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Summary Information Regarding Significant Legislation Legislation Failed HB 15 (Local Government Fiscal Transparency) by Rep. Burton would require significant additional notice requirements for con- sideration of tax increases and issuance of tax -supported debt. It requires local government to maintain a 5 -year voting record of every vote on an action that would result in a tax increase or new debt; requires additional notices must be provided on the web. The bill would require additional public hearings: a preliminary public hearing must be held 14 days prior to the public hearing to vote on a tax increase or issuance of new debt and the public hearing to take the action must be noticed by a quarter page ad in a newspaper of general circulation with a newly created notice inconsistent with the existing notice requirements for ordinances. It creates a "debt affordability ratio" that must be calculated and included in notices. This bill passed the House on April 11. Companion bill, SB 1350 (Local Government Fiscal Transparency), was not heard in any Senate committee. HB 7053 (Taxation Transparency) by the House Ways & Means Committee was heard in its final committee on Thursday, April 4; but was never heard on the House floor or in Senate Committee. The bill would re -designate several state and local revenue sources, requiring the names of those source to be changed from "fee" to "tax." The bill would require the following local revenue source re -designations: Special assessments or non -as valorem assessments would be retitled "special benefit tax"; Impact fees and mobility fees would be retitled "development impact tax"; Franchise fees would be retitled "franchise tax"; Charges to pay the cost of regulation must be titled "in a manner reasonably consistent with the type of regulation and change in question." The bill was amended to more explicitly state that it does not affect a county's power under the constitution to impose non -tax levies and expresses the Legislature's intent that such levies only be "titled and represented to the public as taxes." It was also amended to clarify that the bill is not intended to affect existing case law and to require notices under s. 197.3635 to notice proposed or adopt- ed "non -ad valorem assessments and special benefit taxes." HB 3 (Preemption of Local Professional and Occupations Regulations and Licensing) The bill included a broad preemption of any local government licensing requirements that are not expressly authorized by law and most special licenses. Vacation Rentals SB 824 (Private Property Rights of Homeowners) by Sen. Diaz and HB 987 (Public Lodging Establishments) by Rep. J. Grant would have preempted regulation (inspection, licensing, occupancy limits) of short-term rentals to the state and would have required local ordinances to apply uniformly to all residential properties. Additionally, the bills would have removed the grandfather clause allowing for more stringent regulations in grandfathered local government. Water Quality Major water quality legislation did not pass this year, although both chambers proposed various legislation relating to septic tanks, wastewater treatment, biosolids, basin management action plan (BMAP) requirements, and sewage spill notification requirements. While there was movement on a consolidated water quality package late in session, ultimately nothing substantive made it across the finish line, although the final budget does include funding for various water quality improvement measures. FAC expects many of these issues to return next Session. 96 17