Florida Senate - 2025                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for SB 180
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì4183289Î418328                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  04/02/2025           .                                
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       The Committee on Appropriations (DiCeglie) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete lines 422 - 943
    4  and insert:
    5  252.38(1)(b). Such training may be provided by the division or,
    6  for county personnel, by a foundation that is a not-for-profit
    7  corporation under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and
    8  has a governing board that includes in its membership county
    9  commissioners and professional county staff. If training is
   10  provided by a foundation, such training must be approved by the
   11  division.
   12         (s) Complete an inventory of disaster response equipment,
   13  including portable generators owned by the state and local
   14  governments which are capable of operating during a major
   15  disaster. The inventory must identify, at a minimum, the
   16  location of each generator, the number of generators stored at
   17  each specific location, the agency to which each generator
   18  belongs, the primary use of the generator by the owner agency,
   19  and the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of persons
   20  having the authority to loan the stored generators as authorized
   21  by the division during a declared emergency.
   22         (x) Report biennially to the President of the Senate, the
   23  Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chief Justice of
   24  the Supreme Court, and the Governor, no later than February 1 of
   25  every odd-numbered year, the status of the emergency management
   26  capabilities of the state and its political subdivisions. This
   27  report must include the emergency management capabilities
   28  related to public health emergencies, as determined in
   29  collaboration with the Department of Health.
   30         (dd) Conduct, by April 1 of each year, an annual hurricane
   31  readiness session in each region designated by the division to
   32  facilitate coordination between all emergency management
   33  stakeholders. Each county emergency management director or his
   34  or her designee shall, and other county and municipal personnel
   35  may, attend the session for his or her region. A session must
   36  include, but is not limited to, guidance on timelines for
   37  preparation and response, information on state and federal
   38  postdisaster resources and assistance, guidance to promote
   39  efficient and expedited rebuilding of the community after a
   40  hurricane, best practices for coordination and communication
   41  among entities engaged in postdisaster response and recovery,
   42  and discussion of any outstanding county or municipal
   43  preparedness or readiness needs.
   44         Section 6. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section
   45  252.355, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   46         252.355 Registry of persons with special needs; notice;
   47  registration program.—
   48         (2) In order to ensure that all persons with special needs
   49  may register, the division shall develop and maintain a special
   50  needs shelter registration program. During a public health
   51  emergency in which physical distancing is necessary, as
   52  determined by the State Health Officer, the division must
   53  maintain information on special needs shelter options that
   54  mitigate the threat of the spread of infectious diseases.
   55         (b) To assist in identifying persons with special needs,
   56  home health agencies, hospices, nurse registries, home medical
   57  equipment providers, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the
   58  Department of Children and Families, the Department of Health,
   59  the Agency for Health Care Administration, the Department of
   60  Education, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, the
   61  Department of Elderly Affairs, and memory disorder clinics
   62  shall, and any physician licensed under chapter 458 or chapter
   63  459 and any pharmacy licensed under chapter 465 may, annually
   64  provide registration information to all of their special needs
   65  clients or their caregivers. The division shall develop a
   66  brochure that provides information regarding special needs
   67  shelter registration procedures. The brochure must be easily
   68  accessible on the division’s website. All appropriate agencies
   69  and community-based service providers, including aging and
   70  disability resource centers, memory disorder clinics, home
   71  health care providers, hospices, nurse registries, and home
   72  medical equipment providers, shall, and any physician licensed
   73  under chapter 458 or chapter 459 may, assist emergency
   74  management agencies by annually registering persons with special
   75  needs for special needs shelters, collecting registration
   76  information for persons with special needs as part of the
   77  program intake process, and establishing programs to educate
   78  clients about the registration process and disaster preparedness
   79  safety procedures. A client of a state-funded or federally
   80  funded service program who has a physical, mental, or cognitive
   81  impairment or sensory disability and who needs assistance in
   82  evacuating, or when in a shelter, must register as a person with
   83  special needs. The registration program shall give persons with
   84  special needs the option of preauthorizing emergency response
   85  personnel to enter their homes during search and rescue
   86  operations if necessary to ensure their safety and welfare
   87  following disasters.
   88         Section 7. Subsections (2), (3), and (4) of section
   89  252.3611, Florida Statutes, are amended, and subsection (5) is
   90  added to that section, to read:
   91         252.3611 Transparency; audits.—
   92         (2) If When the duration of a declaration of a state of an
   93  emergency issued by the Governor exceeds 90 days, regardless of
   94  whether pursuant to the original declaration or extensions of
   95  the same declaration:
   96         (a)1.The Executive Office of the Governor or the
   97  appropriate agency, within 72 hours after of executing a
   98  contract executed with moneys authorized for expenditure to
   99  support the response to the declared state of emergency, must
  100  the Executive Office of the Governor or the appropriate agency
  101  shall submit a copy of such contract to the Legislature. For
  102  contracts executed during the first 90 days of the declared
  103  state of emergency, the Executive Office of the Governor or the
  104  appropriate agency shall submit a copy to the Legislature within
  105  the first 120 days of the declared state of emergency.
  106         2. All contracts executed to support the response to a
  107  declared state of emergency, including contracts executed before
  108  a declared state of emergency to secure resources or services in
  109  advance or anticipation of an emergency, must be posted on the
  110  secure contract tracking system required under s. 215.985(14).
  111         (b) The Executive Office of the Governor or the appropriate
  112  agency shall submit monthly reports to the Legislature of all
  113  state expenditures, revenues received, and funds transferred by
  114  an agency during the previous month to support the declared
  115  state of emergency.
  116         (3) Once an emergency exceeds 1 year, the Auditor General
  117  shall conduct a financial audit of all associated expenditures
  118  and a compliance audit of all associated contracts entered into
  119  during the declared emergency. The Auditor General shall must
  120  update the audit annually until the emergency is declared to be
  121  ended. The Auditor General shall post the results of the audits
  122  on his or her official website.
  123         (4) Following the expiration or termination of a state of
  124  emergency, the Auditor General shall conduct a financial audit
  125  of all associated expenditures and a compliance audit of all
  126  associated contracts entered into during the state of emergency.
  127  The Auditor General shall post the results of the audits on his
  128  or her official website.
  129         (5) Annually by January 15, the division shall report to
  130  the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
  131  Representatives, and the chairs of the appropriations committee
  132  of each house of the Legislature on expenditures related to
  133  emergencies incurred over the year from November 1 of the
  134  previous year. The report must include:
  135         (a) A separate summary of each emergency event, whether
  136  complete or ongoing, and key actions taken by the division.
  137         (b) Details of expenditures, separated by emergency event
  138  and agency, for preparing for, responding to, or recovering from
  139  the event. The report must specify detailed expenditures for the
  140  entire report time period; specify total expenditures for the
  141  event; and indicate amounts that are being or are anticipated to
  142  be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency or
  143  other federal entity, amounts ineligible for reimbursement, and
  144  any amounts deobligated by the Federal Emergency Management
  145  Agency or other federal entity for reimbursement. The division
  146  shall review expenditures by state agencies to ensure that
  147  efforts, purchases, contracts, or expenditures are not
  148  duplicated.
  149         (c) An accounting of all inventory and assets purchased,
  150  separated by emergency event and agency, for preparing for,
  151  responding to, or recovering from the event, including motor
  152  vehicles, boats, computers, and other equipment, and the current
  153  status of such assets, including divestment, sale, or donation
  154  by the state. The report must include a detailed accounting for
  155  the entire report time period and specify a total for the event.
  156         Section 8. Subsections (2) and (4) of section 252.365,
  157  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
  158         252.365 Emergency coordination officers; disaster
  159  preparedness plans.—
  160         (2) The emergency coordination officer is responsible for
  161  coordinating with the division on emergency preparedness issues,
  162  preparing and maintaining emergency preparedness and
  163  postdisaster response and recovery plans for such agency,
  164  maintaining rosters of personnel to assist in disaster
  165  operations, and coordinating appropriate training for agency
  166  personnel, and coordinating with the division on emergency
  167  preparedness and recovery issues, including identifying
  168  priorities for postdisaster long-term recovery activities.
  169         (4) On or before May 1 of each year, the head of each
  170  agency shall notify the Governor and the division in writing of
  171  the person initially designated as the emergency coordination
  172  officer for such agency and her or his alternate and of any
  173  changes in persons so designated thereafter.
  174         Section 9. Section 252.3655, Florida Statutes, is amended
  175  to read:
  176         252.3655 Natural hazards risks and mitigation interagency
  177  coordinating group workgroup.—
  178         (1)(a) An interagency coordinating group workgroup is
  179  created for the purpose of sharing information on the current
  180  and potential risks and impacts of natural hazards throughout
  181  this the state, coordinating the ongoing efforts of state
  182  agencies in addressing and mitigating the risks and impacts of
  183  natural hazards, and collaborating on statewide initiatives to
  184  address and mitigate the risks and impacts of natural hazards.
  185  As used in this section, the term “natural hazards” includes,
  186  but is not limited to, extreme heat, drought, wildfire, sea
  187  level change, high tides, storm surge, saltwater intrusion,
  188  stormwater runoff, flash floods, inland flooding, and coastal
  189  flooding.
  190         (b) The agency head, or his or her designated senior
  191  manager, from each of the following agencies shall serve on the
  192  coordinating group:
  193         1. Chief Resilience Officer of the Statewide Office of
  194  Resilience.
  195         2. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
  196         3. Department of Commerce.
  197         4. Department of Environmental Protection.
  198         5. Department of Financial Services.
  199         6. Department of Law Enforcement.
  200         7. Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
  201         8. Department of Military Affairs.
  202         9. Division of Emergency Management.
  203         10. Department of Transportation.
  204         11. Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
  205         12. Office of Insurance Regulation.
  206         13. Public Service Commission.
  207         14.Each water management district Each agency within the
  208  executive branch of state government, each water management
  209  district, and the Florida Public Service Commission shall select
  210  from within such agency a person to be designated as the agency
  211  liaison to the workgroup.
  212         (c) The director of the Division of Emergency Management,
  213  or his or her designee, shall serve as the administrator liaison
  214  to and coordinator of the coordinating group workgroup.
  215         (d) Each agency representative liaison shall provide
  216  information from his or her respective agency, including all
  217  relevant reports, on the current and potential risks and impacts
  218  of natural hazards to this state to his or her agency, agency
  219  resources available, and efforts made by the agency to address
  220  and mitigate the risks and impacts of against natural hazards,
  221  and efforts made by the agency to address the impacts of natural
  222  hazards.
  223         (e)1. The coordinating group workgroup shall meet in person
  224  or by means of communications media technology as provided in s.
  225  120.54(5)(b)2. at least teleconference on a quarterly basis to
  226  share information, leverage agency resources, coordinate ongoing
  227  efforts, and provide information for inclusion in the annual
  228  progress report submitted pursuant to subsection (2). Agency
  229  heads for the agencies listed in paragraph (b) shall meet in
  230  person at least annually to collectively strategize and
  231  prioritize state efforts.
  232         2.Information regarding the coordinating group, including
  233  meeting agendas and reports, must be posted in a conspicuous
  234  location on the division’s website.
  235         (2)(a) On behalf of the coordinating group workgroup, the
  236  division of Emergency Management shall prepare an annual
  237  progress report on the implementation of the state’s hazard
  238  mitigation plan, developed and submitted in accordance with 42
  239  U.S.C. s. 5165 and any implementing regulations, as it relates
  240  to natural hazards. At a minimum, the annual progress report
  241  must:
  242         1. Assess each agency’s the relevance, level, and
  243  significance of current agency efforts to address and mitigate
  244  the risks and impacts of natural hazards; and
  245         2. Strategize and prioritize ongoing efforts to address and
  246  mitigate the risks and impacts of natural hazards;.
  247         3.Provide recommendations regarding statutory changes and
  248  funding that may assist in addressing or mitigating the risks
  249  and impacts of natural hazards; and
  250         4.Provide recommendations for state and local natural
  251  hazard mitigation strategies.
  252         (b) Each liaison is responsible for ensuring that the
  253  workgroup’s annual progress report is posted on his or her
  254  agency’s website.
  255         (c) By January 1 of each year, 2019, and each year
  256  thereafter, the division on behalf of the coordinating group
  257  workgroup shall submit the annual progress report to the
  258  Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
  259  House of Representatives.
  260         Section 10. Present paragraphs (c) and (d) of subsection
  261  (5) of section 252.37, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
  262  paragraphs (d) and (e), respectively, a new paragraph (c) is
  263  added to that subsection, and subsection (7) is added to that
  264  section, to read:
  265         252.37 Financing.—
  266         (5) Unless otherwise specified in the General
  267  Appropriations Act:
  268         (c) If the division intends to accept or apply for federal
  269  funds for a division-administered program that is new, that will
  270  be implemented in a manner that is innovative or significantly
  271  different from the manner in which the program is typically
  272  administered, or that will require a state match for which the
  273  division will be required to seek new budget authority, the
  274  division must notify the Legislature of its intent to accept or
  275  apply for the federal funds. The notice must detail the federal
  276  program under which the funds will be accepted or applied for,
  277  the intended purpose and use of the funds, and the amount of
  278  funds, including the estimated state match.
  279         (7)The division shall take steps to maximize the
  280  availability and expedite the distribution of financial
  281  assistance from the Federal Government to state and local
  282  agencies. Such steps must include the standardization and
  283  streamlining of the application process for financial assistance
  284  through the federal Public Assistance Program and provision of
  285  assistance to applicants in order to mitigate the risk of
  286  noncompliance with federal program requirements. The division
  287  shall use federal funds allocated as management cost or other
  288  funds as appropriated to implement this subsection.
  289         Section 11. Section 252.3713, Florida Statutes, is created
  290  to read:
  291         252.3713 Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.—
  292         (1)The division shall administer the Hazard Mitigation
  293  Grant Program as authorized and described in s. 404 of the
  294  Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act,
  295  as amended by Pub. L. No. 103-181, Pub. L. No. 103-337, and Pub.
  296  L. No. 106-390.
  297         (2)The division may retain no more than 25 percent of the
  298  total federal allocation of funds received for use within the
  299  state. A minimum of 75 percent of any funds received pursuant to
  300  a declared disaster must be distributed for use by the
  301  subrecipients in the counties specified in the Presidential
  302  Disaster Declaration for that disaster. However, a subrecipient
  303  may elect to share some or all of its allocation with the
  304  division to be used for projects benefiting the region in which
  305  the subrecipient is located.
  306         (3)The division and subrecipients shall prioritize
  307  projects that fulfill the following purposes when adopting
  308  mitigation strategies and plans and applying for funds under the
  309  grant program:
  310         (a)Reducing shelter space deficits through retrofitting of
  311  existing shelters and hardening of public buildings that are not
  312  schools. Reducing deficits in shelter space intended to
  313  accommodate individuals with special needs must be prioritized
  314  before addressing deficits in other types of shelter space.
  315         (b)Mitigating impacts to public infrastructure, including
  316  roads, bridges, and stormwater, water, and sewer systems, to
  317  enhance resistance to natural hazards and prevent and reduce
  318  losses.
  319         (c)Mitigating impacts to school facilities which will
  320  reduce future disaster losses and make the facilities more
  321  resistant to natural hazards.
  322         (d)Retrofitting of regional and local emergency management
  323  or operations centers.
  324         (e) Other projects that the division may define by rule.
  325         (4)The division may coordinate with other state agencies
  326  and political subdivisions to develop and implement innovative
  327  approaches to funding mitigation projects using grants under the
  328  Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, including, but not limited to,
  329  combining funding received from multiple federal and state
  330  programs. The division, in cooperation with other state agencies
  331  that administer federal grant programs, shall ensure that:
  332         (a)Projects funded through multiple programs comply with
  333  all applicable federal and state requirements of the respective
  334  programs under which funding was received.
  335         (b)Funding is used for projects in the geographic areas
  336  specified in the grant of funding.
  337         (5)A fiscally constrained county may request that the
  338  division administer the grant for such county. A fiscally
  339  constrained county may request additional assistance from the
  340  division in preparing applications for grants and developing a
  341  structure for implementing, monitoring the execution of, and
  342  closing out projects.
  343         (6)Each year by August 1, the division shall submit a
  344  report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the
  345  House of Representatives specifying the amount of funding
  346  received under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program for the
  347  previous fiscal year; projects funded by county; and the extent
  348  to which the priorities provided in this section were achieved.
  349         (7)The division shall adopt rules to implement this
  350  section.
  351         Section 12. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
  352  252.373, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  353         252.373 Allocation of funds; rules.—
  354         (2) The division shall allocate funds from the Emergency
  355  Management, Preparedness, and Assistance Trust Fund to local
  356  emergency management agencies and programs pursuant to criteria
  357  specified in rule. Such rules shall include, but are not limited
  358  to:
  359         (a) Requiring that, at a minimum, a local emergency
  360  management agency either:
  361         1. Have a program director who works at least 40 hours a
  362  week in that capacity; or
  363         2. If the county has fewer than 75,000 population or is
  364  party to an interjurisdictional emergency management agreement
  365  entered into pursuant to s. 252.38(3)(c) s. 252.38(3)(b), that
  366  is recognized by the Governor by executive order or rule, have
  367  an emergency management coordinator who works at least 20 hours
  368  a week in that capacity.
  369         Section 13. Present paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection
  370  (3) of section 252.38, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
  371  paragraphs (b) and (c), respectively, a new paragraph (a) is
  372  added to that subsection, and paragraph (a) of subsection (1) is
  373  amended, to read:
  374         252.38 Emergency management powers of political
  375  subdivisions.—Safeguarding the life and property of its citizens
  376  is an innate responsibility of the governing body of each
  377  political subdivision of the state.
  378         (1) COUNTIES.—
  379         (a) In order to provide effective and orderly governmental
  380  control and coordination of emergency operations in emergencies
  381  within the scope of ss. 252.31-252.90, each county within this
  382  state shall be within the jurisdiction of, and served by, the
  383  division. Except as otherwise provided in ss. 252.31-252.90,
  384  each local emergency management agency shall have jurisdiction
  385  over and serve an entire county. Unless part of an
  386  interjurisdictional emergency management agreement entered into
  387  pursuant to paragraph (3)(c) (3)(b) which is recognized by the
  388  Governor by executive order or rule, each county must establish
  389  and maintain such an emergency management agency and shall
  390  develop a county emergency management plan and program that is
  391  coordinated and consistent with the state comprehensive
  392  emergency management plan and program. Counties that are part of
  393  an interjurisdictional emergency management agreement entered
  394  into pursuant to paragraph (3)(c) (3)(b) which is recognized by
  395  the Governor by executive order or rule shall cooperatively
  396  develop an emergency management plan and program that is
  397  coordinated and consistent with the state comprehensive
  398  emergency management plan and program.
  399         (3) EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT POWERS; POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS.—
  400         (a) Each political subdivision shall notify the division on
  401  or before May 1 each year of the person designated as the
  402  emergency contact for the political subdivision and his or her
  403  alternate and of any changes in persons so designated
  404  thereafter. For a county, this includes the county emergency
  405  management director.
  406         Section 14. Subsections (2) and (3) of section 252.385,
  407  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
  408         252.385 Public shelter space; public records exemption.—
  409         (2)(a) The division shall administer a program to survey
  410  existing schools, universities, community colleges, and other
  411  state-owned, municipally owned, and county-owned public
  412  buildings and any private facility that the owner, in writing,
  413  agrees to provide for use as a public hurricane evacuation
  414  shelter to identify those that are appropriately designed and
  415  located to serve as such shelters. The owners of the facilities
  416  must be given the opportunity to participate in the surveys. The
  417  state university boards of trustees, district school boards,
  418  community college boards of trustees, and the Department of
  419  Education are responsible for coordinating and implementing the
  420  survey of public schools, universities, and community colleges
  421  with the division or the local emergency management agency.
  422         (b) By January 31 of each even-numbered year, the division
  423  shall prepare and submit a statewide emergency shelter plan to
  424  the Governor and Cabinet for approval, subject to the
  425  requirements for approval in s. 1013.37(2). The emergency
  426  shelter plan must project, for each of the next 5 years, the
  427  hurricane shelter needs of the state, including periods of time
  428  during which a concurrent public health emergency may
  429  necessitate more space for each individual to accommodate
  430  physical distancing. In addition to information on the general
  431  shelter needs throughout this state, the plan must identify the
  432  general location and square footage of special needs shelters,
  433  by regional planning council region. The plan must also include
  434  information on the availability of shelters that accept pets.
  435  The Department of Health shall assist the division in
  436  determining the estimated need for special needs shelter space
  437  and the adequacy of facilities to meet the needs of persons with
  438  special needs based on information from the registries of
  439  persons with special needs and other information.
  440         (3)(a) The division shall annually provide by October 15 to
  441  the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of
  442  the House of Representatives a report that includes, and the
  443  Governor a list of facilities recommended to be retrofitted
  444  using state funds. State funds should be maximized and targeted
  445  to projects in counties regional planning council regions with
  446  hurricane evacuation shelter deficits. Additionally, the
  447  division shall prioritize on the list of recommended facilities
  448  other state-owned, municipal-owned, and county-owned public
  449  buildings, other than schools, for retrofit using state funds.
  450  The owner or lessee of a public hurricane evacuation shelter
  451  that is included on the list of facilities recommended for
  452  retrofitting is not required to perform any recommended
  453  improvements.
  454         (b) The report required in paragraph (a) must include a
  455  statewide emergency shelter plan that must project, for each of
  456  the next 5 years, the hurricane shelter needs of the state. In
  457  addition to information on the general shelter needs throughout
  458  this state, the plan must identify, by county, the general
  459  location and square footage of special needs shelters. The plan
  460  must also include information on the availability of shelters
  461  that accept pets. The Department of Health and the Agency for
  462  Persons with Disabilities shall assist the division in
  463  determining the estimated need for special needs shelter space,
  464  the estimated need for general shelter space to accommodate
  465  persons with developmental disabilities, including, but not
  466  limited to, autism, and the adequacy of facilities to meet the
  467  needs of persons with special needs based on information from
  468  the registries of persons with special needs and other
  469  information.
  470         Section 15. Section 252.392, Florida Statutes, is created
  471  to read:
  472         252.392 Post-storm county and municipal permitting;
  473  operations.—
  474         (1)(a) Each county and municipality shall develop a post
  475  storm permitting plan to expedite recovery and rebuilding by
  476  providing for special building permit and inspection procedures
  477  after a hurricane or tropical storm. The plan must, at a
  478  minimum:
  479         1. Ensure sufficient personnel are prepared and available
  480  to expeditiously manage post-disaster building inspection,
  481  permitting, and enforcement tasks. The plan must anticipate
  482  conditions that would necessitate supplemental personnel for
  483  such tasks and address methods for fulfilling such personnel
  484  needs, including through mutual aid agreements as authorized in
  485  s. 252.40, other arrangements, such as those with private sector
  486  contractors, or supplemental state or federal funding. The plan
  487  must include training requirements and protocols for
  488  supplemental personnel to ensure compliance with local
  489  floodplain management requirements that apply within the county
  490  or municipality.
  491         2. Account for multiple or alternate locations where
  492  building permit services may be offered in-person to the public
  493  following a hurricane or tropical storm, during regular business
  494  hours.
  495         3. Specify a protocol to expedite permitting procedures
  496  and, if practicable, for the waiver or reduction of applicable
  497  fees in accordance with and in addition to the procedures and
  498  waivers provided for under s. 553.7922. The plan must identify
  499  the types of permits that are frequently requested following a
  500  hurricane or tropical storm and methods to expedite the
  501  processing of such permits.
  502         4. Specify procedures and resources necessary to promote
  503  expeditious debris removal following a hurricane or tropical
  504  storm.
  505         (b) Each county and municipality shall update the plan no
  506  later than May 1 annually.
  507         (2)(a) By May 1 annually, each county and municipality
  508  shall publish on its website a hurricane and tropical storm
  509  recovery permitting guide for residential and commercial
  510  property owners. The guide must describe:
  511         1. The types of post-storm repairs that require a permit
  512  and applicable fees.
  513         2. The types of post-storm repairs that do not require a
  514  permit.
  515         3. The post-storm permit application process and specific
  516  modifications the county or municipality commonly makes to
  517  expedite the process, including the physical locations where
  518  permitting services will be offered.
  519         4. Local requirements for rebuilding specific to the county
  520  or municipality, including elevation requirements following
  521  substantial damage and substantial improvement pursuant to the
  522  National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and any local amendments
  523  to the building code.
  524         (b) As soon as practicable following a hurricane or
  525  tropical storm, a county or municipality within the area for
  526  which a state of emergency pursuant to s. 252.36 for such
  527  hurricane or tropical storm is declared shall publish updates on
  528  its website to the information required under paragraph (a)
  529  which are specific to such storm, including any permitting fee
  530  waivers or reductions.
  531         (3) A county or municipality located entirely or partially
  532  within 100 miles of the track, as determined by the National
  533  Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, of a hurricane or
  534  tropical storm and for which a state of emergency is declared
  535  pursuant to s. 252.36:
  536         (a) May not increase building permit or inspection fees for
  537  a period of 180 days after the date on which the state of
  538  emergency was declared.
  539         (b)Must, as soon as practicable, have employees and
  540  supplemental personnel available during the county’s or
  541  municipality’s normal business hours to process permits.
  542         Section 16. Paragraph (a) of subsection (9) of section
  543  380.0552, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  544         380.0552 Florida Keys Area; protection and designation as
  545  area of critical state concern.—
  546         (9) MODIFICATION TO PLANS AND REGULATIONS.—
  547         (a) Any land development regulation or element of a local
  548  comprehensive plan in the Florida Keys Area may be enacted,
  549  amended, or rescinded by a local government, but the enactment,
  550  amendment, or rescission becomes effective only upon approval by
  551  the state land planning agency. The state land planning agency
  552  shall review the proposed change to determine if it is in
  553  compliance with the principles for guiding development specified
  554  in chapter 27F-8, Florida Administrative Code, as amended
  555  effective August 23, 1984, and must approve or reject the
  556  requested changes within 60 days after receipt. Amendments to
  557  local comprehensive plans in the Florida Keys Area must also be
  558  reviewed for compliance with the following:
  559         1. Construction schedules and detailed capital financing
  560  plans for wastewater management improvements in the annually
  561  adopted capital improvements element, and standards for the
  562  construction of wastewater treatment and disposal facilities or
  563  collection systems that meet or exceed the criteria in s.
  564  403.086(11) for wastewater treatment and disposal facilities or
  565  s. 381.0065(4)(l) for onsite sewage treatment and disposal
  566  systems.
  567         2. Goals, objectives, and policies to protect public safety
  568  and welfare in the event of a natural disaster by maintaining a
  569  hurricane evacuation clearance time for permanent residents of
  570  no more than 26 24 hours. The hurricane evacuation clearance
  571  time shall be determined by a hurricane evacuation study
  572  conducted in accordance with a professionally accepted
  573  methodology and approved by the state land planning agency. For
  574  purposes of hurricane evacuation clearance time:
  575         a. Mobile home residents are not considered permanent
  576  residents.
  577         b. The City of Key West Area of Critical State Concern
  578  established by chapter 28-36, Florida Administrative Code, shall
  579  be included in the hurricane evacuation study and is subject to
  580  the evacuation requirements of this subsection.
  581         Section 17. It is the intent of the Legislature that the
  582  amendment made by this act to s. 380.0552, Florida Statutes,
  583  will accommodate the building of additional developments within
  584  the Florida Keys to ameliorate the acute affordable housing and
  585  building permit allocation shortage. The Legislature also
  586  intends that local governments subject to the hurricane
  587  evacuation clearance time restrictions on residential buildings
  588  manage growth with a heightened focus on long-term stability and
  589  affordable housing for the local workforce.
  590         Section 18. Paragraph (m) is added to subsection (4) of
  591  section 553.73, Florida Statutes, to read:
  592         553.73 Florida Building Code.—
  593         (4)
  594         (m) A local government may not adopt a local lookback
  595  ordinance for substantial improvements or repairs to a structure
  596  which is more stringent than the Florida Building Code. A
  597  lookback ordinance adopted by a local government before July 1,
  598  2025, is void and unenforceable.
  599  
  600  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  601  And the title is amended as follows:
  602         Delete lines 29 - 122
  603  and insert:
  604         provided by the division; authorizing such training to
  605         be provided by a foundation under certain
  606         circumstances; revising inventory requirements;
  607         deleting a requirement for a certain biennial report;
  608         requiring the division to conduct an annual hurricane
  609         readiness session in each region designated by the
  610         division for a specified purpose; requiring all county
  611         emergency management directors, and authorizing other
  612         county and municipal personnel to attend such session;
  613         requiring that the session include specified topics
  614         and needs; amending s. 252.355, F.S.; authorizing the
  615         Department of Veterans’ Affairs to provide certain
  616         information to specified clients or their caregivers;
  617         amending s. 252.3611, F.S.; directing specified
  618         entities to submit specified contracts and reports to
  619         the Legislature under specified conditions; requiring
  620         that such contracts be posted on a specified secure
  621         contract system; requiring the Auditor General to post
  622         the results of specified audits on his or her official
  623         website; requiring the division to report annually to
  624         the Legislature specified information on expenditures
  625         related to emergencies; providing requirements for
  626         such report; amending s. 252.365, F.S.; revising the
  627         responsibilities for agency emergency coordination
  628         officers; requiring agency heads to notify the
  629         Governor and the division of the person designated as
  630         the emergency coordination officer annually by a
  631         specified date; amending s. 252.3655, F.S.; creating
  632         the natural hazards risks and mitigation interagency
  633         coordinating group; providing the purpose of the
  634         group; providing for the membership and administration
  635         of the group; requiring agency representatives to
  636         provide information relating to natural hazards to
  637         this state, agency resources, efforts to address and
  638         mitigate risk and impacts of natural hazards;
  639         requiring the group to meet in person or by
  640         communication media technology at least quarterly for
  641         specified purposes; requiring specified agency heads
  642         to meet at least annually to strategize and prioritize
  643         state efforts; requiring the division, on behalf of
  644         the group, to prepare a certain progress report;
  645         revising the requirements of such report; revising
  646         requirements for an annual progress report by the
  647         division on behalf of the group; requiring the
  648         division, on behalf of the group, to submit such
  649         report to the Governor and the Legislature; amending
  650         s. 252.37, F.S.; requiring the division to notify the
  651         Legislature of its intent to accept or apply for
  652         federal funds under certain circumstances; requiring
  653         the division to take steps to maximize the
  654         availability and expedite distribution of financial
  655         assistance from the Federal Government to state and
  656         local agencies; requiring that such steps include the
  657         standardization and streamlining of the application
  658         process for federal financial assistance and the
  659         provision of assistance to those applicants for a
  660         specified purpose; requiring the division to use
  661         certain federal funds to implement such requirements;
  662         creating s. 252.3713, F.S.; requiring the division to
  663         administer the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program;
  664         authorizing the division to retain a specified
  665         percentage of the funds for use within the state;
  666         requiring that the remaining percentage be distributed
  667         for use by certain recipients; authorizing
  668         subrecipients to make a certain election for a
  669         specified use; requiring the prioritization of certain
  670         projects; authorizing the division to coordinate with
  671         specified entities under certain circumstances;
  672         requiring that such cooperation ensures certain
  673         requirements are met and certain projects are funded;
  674         authorizing fiscally constrained counties to request
  675         that the division administer the grant for such a
  676         county; authorizing such counties to request certain
  677         assistance from the division; requiring the division
  678         to provide a certain report annually to the
  679         Legislature; requiring the division to adopt rules;
  680         amending s. 252.373, F.S.; conforming a cross
  681         reference; amending s. 252.38, F.S.; requiring each
  682         political subdivision to notify the division of the
  683         designated emergency contact annually by a specified
  684         date; amending s. 252.385, F.S.; revising reporting
  685         requirements for the division; revising requirements
  686         for a specified list; requiring the Department of
  687         Health and the Agency for Persons with Disabilities to
  688         assist the division with certain determinations;
  689         creating s. 252.392, F.S.; requiring counties and
  690         municipalities to develop a post-storm permitting
  691         plan; providing requirements for the plan; requiring
  692         annual updates to the plan by a specified date;
  693         requiring counties and municipalities to publish, and
  694         post on their websites, a specified storm recovery
  695         guide annually by a specified date; prohibiting
  696         certain counties and municipalities from increasing
  697         building permit or inspection fees within a specified
  698         timeframe; requiring, as soon as practicable, such
  699         counties and municipalities to have certain personnel
  700         available during normal business hours; amending s.
  701         380.0552, F.S.; revising the maximum evacuation
  702         clearance time for permanent residents of the Florida
  703         Keys Area, which time is an element for which
  704         amendments to local comprehensive plans in the Florida
  705         Keys Area must be reviewed for compliance; providing
  706         legislative intent; amending s. 553.73, F.S.;
  707         prohibiting local governments from adopting lookback
  708         ordinances for substantial improvements or repairs to
  709         a structure which are more stringent than the Florida
  710         Building Code; providing that lookback ordinances
  711         adopted by local governments before a specified date
  712         are void and unenforceable; amending s. 400.063,