2025 Legislative Items Being Watched

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

After weeks of working through a special session of budget negotiations, the Legislature voted to extend the special session through June 18.  They are confident that they can reach agreement on the state spending plan by that time.  At this time, we are not hopeful that environmental program funding, including FRDAP, will survive the back and forth offers and negotiations.  It seems to be the desire of the members to reduce the state sales tax by offering more sales tax holidays for specific items, and lengthening the period those tax reductions are in effect.  This is being touted as a more responsible way of offering tax relief rather than a fixed percentage roll back of the sales tax.  Either way, there is an impact to the state budget, and spending cuts to programs such as the environment may fall victim to this strategy.  Once the budget is agreed upon, it has a 72 hour cooling off period before it can be brought to the chambers for discussion and action.  If June 18 is the magic day, then June 15 would be the date that the final budget negotiations would conclude and a budget printed for public consumption.  Any negotiation after that point will take the form of debate on the House and Senate floors.




The list below is a list of bills we have identified on your behalf.  This listing will be regularly updated, and will include any action that you, your agency, your city/county may wish to consider taking.

As always we encourage you to bookmark this page and review it on a regular basis as things happen quickly during session.

We encourage you to review the bills below, including reading the text of the proposals which can be found by clicking on the links for each bill.  Some proposals have made their way through their first committees and have had Committee Substitutes filed.  In these instances, we will have provided you the link to the Committee Substitute in the tables which show progress on each of the individual bills.  Where we have been able to clarify intent or impact, we have also added that to each section.  As always, we suggest that you analyze the language and conduct your own assessment of how the language may impact any local policies, procedures, or practices that you may have within your agency/city/county.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

ASSESSMENTS LEVIED ON RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARKS

SB 530 by Senator Burgess

Providing that a non-ad valorem special assessment on a recreational vehicle park levied by a county, municipality, or special district, respectively, may not be levied against a certain portion of a recreational vehicle parking space or campsite; requiring counties, municipalities, and special districts, respectively, to consider a recreational vehicle park’s occupancy rates for a certain purpose, etc.

Status of SB 530

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

BACKGROUND SCREENING - YOUTH SPORTS COACHES

HB 431 by Representative Trabulsy
SB 1546 by Senator Grall

Revises date upon which certain background screenings of athletic coaches must be conducted.

Impact:  The effect of these bills moves the date by when athletic coaches must be fingerprinted (level 2 screened) to July 1, 2026.

Status of HB 431

Status of SB 1546

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

 CHILD CARE FACILITY AND PROGRAM BACKGROUND SCREENING REQUIREMENTS

SB 614 by Senator Polsky
HB 531 by Representative Hunschofsky

Revising the definition of the term “personnel” to include recreational enrichment program personnel for screening purposes; defining the term “recreational enrichment program”; exempting such programs from certain licensing requirements of the Department of Children and Families; prohibiting recreational enrichment programs from using or releasing information from certain criminal or juvenile records for purposes other than employment screening, etc.

Of note:  This proposal appears to require fingerprinting of contractual instructors who are considered to be providing enrichment programs.

Status of SB 614

Status of HB 531

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

"FALLEN TREE ACT" - PROPERTY OWNER LIABILITY

SB 724 by Senators Martin and Leek
HB 599 by Representative Cobb

Citing this act as the "Fallen Tree Act"; providing that a property owner is liable for damages caused by trees or shrubs located on his or her property when they fall on another’s property; providing that trees and shrubs located on two or more parcels may be removed by any of the property owners after serving proper notice and posting on the other parcels; providing an exception, etc.

Status of SB 724

Status of HB 599

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

HEAT ILLNESS PREVENTION

SB 510 by Senator Rouson
HB 35 by Representative Gottlieb ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Eskamani ; Harris ; Woodson

Requiring certain employers to implement an outdoor heat exposure safety program that has been approved by specified departments; providing responsibilities for certain employers and employees; requiring specified annual training on heat illness and providing requirements for such training, etc.

Impact:  Requires an employer of employees who regularly work in an outdoor environmental to implement heat exposure safety programs approved by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Department of Health.  Such program shall include at a minimum training on heat illness, how to protect from heat illness, how to recognize heath illness, and appropriate first-aid measures to be used before medical attention arrives.  Requires when the outdoor heat index equals or exceeds 90 degrees F, the provision of cool or cold drinking water available all day; a 10 minute recovery period every 2 hours that the employee works in an outdoor environment; access to shade; and training.

Status of SB 510

Status of HB 35

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

OFFICIAL ACTIONS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WITH RESPECT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

SB 420 by Senator Yarborough
HB 1571 by Representative Black

Prohibits counties & municipalities, respectively, from taking official action as it relates to diversity, equity, & inclusion; provides penalty; authorizes cause of action against counties & municipalities, respectively, that take such action; defines "diversity, equity, & inclusion.

Status of SB 420

Status of HB 1571

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

RECREATIONAL AND CUSTOMARY USE OF BEACHES

SB 1622 by Senator Trumbull
HB 6043 by Representative Andrade and Abbott
SB 284 by Senator Rouson

Repealing a provision relating to the establishment of recreational customary use of beaches, etc.

Status of SB 1622

Status of HB 6043

Status of SB 284

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES

SB 226 by Senator Gruters

Revising the definition of the terms “smoking” and “vape” or “vaping”; prohibiting smoking in public places in this state, with exceptions; revising requirements for customs smoking rooms to prohibit smoking and vaping of marijuana products at any time, etc.

Status of SB 226 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

STATE LAND MANAGEMENT

SB 80 by Senator Harrell
HB 209 by Representative Snyder ; Gossett-Seidman

Citing this act as the “State Park Preservation Act”; requiring public hearings for all updated conservation and non-conservation land management plans; requiring the Division of Recreation and Parks of the Department of Environmental Protection to comply with specified provisions when granting certain privileges, leases, concessions, and permits; requiring that individual management plans for parcels located within state parks be developed with input from an advisory group, etc.

Status of SB 80

Status of HB 209

__________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

STUDY ON THE ELIMINATION OF PROPERTY TAXES

SB 852 by Senator Martin

Requiring the Office of Economic and Demographic Research to conduct a specified study; requiring the office to submit a report to the Legislature by a specified date, etc.

Status of SB 852

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

SUCCESSION TO OFFICE OF GOVERNOR, AUDITING AND GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY

SJR 1756 by Senator Fine
HJR 1325 by Representatives Sirois and Snyder

Proposing amendments to the State Constitution to repeal the creation of the office of Lieutenant Governor, the office of Legislative Auditor, and the Government Efficiency Task Force, to create the office of the Commissioner of Government Efficiency as a Cabinet officer, and to revise provisions relating to government efficiency and succession to the office of Governor if there is a vacancy or in the case of impeachment or incapacity, etc.

Status of SJR 1756

Status of HJR 1325

__________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

SWIMMING SAFETY

SB 568 by Senator Rodriguez
HB 413 (Similar) by Representative Gossett-Seidman ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Lopez, V.

Creating the "Kareem Angel Green Autism Drowning Prevention Act"; prohibiting organizations from granting water access at public bathing places or public swimming pools to certain children without first being provided specified information; requiring organizations to provide specified personal flotation devices to certain children; authorizing public bathing places and public swimming pools to refuse water access to certain children whose parents or legal guardians have not provided specified information; creating the "Open Water Safety Act"; requiring certain counties and municipalities to create pilot programs to install drowning prevention stations at high-risk public water access areas, etc.

Status of SB 568

Status of HB 413

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

SWIMMING LESSON VOUCHER PROGRAM

SB 692 by Senator Osgood

Revising the contract requirements for establishing a network of swimming lesson vendors; revising eligibility criteria to participate in the program, etc.

Status of SB 692