With less than three weeks left in the 2025 Florida Legislative session, huge questions remain.
On the state parks issue, a pair of bills filed to prevent the inappropriate development proposals that generated a political firestorm last summer recently picked up steam as a result of amendments that tightened the language. Friends of the Everglades and other conservation groups were concerned about loopholes in the bills, House Bill 209 and Senate Bill 80, that could have allowed damaging development in our state parks. But in early April HB 209 sponsor Rep. John Snyder amended his bill to eliminate those loopholes, allowing Friends to support the proposal as it passed its final committee stop. It was then approved by the full House on April 16.
However, Senate Bill 80 passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment and General Government without being amended on April 15. It now heads to its final committee stop in Fiscal Policy, where it may or may not be amended. The two bills ultimately have to be reconciled for the measure to pass.
Another bill we’re watching closely is Senate Bill 7002, which could ultimately impact Everglades restoration efforts. The bill, filed by Sen. Jason Brodeur, is in part an attempt to rein in “mission creep” among the state’s water management districts, the South Florida Water Management District in particular, by imposing new rules regarding transparency, spending and budgeting. The new oversight could impact progress on restoration projects, even as Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling for the state to take over Everglades restoration efforts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
An amendment to 7002 authorizes the SFWMD to acquire land to build a reservoir project north of Lake Okeechobee with the goal of providing at least 200,000 acre-feet of water storage. This is the Lake Okeechobee Component A Reservoir Project, or “LOCAR,” authorized in the 2024 federal Water Resources Development Act. However, Friends of the Everglades is concerned about this provision because we believe land acquisition for water storage and treatment south of Lake Okeechobee provides the best “bang for the buck” and should be prioritized.
SB 7002 has passed the Senate. Its companion bill, HB 1169, has not yet cleared the House.
House subcommittee hearings ended last week, meaning many bills not yet seen in committee are dead in the water. Likewise, after April 22, there will be no more committee hearings in the Senate.
Other bills we continue to oppose and watch:
SB 492/HB 1175 — Mitigation Banking: These bad bills would, among other things, release credits from “mitigation banks” sooner, and allow developers to purchase and use credits from basins in a different “service area,” meaning they wouldn’t have to offset the impacts of their project in the same basin where those impacts occur. In other words, they would make it easier to harm wetlands without addressing that harm in the area it occurs. While SB 492 still must clear the Senate Rules Committee, HB 1175 is soon to be considered by the full House. We continue to oppose both.
SB 1118/HB 1209 — Land Use and Development Regulations: These concerning bills specify that owners of land designed as an “agricultural enclave” can bypass the normal public hearing process and seek administrative approval of development regardless of the future land use map designation or any conflicting comprehensive plan goals, objectives or policies. If certain conditions are met, the local government is obligated to approve the proposal.
These bills undercut local environmental protections and do not deserve to advance, look unlikely to pass this year. However, the language regarding “agricultural enclaves” has been added in a proposed committee substitute to another bill, Senate Bill 1080, “Local Government Land Regulation.” The amended bill cleared its final committee stop on April 16 and now heads to the Senate floor. Its companion bill, HB 579, is also being amended to include the “agricultural enclave” language. That bill has not yet cleared the House. Friends of the Everglades opposes these bills.
In terms of bills Friends of the Everglades supports, few other than the amended state parks bill appear to have a realistic chance of passage. One of the most sweeping pairs of bills, SB 1646/HB 1575, would among other things require state agencies to create plans to prevent and mitigate harmful algal blooms and take action to ensure nitrogen levels continue to drop in Lake Okeechobee. Unfortunately neither bill has had a hearing.
For the complete list of all the bills we support and oppose and are watching, visit everglades.org/legislative-accountability/
Lastly, as the House and Senate meet to hammer out a final budget for next year, they remain far apart on several issues, including Everglades funding. As of this writing, Gov. DeSantis has proposed $805 million for restoration; the Senate has proposed spending $750 million. But the House — saying that millions in funds appropriated in previous years have not yet been spent — is currently allocating just $357 million.
Most observers believe the House will eventually come closer to matching the Senate figure; but even if that happens, state Everglades spending this year could come in significantly lower than it has in years past.
