cost-recovery mechanism for qualifying RNG infrastructure projects. The bill would also encourage further solutions for the capture, sale, and reuse of methane gas.
 
SB 1574 will now go to the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee for consideration.

AIF supports legislation that provides an economically and technically feasible framework which encourages development and investment in renewable natural gas, hydrogen, and other energy technologies.

HB 913 – Condominium Associations
 
On Tuesday, April 15, HB 913 by Representative Vicki Lopez (R-Miami) was heard by the House Commerce Committee and was reported favorably. AIF stood in support of this legislation.
 
HB 913 addresses multiple issues that have been ongoing in Florida’s vast condominium communities over recent years. Primarily, the bill focuses on safety guidelines for condominium associations to adhere to following the Surfside condominium collapse in 2021. The bill gives condominium associations more jurisdiction over repairs and structural inspections. Additionally, the language provides clarity on maintenance responsibilities for condominium properties jointly operated with hotels and allows for the development of shared facilities between condominiums and retail businesses.
 
HB 913 will now go to the House Floor for consideration. 

AIF supports legislation that expands Florida’s residential footprint and allows for better management of facilities occupied by businesses and residents.

HB 1219 – Employment Agreements
 
On Tuesday, April 15, HB 1219 by Representative Traci Koster (R-Tampa) was heard by the House Commerce Committee and was reported favorably. AIF stood in support of this legislation.
 
In highly competitive business environments, companies are often required to keep innovations and intellectual property developments confidential. HB 1219 strengthens non-compete and confidential employment agreement guidelines by establishing a framework that protects confidential trade secret information. The framework sets new rules for covered garden leave agreements for covered employers and covered employees, as current laws allow for several loopholes that employees can use to contest these agreements through litigation while also working for a competing business.
 
HB 1219 will now go to the House Floor for consideration.

AIF supports legislation that protects a business’s sensitive information and drives more innovation through clarified rulemaking. These standards will allow more businesses who rely heavily on research & development to invest in Florida and create new jobs in various industry sectors.

SB 832 – Former Phosphate Mining Lands
 
On Tuesday, April 15, SB 832 by Senator Danny Burgess (R-Zephyrhills) was read for a third time on the Senate Floor, amended, and passed with 33 yeas and 3 nays. 
 
Phosphate mining is a critical industry in Florida and is essential to providing sufficient fertilizers and agrichemicals for agricultural operations around the globe. SB 832 adds a new, narrow defense against causes of action that come from naturally occurring elements. This ensures that phosphate mining companies that meet all of their environmental permitting duties aren’t held liable for elements that are already in the land.
 
SB 832 will now go to the Florida House for consideration.

AIF supports legislation that simplifies regulatory patchwork and provides protections against frivolous litigation allowing businesses to buy, sell, and develop land without the threat of unnecessary lawsuits while following the law. These lawsuits impede on developments built on certain reclaimed lands and can costs businesses valuable time and resources fighting these lawsuits.

HB 369 – Provenance of Digital Content
 
On Tuesday, April 15, HB 369 by Representative Fiona McFarland (R-Sarasota) was heard by the Senate Commerce Committee and was reported favorably.
 
This bill reworks existing laws that govern online digital content by providing definitions and guidelines related to “provenance data”. As defined in this legislation, provenance data is “information identifying whether some or all of the content has been derived through generative artificial intelligence and, if so, the name of the generative artificial intelligence tool used to generate such content and the organization that developed such tool.” This definition would require businesses to provide notice and origin information on the generative AI that is being used on their platform.
 
HB 369 will now go to the House Floor for consideration. The Senate companion, SB 702 awaits further consideration by the Senate Ethics & Election committee.

AIF continues to monitor legislation working to change laws related to data provenance and is working to make sure all stakeholders can comply with any new regulations that may be passed into law.

HB 897 & SB 496 – Timeshare Plan Management

On Tuesday, April 15, HB 897 by Representative Kim Berfield (R-Clearwater) was heard by the House Commerce Committee and was reported favorably. AIF stood in support of this legislation.
 
On Tuesday, April 15, SB 496 by Senator Stan McClain (R-Ocala) was heard by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government and was reported favorably. AIF stood in support of this legislation.
 
This bill clarifies the applicability of recently enacted legislation that governs timeshare management firms and community association management companies. The bills narrow the conflict-of-interest language to clarify the regulations to ensure transparency. The bill also clarifies how many times these management firms must meet per year and streamlines the process ensuring regular oversight of these meetings. Finally, the legislation requires annual disclosure of information to stakeholders in the community.
 
HB 897 will now go to the House Floor for consideration. SB 496 will now go to the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee for consideration.

AIF supports streamlining and clarifying the community association management companies’ regulations to ensure compliance and growth for Florida’s residents and businesses.

SB 712 – Construction Regulations
 
On Tuesday, April 15, SB 712 by Senator Erin Grall (R-Vero Beach) was heard by the Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government and was reported favorably. AIF spoke in support of a strike-all amendment to this legislation.
 
SB 712 is a multi-layered deregulation bill that is mostly centered around statutes relating to construction regulations and building permits. The bill has several preemptions for both state and local governments control over building codes and synthetic turf that is certified by the Department of Environmental Protection.
 
The strike-all amendment supported by AIF adds a regulatory framework for tall mass timber (TMT) into Florida’s building code. TMT is already recognized by the International Building Code and plays a critical role in Florida’s rapidly expanding economy. The framework proposed in this amendment will provide more clarity for developers and improved enforcement via national safety standards.
 
SB 712 will now go to the Senate Rules Committee for consideration.

AIF supports legislation that reduces inconsistent local regulations on timber framed buildings and opens new channels for development and investment into Florida’s economy.