Senate Bill sb1164

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 2003                                  SB 1164

    By Senators Pruitt and Geller





    28-665A-03

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to property rights; amending s.

  3         70.001, F.S., the "Bert J. Harris, Jr., Private

  4         Property Rights Protection Act"; amending

  5         procedures for determining a governmental

  6         entity's final decision identifying the

  7         allowable uses for a property; providing that

  8         enactment of a law or adoption of a regulation

  9         does not constitute applying the law or

10         regulation; providing for a retroactive waiver

11         of sovereign immunity for liability; providing

12         an effective date.

13         WHEREAS, the Legislature wishes to clarify its original

14  intent with respect to a waiver of sovereign immunity under

15  section 70.001(13), Florida Statutes, the Bert J. Harris, Jr.,

16  Private Property Rights Protection Act, and, therefore, to

17  make the effective date of the clarification retroactive to

18  May 11, 1995, the date of adjournment sine die of the

19  Legislative Session in which section 70.001, Florida Statutes,

20  was enacted, and

21         WHEREAS, the Legislature wishes to make other changes

22  to clarify provisions of this act and to improve the reporting

23  of cases filed under the act, NOW, THEREFORE,

24

25  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

26

27         Section 1.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (4), paragraph

28  (a) of subsection (5), and subsections (11) and (13) of

29  section 70.001, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

30         70.001  Private property rights protection.--

31         (4)

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2003                                  SB 1164
    28-665A-03




  1         (b)  The governmental entity shall provide written

  2  notice of the claim to all parties to any administrative

  3  action that gave rise to the claim, and to owners of real

  4  property contiguous to the owner's property at the addresses

  5  listed on the most recent county tax rolls.  Within 15 days

  6  after the claim is being presented, the governmental entity

  7  shall report the claim in writing to the state land planning

  8  agency Department of Legal Affairs, and shall provide the

  9  agency department with the name, address, and telephone number

10  of the employee of the governmental entity from whom

11  additional information may be obtained about the claim during

12  the pendency of the claim and any subsequent judicial action.

13         (5)(a)  During the 180-day-notice period, unless a

14  settlement offer is accepted by the property owner, each of

15  the governmental entities provided notice pursuant to

16  paragraph (4)(a) shall issue a written ripeness decision

17  identifying the allowable uses to which the subject property

18  may be put.  The failure of the governmental entity to issue

19  such a written ripeness decision during the 180-day-notice

20  period shall cause be deemed to ripen the prior action of the

21  governmental entity to become its final decision identifying

22  the uses for the subject property, and shall operate as a

23  ripeness decision that has been rejected by the property

24  owner. Whether rendered by submission of a written decision

25  during the 180-day-notice period or by failure to submit such

26  a written decision, the final decision of a governmental

27  entity produced under this paragraph operates as a final

28  decision that has been rejected by the property owner. This

29  final decision The ripeness decision, as a matter of law,

30  constitutes the last prerequisite to judicial review of the

31  merits, and the matter shall be deemed ripe or final for the

                                  2

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2003                                  SB 1164
    28-665A-03




  1  purposes of the judicial proceeding created by this section,

  2  notwithstanding the availability of other administrative

  3  remedies.

  4         (11)  A cause of action may not be commenced under this

  5  section if the claim is presented more than 1 year after a law

  6  or regulation is first applied by the governmental entity to

  7  the property at issue. Enacting a law or adopting a regulation

  8  does not constitute applying the law or regulation to a

  9  property. If an owner seeks relief from the governmental

10  action through lawfully available administrative or judicial

11  proceedings, the time for bringing an action under this

12  section is tolled until the conclusion of such proceedings.

13         (13)  In accordance with s. 13, Art. X of the State

14  Constitution, the state, for itself and for its agencies or

15  subdivisions, waives sovereign immunity for liability for

16  actions subject to this section, but only to the extent

17  specified in this section. This subsection applies

18  retroactively to May 11, 1995. This section does not affect

19  the sovereign immunity of government.

20         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2003,

21  and the amendment to section 70.001(13), Florida Statutes,

22  shall operate retroactively to May 11, 1995.

23

24            *****************************************

25                          SENATE SUMMARY

26    Amends s. 70.001, F.S., the "Bert J. Harris, Jr., Private
      Property Rights Protection Act." Amends procedures for
27    determining a governmental entity's final decision
      identifying the allowable uses for a property. Provides
28    that enactment of a law or regulation does not constitute
      application of the law or regulation. Provides for a
29    waiver of sovereign immunity for liability, retroactive
      to May 11, 1995.
30

31

                                  3

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.