Florida Legislature Prepares to Address Key Issues in 2025 Session
By John Guerra March 1, 2025
The Florida Legislature is gearing up for its 2025 session, commencing March 4, with a diverse list of critical issues on the table. Lawmakers will consider measures related to property insurance, environmental protection, and even weather modification. Here’s a look at some of the significant topics.
Property Insurance and Financial Stability
One of the primary concerns for the upcoming session revolves around property insurance rates. Several bills aim to address this ongoing issue.
HB 13: Citizens Wind Insurance
Sponsored by Rep. Hillary Cassel, this bill proposes making the state-run Citizens Insurance program available to all Florida property owners. However, it would only cover wind damage from hurricanes and other weather events. The goal is to lower insurance rates by allowing private insurers to cover water and other types of damage for the majority of Florida property owners.
However, Citizens CEO Tim Cerio expressed reservations about the financial implications. “We would have about $3.2 trillion in insured value,” he told reporters. “The price tag is untenable.”
Protecting Florida’s Natural Resources
Environmental protection is another key focus, with several bills addressing coastal resilience and the preservation of state parks.
HB 73: Safe Waterways Act
This bill proposes transferring the responsibility for beach water testing from the Department of Health (DOH) to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The DOH currently tests well water for ethylene dibromide and other harmful chemicals. The importance of monitoring water safety was highlighted after Hurricane Ian.
SB 50: Nature-Based Methods for Improving Coastal Resilience
This bill directs the University of South Florida College of Marine Science to develop design guidelines for “green” and “gray” infrastructure to improve water quality and reduce coastal flooding. The DEP would then adopt rules based on these guidelines, which could create habitats for wildlife.
SB 62 and HB 143: Resilient Buildings
These bills focus on promoting resilient buildings designed to withstand natural disasters. They offer tax credits for builders and owners of such structures and create the Florida Resilient Building Advisory Council.
SB 284: Recreational Customary Use of Beaches
This bill seeks to clarify public access to beaches, potentially repealing parts of a 2018 law that restricted access to some beachfront properties. According to 1000 Friends of Florida, this bill could reverse restrictions on public access to residential and hotel beachfront property.
SB 80 and HB 209: State Park Preservation
These bills aim to prevent the construction of amenities such as hotels and golf courses within state parks and forests, a response to a plan that had been proposed previously.
Social and Community Issues Discussed
Additional bills cover an array of other issues, like affordable housing and criminal justice, which will be subjects of debate during the upcoming session.
SB 184: Affordable Housing
This bill would mandate local governments to allow accessory dwelling units on single-family properties, without any increase in parking requirements. It would also enable counties to provide incentives to landowners who donate property for affordable housing.
SB 4: Providing for the Relief of Patricia Ermini
This bill would provide state funds to Patricia Ermini, who was shot by deputies in her home after a mental health check. The bill would provide state money for her continuing trauma resulting from the shooting in 2012.
HB 57: Offenses Involving Xylazine
This bill addresses the growing issue of xylazine, a veterinary sedative often mixed with fentanyl, which is not an opioid and, therefore, not treatable by Narcan, a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses. Possession of an ounce could result in a 25-year prison sentence and a $500,000 fine if passed.
HB 35: Heat Illness Prevention
This bill seeks to reinstate local governments’ power to protect workers from heat exposure, requiring safety programs and annual training on heat illness in outdoor industries.
SB 56: Weather Modification Activities
This bill would prohibit the purposeful release of chemicals into the atmosphere to affect weather conditions and is in response to social media concerns regarding weather modification following recent hurricanes. It carries a penalty of up to a $10,000 fine for those who violate the law.
SB 100: Display of Flags by Governmental Entities
This bill would restrict the display of certain flags by governmental entities, including those related to race, sexual orientation, and political ideology. It would also grant authorization to current or former military personnel to “use reasonable force to prevent the desecration, destruction or removal of the United States flag.”
