Florida Senate - 2025 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for CS for SB 462
Ì808846MÎ808846
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
04/09/2025 .
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The Committee on Fiscal Policy (DiCeglie) recommended the
following:
1 Senate Substitute for Amendment (745518) (with title
2 amendment)
3
4 Delete lines 115 - 1175
5 and insert:
6 Section 1. Section 218.3215, Florida Statutes, is created
7 to read:
8 218.3215 County transportation project data.—
9 (1) Each county shall annually by January 15 report to the
10 Office of Economic and Demographic Research all of the following
11 information, by county fiscal year, for surtax revenues received
12 pursuant to s. 212.055(1):
13 (a) Total proceeds from the surtax received by the county.
14 (b) The amount allocated by the county for road and bridge
15 projects. The Office of Economic and Demographic Research, in
16 consultation with the Department of Transportation, shall define
17 broad categories, including, but not limited to, widening,
18 repair and rehabilitation, sidewalks, or payment or pledge of
19 bonds for the construction of roads or bridges, for reporting
20 this information. This information must be reported as a total
21 by category and by revenue source by category.
22 (c) The total expenditure on road and bridge projects by
23 category.
24 (d) The unexpended balances of funds allocated to road and
25 bridge projects by category.
26 (e) A list of current road and bridge projects, including
27 the project cost, location, and scope.
28 (f) The amount allocated by the county to all other
29 permissible uses of the proceeds from the surtax, excluding road
30 and bridge projects and the payment or pledge of bonds for the
31 construction of roads or bridges.
32 (2) Counties shall report the information required by this
33 section in the format specified by the Office of Economic and
34 Demographic Research. The Office of Economic and Demographic
35 Research shall compile the information into a report and provide
36 the report to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the
37 House of Representatives, and the Department of Transportation.
38 Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 316.183, Florida
39 Statutes, is amended to read:
40 316.183 Unlawful speed.—
41 (2) On all streets or highways, the maximum speed limits
42 for all vehicles must be 30 miles per hour in business or
43 residence districts, and 55 miles per hour at any time at all
44 other locations. However, with respect to a residence district,
45 a county or municipality may set a maximum speed limit of 20 or
46 25 miles per hour on local streets and highways after an
47 investigation determines that such a limit is reasonable. It is
48 not necessary to conduct a separate investigation for each
49 residence district. The Department of Transportation shall
50 determine the safe and advisable minimum speed limit on all
51 highways that comprise a part of the National System of
52 Interstate and Defense Highways and have at least not fewer than
53 four lanes is 40 miles per hour, except that when the posted
54 speed limit is 70 miles per hour, the minimum speed limit is 50
55 miles per hour.
56 Section 3. Subsection (2) of section 316.187, Florida
57 Statutes, is amended to read:
58 316.187 Establishment of state speed zones.—
59 (2)(a) The maximum allowable speed limit on limited access
60 highways is 75 70 miles per hour.
61 (b) The maximum allowable speed limit on any other highway
62 that which is outside an urban area of 5,000 or more persons and
63 that which has at least four lanes divided by a median strip is
64 70 65 miles per hour.
65 (c) The Department of Transportation is authorized to set
66 such maximum and minimum speed limits for travel over other
67 roadways under its authority as it deems safe and advisable, not
68 to exceed as a maximum limit 65 60 miles per hour.
69 Section 4. Section 330.355, Florida Statutes, is created to
70 read:
71 330.355 Prohibition on landing fees for certain aircraft
72 operations.—A publicly owned airport in this state may not
73 charge a landing fee established on or after January 1, 2025,
74 for aircraft operations conducted by an accredited nonprofit
75 institution located in this state which offers a 4-year
76 collegiate aviation program, when such aircraft operations are
77 for flight training necessary for pilot certification and
78 proficiency.
79 Section 5. Subsections (4), (5), (7), and (8) of section
80 332.004, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
81 332.004 Definitions of terms used in ss. 332.003-332.007.
82 As used in ss. 332.003-332.007, the term:
83 (4) “Airport or aviation development project” or
84 “development project” means any activity associated with the
85 design, construction, purchase, improvement, or repair of a
86 public-use airport or portion thereof, including, but not
87 limited to: the purchase of equipment; the acquisition of land,
88 including land required as a condition of a federal, state, or
89 local permit or agreement for environmental mitigation; off
90 airport noise mitigation projects; the removal, lowering,
91 relocation, marking, and lighting of airport hazards; the
92 installation of navigation aids used by aircraft in landing at
93 or taking off from a public-use public airport; the installation
94 of safety equipment required by rule or regulation for
95 certification of the airport under s. 612 of the Federal
96 Aviation Act of 1958, and amendments thereto; and the
97 improvement of access to the airport by road or rail system
98 which is on airport property and which is consistent, to the
99 maximum extent feasible, with the approved local government
100 comprehensive plan of the units of local government in which the
101 airport is located.
102 (5) “Airport or aviation discretionary capacity improvement
103 projects” or “discretionary capacity improvement projects” means
104 capacity improvements which are consistent, to the maximum
105 extent feasible, with the approved local government
106 comprehensive plans of the units of local government in which
107 the public-use airport is located, and which enhance
108 intercontinental capacity at airports which:
109 (a) Are international airports with United States Bureau of
110 Customs and Border Protection;
111 (b) Had one or more regularly scheduled intercontinental
112 flights during the previous calendar year or have an agreement
113 in writing for installation of one or more regularly scheduled
114 intercontinental flights upon the commitment of funds for
115 stipulated airport capital improvements; and
116 (c) Have available or planned public ground transportation
117 between the airport and other major transportation facilities.
118 (7) “Eligible agency” means a political subdivision of the
119 state or an authority, or a public-private partnership through a
120 lease or an agreement under s. 255.065 with a political
121 subdivision of the state or an authority, which owns or seeks to
122 develop a public-use airport.
123 (8) “Federal aid” means funds made available from the
124 Federal Government for the accomplishment of public-use airport
125 or aviation development projects.
126 Section 6. Subsections (4) and (8) of section 332.006,
127 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
128 332.006 Duties and responsibilities of the Department of
129 Transportation.—The Department of Transportation shall, within
130 the resources provided pursuant to chapter 216:
131 (4) Upon request, provide financial and technical
132 assistance to public agencies that own which operate public-use
133 airports by making department personnel and department-owned
134 facilities and equipment available on a cost-reimbursement basis
135 to such agencies for special needs of limited duration. The
136 requirement relating to reimbursement of personnel costs may be
137 waived by the department in those cases in which the assistance
138 provided by its personnel was of a limited nature or duration.
139 (8) Encourage the maximum allocation of federal funds to
140 local public-use airport projects in this state.
141 Section 7. Paragraphs (a) and (c) of subsection (4),
142 subsection (6), paragraphs (a) and (d) of subsection (7), and
143 subsections (8) and (10) of section 332.007, Florida Statutes,
144 are amended, and subsection (11) is added to that section, to
145 read:
146 332.007 Administration and financing of aviation and
147 airport programs and projects; state plan.—
148 (4)(a) The annual legislative budget request for aviation
149 and airport development projects shall be based on the funding
150 required for development projects in the aviation and airport
151 work program. The department shall provide priority funding in
152 support of the planning, design, and construction of proposed
153 projects by local sponsors of public-use airports, with special
154 emphasis on projects for runways and taxiways, including the
155 painting and marking of runways and taxiways, lighting, other
156 related airside activities, and airport access transportation
157 facility projects on airport property.
158 (c) No single airport shall secure airport or aviation
159 development project funds in excess of 25 percent of the total
160 airport or aviation development project funds available in any
161 given budget year. However, any public-use airport which
162 receives discretionary capacity improvement project funds in a
163 given fiscal year shall not receive greater than 10 percent of
164 total aviation and airport development project funds
165 appropriated in that fiscal year.
166 (6) Subject to the availability of appropriated funds, the
167 department may participate in the capital cost of eligible
168 public-use public airport and aviation development projects in
169 accordance with the following rates, unless otherwise provided
170 in the General Appropriations Act or the substantive bill
171 implementing the General Appropriations Act:
172 (a) The department may fund up to 50 percent of the portion
173 of eligible project costs which are not funded by the Federal
174 Government, except that the department may initially fund up to
175 75 percent of the cost of land acquisition for a new airport or
176 for the expansion of an existing airport which is owned and
177 operated by a municipality, a county, or an authority, and shall
178 be reimbursed to the normal statutory project share when federal
179 funds become available or within 10 years after the date of
180 acquisition, whichever is earlier. Due to federal budgeting
181 constraints, the department may also initially fund the federal
182 portion of eligible project costs subject to:
183 1. The department receiving adequate assurance from the
184 Federal Government or local sponsor that this amount will be
185 reimbursed to the department; and
186 2. The department having adequate funds in the work program
187 to fund the project.
188
189 Such projects must be contained in the Federal Government’s
190 Airport Capital Improvement Program, and the Federal Government
191 must fund, or have funded, the first year of the project.
192 (b) The department may retroactively reimburse cities,
193 counties, or airport authorities up to 50 percent of the
194 nonfederal share for land acquisition when such land is needed
195 for airport safety, expansion, tall structure control, clear
196 zone protection, or noise impact reduction. No land purchased
197 prior to July 1, 1990, or purchased prior to executing the
198 required department agreements shall be eligible for
199 reimbursement.
200 (c) When federal funds are not available, the department
201 may fund up to 80 percent of master planning and eligible
202 aviation development projects at public-use publicly owned,
203 publicly operated airports. If federal funds are available, the
204 department may fund up to 80 percent of the nonfederal share of
205 such projects. Such funding is limited to general aviation
206 airports, or commercial service airports that have fewer than
207 100,000 passenger boardings per year as determined by the
208 Federal Aviation Administration.
209 (d) The department is authorized to fund up to 100 percent
210 of the cost of an eligible project that is statewide in scope or
211 that involves more than one county where no other governmental
212 entity or appropriate jurisdiction exists.
213 (7) Subject to the availability of appropriated funds in
214 addition to aviation fuel tax revenues, the department may
215 participate in the capital cost of eligible public airport and
216 aviation discretionary capacity improvement projects. The annual
217 legislative budget request shall be based on the funding
218 required for discretionary capacity improvement projects in the
219 aviation and airport work program.
220 (a) The department shall provide priority funding in
221 support of:
222 1. Land acquisition which provides additional capacity at
223 the qualifying international airport or at that airport’s
224 supplemental air carrier airport.
225 2. Runway and taxiway projects that add capacity or are
226 necessary to accommodate technological changes in the aviation
227 industry.
228 3. Public-use airport access transportation projects that
229 improve direct airport access and are approved by the airport
230 sponsor.
231 4. International terminal projects that increase
232 international gate capacity.
233 (d) The department may fund up to 50 percent of the portion
234 of eligible project costs which are not funded by the Federal
235 Government except that the department may initially fund up to
236 75 percent of the cost of land acquisition for a new public-use
237 airport or for the expansion of an existing public-use airport
238 which is owned and operated by a municipality, a county, or an
239 authority, and shall be reimbursed to the normal statutory
240 project share when federal funds become available or within 10
241 years after the date of acquisition, whichever is earlier.
242 (8) The department may also fund eligible projects
243 performed by not-for-profit organizations that represent a
244 majority of public airports in this state. Eligible projects may
245 include activities associated with aviation master planning,
246 professional education, safety and security planning, enhancing
247 economic development and efficiency at airports in this state,
248 or other planning efforts to improve the viability of public-use
249 airports in this state.
250 (10) Subject to the availability of appropriated funds, and
251 unless otherwise provided in the General Appropriations Act or
252 the substantive bill implementing the General Appropriations
253 Act, the department may fund up to 100 percent of eligible
254 project costs of all of the following at a public-use publicly
255 owned, publicly operated airport located in a rural community as
256 defined in s. 288.0656 which does not have any scheduled
257 commercial service:
258 (a) The capital cost of runway and taxiway projects that
259 add capacity. Such projects must be prioritized based on the
260 amount of available nonstate matching funds.
261 (b) Economic development transportation projects pursuant
262 to s. 339.2821.
263
264 Any remaining funds must be allocated for projects specified in
265 subsection (6).
266 (11) Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, a
267 municipality, a county, or an authority that owns a public-use
268 airport may participate in the Federal Aviation Administration
269 Airport Investment Partnership Program under federal law by
270 contracting with a private partner to operate the airport under
271 lease or agreement. Subject to the availability of appropriated
272 funds from aviation fuel tax revenues, the department may
273 provide for improvements under this section to a municipality, a
274 county, or an authority that has a private partner under the
275 Airport Investment Partnership Program for the capital cost of a
276 discretionary improvement project at a public-use airport.
277 Section 8. Section 332.136, Florida Statutes, is created to
278 read:
279 332.136 Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority; airport pilot
280 program.—
281 (1) There is established at the Sarasota Manatee Airport
282 Authority an airport pilot program. The purpose of the pilot
283 program is to determine the long-term feasibility of alternative
284 airport permitting procedures, such as those provided in ss.
285 553.80, 1013.30, 1013.33, and 1013.371.
286 (2) The department shall adopt rules as necessary to
287 implement the pilot program.
288 (3) By December 1, 2027, the department shall submit
289 recommendations to the President of the Senate and the Speaker
290 of the House of Representatives about how to expand the pilot
291 program to additional airports, amend the pilot program to
292 increase its effectiveness, or terminate the pilot program.
293 (4) This section shall stand repealed on June 30, 2028,
294 unless reviewed and saved from appeal through reenactment by the
295 Legislature.
296 Section 9. Subsections (6) and (35) of section 334.044,
297 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
298 334.044 Powers and duties of the department.—The department
299 shall have the following general powers and duties:
300 (6) To acquire, by the exercise of the power of eminent
301 domain as provided by law, all property or property rights,
302 whether public or private, which it may determine are necessary
303 to the performance of its duties and the execution of its
304 powers, including, but not limited to, in advance to preserve a
305 corridor for future proposed improvements.
306 (35) To expend funds for provide a construction workforce
307 development program, in consultation with affected stakeholders,
308 for delivery of projects designated in the department’s work
309 program. The department may annually expend up to $5 million
310 from the State Transportation Trust Fund for fiscal years 2025
311 2026 through 2029-2030 in grants to state colleges and school
312 districts, with priority given to state colleges and school
313 districts in counties that are rural communities as defined in
314 s. 288.0656(2), for the purchase of equipment simulators with
315 authentic original equipment manufacturer controls and a
316 companion curriculum, for the purchase of instructional aids for
317 use in conjunction with the equipment simulators, and to support
318 offering an elective course in heavy civil construction which
319 must, at a minimum, provide the student with an Occupational
320 Safety and Health Administration 10-hour certification and a
321 fill equipment simulator certification.
322 Section 10. Subsections (1) and (3) of section 334.065,
323 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
324 334.065 Center for Urban Transportation Research.—
325 (1) There is established within at the University of South
326 Florida the Florida Center for Urban Transportation Research, to
327 be administered by the Board of Governors of the State
328 University System. The responsibilities of the center include,
329 but are not limited to, conducting and facilitating research on
330 issues related to urban transportation problems in this state
331 and serving as an information exchange and depository for the
332 most current information pertaining to urban transportation and
333 related issues.
334 (3) An advisory board shall be created to periodically and
335 objectively review and advise the center concerning its research
336 program. Except for projects mandated by law, state-funded base
337 projects shall not be undertaken without approval of the
338 advisory board. The membership of the board shall be composed
339 consist of nine experts in transportation-related areas, as
340 follows:
341 (a) A member appointed by the President of the Senate.
342 (b) A member appointed by the Speaker of the House of
343 Representatives.
344 (c) The Secretary of Transportation, or his or her
345 designee.
346 (d) The Secretary of Commerce, or his or her designee.
347 including the secretaries of the Department of Transportation,
348 the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department
349 of Commerce, or their designees, and
350 (e) A member of the Florida Transportation Commission.
351 (f) Four members nominated The nomination of the remaining
352 members of the board shall be made to the President of the
353 University of South Florida by the College of Engineering at the
354 University of South Florida and approved by the university’s
355 president, and The appointment of these members must be reviewed
356 and approved by the Florida Transportation Commission and
357 confirmed by the Board of Governors.
358 Section 11. Section 334.63, Florida Statutes, is created to
359 read:
360 334.63 Project concept studies and project development and
361 environment studies.—
362 (1) Project concept studies and project development and
363 environment studies for capacity improvement projects on limited
364 access facilities must include the evaluation of alternatives
365 that provide transportation capacity using elevated roadway
366 above existing lanes.
367 (2) Project development and environment studies for new
368 alignment projects and capacity improvement projects must be
369 completed to the maximum extent possible within 18 months after
370 the date of commencement.
371 Section 12. Subsection (4), paragraph (b) of subsection
372 (7), and subsection (15) of section 337.11, Florida Statutes,
373 are amended to read:
374 337.11 Contracting authority of department; bids; emergency
375 repairs, supplemental agreements, and change orders; combined
376 design and construction contracts; progress payments; records;
377 requirements of vehicle registration.—
378 (4)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), the department
379 may award the proposed construction and maintenance work to the
380 lowest responsible bidder, or in the instance of a time-plus
381 money contract, the lowest evaluated responsible bidder, or it
382 may reject all bids and proceed to rebid the work in accordance
383 with subsection (2) or otherwise perform the work.
384 (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if the
385 department intends to reject all bids on any project after
386 announcing, but before posting official notice of, such intent,
387 the department must provide to the lowest responsive,
388 responsible bidder the opportunity to negotiate the scope of
389 work with a corresponding reduction in price, as provided in the
390 bid, to provide a reduced bid without filing a protest or
391 posting a bond under paragraph (5)(a). Upon reaching a decision
392 regarding the lowest bidder’s reduced bid, the department must
393 post notice of final agency action to either reject all bids or
394 accept the reduced bid.
395 (c) This subsection does not prohibit the filing of a
396 protest by any bidder or alter the deadlines provided in s.
397 120.57.
398 (d) Notwithstanding the requirements of ss. 120.57(3)(c)
399 and 287.057(25), upon receipt of a formal written protest that
400 is timely filed, the department may continue the process
401 provided in this subsection but may not take final agency action
402 as to the lowest bidder except as part of the department’s final
403 agency action in the protest or upon dismissal of the protest by
404 the protesting party.
405 (7)
406 (b) If the department determines that it is in the best
407 interests of the public, the department may combine the design
408 and construction phases of a project fully funded in the work
409 program into a single contract and select the design-build firm
410 in the early stages of a project to ensure that the design-build
411 firm is part of the collaboration and development of the design
412 as part of a step-by-step progression through construction. Such
413 a contract is referred to as a phased design-build contract. For
414 phased design-build contracts, selection and award must include
415 a two-phase process. For phase one, the department shall
416 competitively award the contract to a design-build firm based
417 upon qualifications, provided that the department receives at
418 least three statements of qualifications from qualified design
419 build firms. If during phase one the department elects to enter
420 into contracts with more than one design-build firm based upon
421 qualifications, the department must competitively select a
422 single design-build firm to perform the work associated with
423 phase two. For phase two, the design-build firm may self-perform
424 portions of the work and shall competitively bid construction
425 trade subcontractor packages and, based upon these bids,
426 negotiate with the department a fixed firm price or guaranteed
427 maximum price that meets the project budget and scope as
428 advertised in the request for qualifications.
429 (15) Each contract let by the department for performance of
430 bridge construction or maintenance over navigable waters must
431 contain a provision requiring marine general liability
432 insurance, in an amount to be determined by the department,
433 which covers third-party personal injury and property damage
434 caused by vessels used by the contractor in the performance of
435 the work. For a contract let by the department on or after July
436 1, 2025, such insurance must include protection and indemnity
437 coverage, which may be covered by endorsement on the marine
438 general liability insurance policy or may be a separate policy.
439 Section 13. Subsections (1), (2), and (8) of section
440 337.14, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
441 337.14 Application for qualification; certificate of
442 qualification; restrictions; request for hearing.—
443 (1) Any contractor desiring to bid for the performance of
444 any construction contract in excess of $250,000 which the
445 department proposes to let must first be certified by the
446 department as qualified pursuant to this section and rules of
447 the department. The rules of the department must address the
448 qualification of contractors to bid on construction contracts in
449 excess of $250,000 and must include requirements with respect to
450 the equipment, past record, experience, financial resources, and
451 organizational personnel of the applying contractor which are
452 necessary to perform the specific class of work for which the
453 contractor seeks certification. Any contractor who desires to
454 bid on contracts in excess of $50 million and who is not
455 qualified and in good standing with the department as of January
456 1, 2019, must first be certified by the department as qualified
457 and must have satisfactorily completed two projects, each in
458 excess of $15 million, for the department or for any other state
459 department of transportation. The department may limit the
460 dollar amount of any contract upon which a contractor is
461 qualified to bid or the aggregate total dollar volume of
462 contracts such contractor is allowed to have under contract at
463 any one time. Each applying contractor seeking qualification to
464 bid on construction contracts in excess of $250,000 shall
465 furnish the department a statement under oath, on such forms as
466 the department may prescribe, setting forth detailed information
467 as required on the application. Each application for
468 certification must be accompanied by audited, certified
469 financial statements prepared in accordance with generally
470 accepted accounting principles and auditing standards by a
471 certified public accountant licensed in this state or another
472 state. The audited, certified financial statements must be for
473 the applying contractor and must have been prepared within the
474 immediately preceding 12 months. The department may not consider
475 any financial information of the parent entity of the applying
476 contractor, if any. The department may not certify as qualified
477 any applying contractor who fails to submit the audited,
478 certified financial statements required by this subsection. If
479 the application or the annual financial statement shows the
480 financial condition of the applying contractor more than 4
481 months before the date on which the application is received by
482 the department, the applicant must also submit interim audited,
483 certified financial statements prepared in accordance with
484 generally accepted accounting principles and auditing standards
485 by a certified public accountant licensed in this state or
486 another state. The interim financial statements must cover the
487 period from the end date of the annual statement and must show
488 the financial condition of the applying contractor no more than
489 4 months before the date that the interim financial statements
490 are received by the department. However, upon the request of the
491 applying contractor, an application and accompanying annual or
492 interim financial statement received by the department within 15
493 days after either 4-month period under this subsection shall be
494 considered timely. An applying contractor desiring to bid
495 exclusively for the performance of construction contracts with
496 proposed budget estimates of less than $2 million may submit
497 reviewed annual or reviewed interim financial statements
498 prepared by a certified public accountant. The information
499 required by this subsection is confidential and exempt from s.
500 119.07(1). The department shall act upon the application for
501 qualification within 30 days after the department determines
502 that the application is complete. The department may waive the
503 requirements of this subsection for push-button projects having
504 a contract price of $1 million or less, or for non-push-button
505 projects having a contract price of $500,000 or less, if the
506 department determines that the project is of a noncritical
507 nature and the waiver will not endanger public health, safety,
508 or property.
509 (2) Certification is shall be necessary in order to bid on
510 a road, bridge, or public transportation construction contract
511 of more than $250,000. However, the successful bidder on any
512 construction contract must furnish a contract bond before prior
513 to the award of the contract. The department may waive the
514 requirement for all or a portion of a contract bond for
515 contracts of $250,000 $150,000 or less under s. 337.18(1).
516 (8) This section does not apply to maintenance contracts.
517 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a contractor seeking
518 to bid on a maintenance contract in which the majority of the
519 work includes repair and replacement of safety appurtenances,
520 including, but not limited to, guardrails, attenuators, traffic
521 signals, and striping, must possess the prescribed
522 qualifications, equipment, record, and experience to perform
523 such repair and replacement.
524 Section 14. Subsections (4) and (5) of section 337.185,
525 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
526 337.185 State Arbitration Board.—
527 (4) The contractor may submit a claim greater than $250,000
528 up to $2 $1 million per contract or, upon agreement of the
529 parties, greater than up to $2 million per contract to be
530 arbitrated by the board. An award issued by the board pursuant
531 to this subsection is final if a request for a trial de novo is
532 not filed within the time provided by Rule 1.830, Florida Rules
533 of Civil Procedure. At the trial de novo, the court may not
534 admit evidence that there has been an arbitration proceeding,
535 the nature or amount of the award, or any other matter
536 concerning the conduct of the arbitration proceeding, except
537 that testimony given in connection with at an arbitration
538 hearing may be used for any purpose otherwise permitted by the
539 Florida Evidence Code. If a request for trial de novo is not
540 filed within the time provided, the award issued by the board is
541 final and enforceable by a court of law.
542 (5) An arbitration request may not be made to the board
543 before final acceptance but must be made to the board within 820
544 days after final acceptance. An arbitration request related to a
545 warranty notice provided by the department must be made to the
546 board within 360 days after such notice or 820 days after final
547 acceptance, whichever is later.
548 Section 15. Present subsection (10) of section 339.175,
549 Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (11), a new
550 subsection (10) is added to that section, and subsection (1),
551 paragraph (a) of subsection (2), paragraphs (b), (i), and (j) of
552 subsection (6), and paragraphs (b) and (d) of subsection (7) of
553 that section are amended, to read:
554 339.175 Metropolitan planning organization.—
555 (1) PURPOSE.—It is the intent of the Legislature to
556 encourage and promote the safe and efficient management,
557 operation, and development of multimodal surface transportation
558 systems that will serve the mobility needs of people and freight
559 and foster economic growth and development within and through
560 urbanized areas of this state in accordance with the
561 department’s mission statement while minimizing transportation
562 related fuel consumption, air pollution, and greenhouse gas
563 emissions through metropolitan transportation planning processes
564 identified in this section. To accomplish these objectives,
565 metropolitan planning organizations, referred to in this section
566 as M.P.O.’s, shall develop, in cooperation with the state and
567 public transit operators, transportation plans and programs for
568 metropolitan areas. The plans and programs for each metropolitan
569 area must provide for the development and integrated management
570 and operation of transportation systems and facilities,
571 including pedestrian walkways and bicycle transportation
572 facilities that will function as an intermodal transportation
573 system for the metropolitan area, based upon the prevailing
574 principles provided in s. 334.046(1). The process for developing
575 such plans and programs shall provide for consideration of all
576 modes of transportation and shall be continuing, cooperative,
577 and comprehensive, to the degree appropriate, based on the
578 complexity of the transportation problems to be addressed. To
579 ensure that the process is integrated with the statewide
580 planning process, M.P.O.’s shall develop plans and programs that
581 identify transportation facilities that should function as an
582 integrated metropolitan transportation system, giving emphasis
583 to facilities that serve important national, state, and regional
584 transportation functions. For the purposes of this section,
585 those facilities include the facilities on the Strategic
586 Intermodal System designated under s. 339.63 and facilities for
587 which projects have been identified pursuant to s. 339.2819(4).
588 (2) DESIGNATION.—
589 (a)1. An M.P.O. shall be designated for each urbanized area
590 of the state; however, this does not require that an individual
591 M.P.O. be designated for each such area. Such designation shall
592 be accomplished by agreement between the Governor and units of
593 general-purpose local government representing at least 75
594 percent of the population of the urbanized area; however, the
595 unit of general-purpose local government that represents the
596 central city or cities within the M.P.O. jurisdiction, as
597 defined by the United States Bureau of the Census, must be a
598 party to such agreement.
599 2. To the extent possible, only one M.P.O. shall be
600 designated for each urbanized area or group of contiguous
601 urbanized areas. More than one M.P.O. may be designated within
602 an existing urbanized area only if the Governor and the existing
603 M.P.O. determine that the size and complexity of the existing
604 urbanized area makes the designation of more than one M.P.O. for
605 the area appropriate. After July 1, 2025, no additional M.P.O.’s
606 may be designated in this state except in urbanized areas, as
607 defined by the United States Census Bureau, where the urbanized
608 area boundary is not contiguous to an urbanized area designated
609 before the 2020 census, in which case each M.P.O. designated for
610 the area must:
611 a. Consult with every other M.P.O. designated for the
612 urbanized area and the state to coordinate plans and
613 transportation improvement programs.
614 b. Ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, the
615 consistency of data used in the planning process, including data
616 used in forecasting travel demand within the urbanized area.
617
618 Each M.P.O. required under this section must be fully operative
619 no later than 6 months following its designation.
620 (6) POWERS, DUTIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES.—The powers,
621 privileges, and authority of an M.P.O. are those specified in
622 this section or incorporated in an interlocal agreement
623 authorized under s. 163.01. Each M.P.O. shall perform all acts
624 required by federal or state laws or rules, now and subsequently
625 applicable, which are necessary to qualify for federal aid. It
626 is the intent of this section that each M.P.O. be involved in
627 the planning and programming of transportation facilities,
628 including, but not limited to, airports, intercity and high
629 speed rail lines, seaports, and intermodal facilities, to the
630 extent permitted by state or federal law. An M.P.O. may not
631 perform project production or delivery for capital improvement
632 projects on the State Highway System.
633 (b) In developing the long-range transportation plan and
634 the transportation improvement program required under paragraph
635 (a), each M.P.O. shall provide for consideration of projects and
636 strategies that will:
637 1. Support the economic vitality of the contiguous
638 urbanized metropolitan area, especially by enabling global
639 competitiveness, productivity, and efficiency.
640 2. Increase the safety and security of the transportation
641 system for motorized and nonmotorized users.
642 3. Increase the accessibility and mobility options
643 available to people and for freight.
644 4. Protect and enhance the environment, conserve natural
645 resources promote energy conservation, and improve quality of
646 life.
647 5. Enhance the integration and connectivity of the
648 transportation system, across and between modes and contiguous
649 urbanized metropolitan areas, for people and freight.
650 6. Promote efficient system management and operation.
651 7. Emphasize the preservation of the existing
652 transportation system.
653 8. Improve the resilience of transportation infrastructure.
654 9. Reduce traffic and congestion.
655 (i) By December 31, 2023, the M.P.O.’s serving
656 Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties must submit a
657 feasibility report to the Governor, the President of the Senate,
658 and the Speaker of the House of Representatives exploring the
659 benefits, costs, and process of consolidation into a single
660 M.P.O. serving the contiguous urbanized area, the goal of which
661 would be to:
662 1. Coordinate transportation projects deemed to be
663 regionally significant.
664 2. Review the impact of regionally significant land use
665 decisions on the region.
666 3. Review all proposed regionally significant
667 transportation projects in the transportation improvement
668 programs.
669 (i)1.(j)1. To more fully accomplish the purposes for which
670 M.P.O.’s have been mandated, the department shall, at least
671 annually, convene M.P.O.’s of similar size, based on the size of
672 population served, for the purpose of exchanging best practices.
673 M.P.O.’s may shall develop committees or working groups as
674 needed to accomplish such purpose. At the discretion of the
675 department, training for new M.P.O. governing board members
676 shall be provided by the department, by an entity pursuant to a
677 contract with the department, by the Florida Center for Urban
678 Transportation Research, or by the Implementing Solutions from
679 Transportation Research and Evaluation of Emerging Technologies
680 (I-STREET) living lab coordination mechanisms with one another
681 to expand and improve transportation within the state. The
682 appropriate method of coordination between M.P.O.’s shall vary
683 depending upon the project involved and given local and regional
684 needs. Consequently, it is appropriate to set forth a flexible
685 methodology that can be used by M.P.O.’s to coordinate with
686 other M.P.O.’s and appropriate political subdivisions as
687 circumstances demand.
688 2. Any M.P.O. may join with any other M.P.O. or any
689 individual political subdivision to coordinate activities or to
690 achieve any federal or state transportation planning or
691 development goals or purposes consistent with federal or state
692 law. When an M.P.O. determines that it is appropriate to join
693 with another M.P.O. or any political subdivision to coordinate
694 activities, the M.P.O. or political subdivision shall enter into
695 an interlocal agreement pursuant to s. 163.01, which, at a
696 minimum, creates a separate legal or administrative entity to
697 coordinate the transportation planning or development activities
698 required to achieve the goal or purpose; provides the purpose
699 for which the entity is created; provides the duration of the
700 agreement and the entity and specifies how the agreement may be
701 terminated, modified, or rescinded; describes the precise
702 organization of the entity, including who has voting rights on
703 the governing board, whether alternative voting members are
704 provided for, how voting members are appointed, and what the
705 relative voting strength is for each constituent M.P.O. or
706 political subdivision; provides the manner in which the parties
707 to the agreement will provide for the financial support of the
708 entity and payment of costs and expenses of the entity; provides
709 the manner in which funds may be paid to and disbursed from the
710 entity; and provides how members of the entity will resolve
711 disagreements regarding interpretation of the interlocal
712 agreement or disputes relating to the operation of the entity.
713 Such interlocal agreement shall become effective upon its
714 recordation in the official public records of each county in
715 which a member of the entity created by the interlocal agreement
716 has a voting member. Multiple M.P.O.’s may merge, combine, or
717 otherwise join together as a single M.P.O.
718 (7) LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN.—Each M.P.O. must
719 develop a long-range transportation plan that addresses at least
720 a 20-year planning horizon. The plan must include both long
721 range and short-range strategies and must comply with all other
722 state and federal requirements. The prevailing principles to be
723 considered in the long-range transportation plan are: preserving
724 the existing transportation infrastructure; enhancing Florida’s
725 economic competitiveness; and improving travel choices to ensure
726 mobility. The long-range transportation plan must be consistent,
727 to the maximum extent feasible, with future land use elements
728 and the goals, objectives, and policies of the approved local
729 government comprehensive plans of the units of local government
730 located within the jurisdiction of the M.P.O. Each M.P.O. is
731 encouraged to consider strategies that integrate transportation
732 and land use planning to provide for sustainable development and
733 reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The approved long-range
734 transportation plan must be considered by local governments in
735 the development of the transportation elements in local
736 government comprehensive plans and any amendments thereto. The
737 long-range transportation plan must, at a minimum:
738 (b) Include a financial plan that demonstrates how the plan
739 can be implemented, indicating resources from public and private
740 sources which are reasonably expected to be available to carry
741 out the plan, and recommends any additional financing strategies
742 for needed projects and programs. The financial plan may
743 include, for illustrative purposes, additional projects that
744 would be included in the adopted long-range transportation plan
745 if reasonable additional resources beyond those identified in
746 the financial plan were available. For the purpose of developing
747 the long-range transportation plan, the M.P.O. and the
748 department shall cooperatively develop estimates of funds that
749 will be available to support the plan implementation. Innovative
750 financing techniques may be used to fund needed projects and
751 programs. Such techniques may include the assessment of tolls,
752 public-private partnerships, the use of value capture financing,
753 or the use of value pricing. Multiple M.P.O.’s within a
754 contiguous urbanized area must ensure, to the maximum extent
755 possible, the consistency of data used in the planning process.
756 (d) Indicate, as appropriate, proposed transportation
757 enhancement activities, including, but not limited to,
758 pedestrian and bicycle facilities, trails or facilities that are
759 regionally significant or critical linkages for the Florida
760 Shared-Use Nonmotorized Trail Network, scenic easements,
761 landscaping, integration of advanced air mobility, and
762 integration of autonomous and electric vehicles, electric
763 bicycles, and motorized scooters used for freight, commuter, or
764 micromobility purposes historic preservation, mitigation of
765 water pollution due to highway runoff, and control of outdoor
766 advertising.
767
768 In the development of its long-range transportation plan, each
769 M.P.O. must provide the public, affected public agencies,
770 representatives of transportation agency employees, freight
771 shippers, providers of freight transportation services, private
772 providers of transportation, representatives of users of public
773 transit, and other interested parties with a reasonable
774 opportunity to comment on the long-range transportation plan.
775 The long-range transportation plan must be approved by the
776 M.P.O.
777 (10) AGREEMENTS; ACCOUNTABILITY.—
778 (a) Each M.P.O. may execute a written agreement with the
779 department, which shall be reviewed, and updated as necessary,
780 every 5 years, which clearly establishes the cooperative
781 relationship essential to accomplish the transportation planning
782 requirements of state and federal law. Roles, responsibilities,
783 and expectations for accomplishing consistency with federal and
784 state requirements and priorities must be set forth in the
785 agreement. In addition, the agreement must set forth the
786 M.P.O.’s responsibility, in collaboration with the department,
787 to identify, prioritize, and present to the department a
788 complete list of multimodal transportation projects consistent
789 with the needs of the metropolitan planning area. It is the
790 department’s responsibility to program projects in the state
791 transportation improvement program.
792 (b) The department must establish, in collaboration with
793 each M.P.O., quality performance metrics, such as safety,
794 infrastructure condition, congestion relief, and mobility. Each
795 M.P.O. must, as part of its long-range transportation plan, in
796 direct coordination with the department, develop targets for
797 each performance measure within the metropolitan planning area
798 boundary. The performance targets must support efficient and
799 safe movement of people and goods both within the metropolitan
800 planning area and between regions. Each M.P.O. must report
801 progress toward establishing performance targets for each
802 measure annually in its transportation improvement plan. The
803 department shall evaluate and post on its website whether each
804 M.P.O. has made significant progress toward its target for the
805 applicable reporting period.
806 Section 16. Subsection (4) of section 339.65, Florida
807 Statutes, is amended to read:
808 339.65 Strategic Intermodal System highway corridors.—
809 (4) The department shall develop and maintain a plan of
810 Strategic Intermodal System highway corridor projects that are
811 anticipated to be let to contract for construction within a time
812 period of at least 20 years. The department shall prioritize
813 projects affecting gaps in a corridor so that the corridor
814 becomes contiguous in its functional characteristics across the
815 corridor. The plan must shall also identify when segments of the
816 corridor will meet the standards and criteria developed pursuant
817 to subsection (5).
818 Section 17. Section 339.85, Florida Statutes, is created to
819 read:
820 339.85 Next-generation traffic signal modernization
821 program.—
822 (1) The department shall implement a next-generation
823 traffic signal modernization program. The program must consist
824 of retrofitting existing traffic signals and controllers and
825 providing a communication system for remote operations and
826 management of such signals on the State Highway System and other
827 road systems. Signal upgrades must be prioritized based on
828 average annual daily traffic and the impact of adding to an
829 existing interconnected system.
830 (2) The program must consist of an advanced traffic
831 management platform that uses radar-camera fusion to deliver
832 accurate detection in all weather conditions, offering fully
833 integrated stop bar and advance detection alongside dilemma zone
834 and pedestrian protection. In addition to supporting time-of-day
835 signal timing plans, the program must provide real-time traffic
836 optimization to improve traffic flow and enhance safety. The
837 program must comply with leading cybersecurity standards, such
838 as SOC 2 and ISO 27001, ensuring robust data protection.
839 (3) Beginning in the 2025-2026 fiscal year and annually
840 thereafter for 5 years, $10 million shall be allocated from the
841 State Transportation Trust Fund to the program. Fifty percent of
842 such funds must be used for roads that are not a part of the
843 State Highway System through the use of grants that require a 50
844 percent funding match.
845 Section 18. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section
846 348.0304, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
847 348.0304 Greater Miami Expressway Agency.—
848 (3)(a) The governing body of the agency shall consist of
849 nine voting members. Except for the district secretary of the
850 department, each member must be a permanent resident of a county
851 served by the agency and may not hold, or have held in the
852 previous 2 years, elected or appointed office in such county,
853 except that this paragraph does not apply to any initial
854 appointment under paragraph (b) or to any member who previously
855 served on the governing body of the former Greater Miami
856 Expressway Agency. Each member may only serve two terms of 4
857 years each, except that there is no restriction on the term of
858 the department’s district secretary. Four members, each of whom
859 must be a permanent resident of Miami-Dade County, shall be
860 appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate
861 at the next regular session of the Legislature. Refusal or
862 failure of the Senate to confirm an appointment shall create a
863 vacancy. Appointments made by the Governor and board of county
864 commissioners of Miami-Dade County shall reflect the state’s
865 interests in the transportation sector and represent the intent,
866 duties, and purpose of the Greater Miami Expressway Agency, and
867 have at least 3 years of professional experience in one or more
868 of the following areas: finance; land use planning; tolling
869 industry; or transportation engineering. Two members, who must
870 be residents of an unincorporated portion of the geographic area
871 described in subsection (1) and residing within 15 miles of an
872 area with the highest amount of agency toll road roads, shall be
873 appointed by the board of county commissioners of Miami-Dade
874 County. Two members, who must be residents of incorporated
875 municipalities within a county served by the agency, shall be
876 appointed by the metropolitan planning organization for a county
877 served by the agency. The district secretary of the department
878 serving in the district that contains Miami-Dade County shall
879 serve as an ex officio voting member of the governing body.
880
881 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
882 And the title is amended as follows:
883 Delete lines 2 - 101
884 and insert:
885 An act relating to transportation; creating s.
886 218.3215, F.S.; requiring counties to report certain
887 information to the Office of Economic and Demographic
888 Research annually by a specified date; requiring
889 counties to report the information in the format
890 specified by the office; requiring the office to
891 provide a certain report to the Legislature and the
892 Department of Transportation; amending s. 316.183,
893 F.S.; requiring the department to determine the safe
894 and advisable minimum speed limit on certain highways;
895 amending s. 316.187, F.S.; revising the maximum
896 allowable speed limit on certain highways and
897 roadways; creating s. 330.355, F.S.; prohibiting
898 publicly owned airports from charging a landing fee
899 established on or after a specified date for certain
900 aircraft operations; amending s. 332.004, F.S.;
901 revising definitions; amending s. 332.006, F.S.;
902 revising duties and responsibilities of the department
903 relating to airports; amending s. 332.007, F.S.;
904 revising provisions relating to the administration and
905 financing of certain aviation and airport programs and
906 projects; authorizing certain airports to participate
907 in a specified federal program in a certain manner;
908 authorizing the department to provide for improvements
909 to certain entities for the capital cost of a
910 discretionary improvement project at a public-use
911 airport, subject to the availability of certain funds;
912 creating s. 332.136, F.S.; establishing an airport
913 pilot program at the Sarasota Manatee Airport
914 Authority; providing the purpose of the pilot program;
915 requiring the department to adopt rules; requiring the
916 department, by a specified date, to submit certain
917 recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature;
918 providing for the future repeal of specified
919 provisions; amending s. 334.044, F.S.; authorizing the
920 department to acquire property or property rights in
921 advance to preserve a corridor for future proposed
922 improvements; authorizing the department to expend
923 from the State Transportation Trust Fund a certain
924 amount of grant funds annually to state colleges and
925 school districts for certain construction workforce
926 development programs; requiring that priority be given
927 to certain colleges and school districts; amending s.
928 334.065, F.S.; deleting a provision specifying that
929 the Florida Center for Urban Transportation Research
930 shall be administered by the Board of Governors of the
931 State University System; deleting a provision
932 prohibiting the undertaking of certain projects
933 without the approval of the Center for Urban
934 Transportation Research advisory board; revising
935 membership of such advisory board; creating s. 334.63,
936 F.S.; providing requirements for certain project
937 concept studies and project development and
938 environment studies; amending s. 337.11, F.S.;
939 revising the bidding and award process for contracts
940 for road construction and maintenance projects;
941 revising the circumstances in which the department
942 must competitively award a phased design-build
943 contract for phase one; requiring the department to
944 select a single design-build firm to perform the work
945 associated with phase two under certain circumstances;
946 authorizing a design-build firm to self-perform
947 portions of work under a contract; requiring that
948 contracts let by the department on or after a certain
949 date for bridge construction or maintenance over
950 navigable waters include protection and indemnity
951 coverage; amending s. 337.14, F.S.; authorizing the
952 department to waive contractor certification
953 requirements for certain projects; revising the
954 threshold value of contracts for which the department
955 may waive a contract bond requirement; requiring that
956 a contractor seeking to bid on certain maintenance
957 contracts possess certain qualifications; amending s.
958 337.185, F.S.; increasing the limits of claims per
959 contract which a contractor may submit to the State
960 Arbitration Board; revising the period in which an
961 arbitration request may be made for a claim related to
962 a warranty notice; amending s. 339.175, F.S.; revising
963 legislative intent; revising requirements for the
964 designation of additional metropolitan planning
965 organizations (M.P.O.’s); revising projects and
966 strategies to be considered in developing an M.P.O.’s
967 long-range transportation plan and transportation
968 improvement program; deleting obsolete provisions;
969 requiring the department to convene M.P.O.’s of
970 similar size to exchange best practices at least
971 annually; authorizing M.P.O.’s to develop committees
972 or working groups; requiring training for new M.P.O.
973 governing board members to be provided by the
974 department or another specified entity; deleting
975 provisions relating to M.P.O. coordination mechanisms;
976 including public-private partnerships in authorized
977 financing techniques; revising proposed transportation
978 enhancement activities that must be indicated by the
979 long-range transportation plan; authorizing each
980 M.P.O. to execute a written agreement with the
981 department regarding state and federal transportation
982 planning requirements; requiring the department, in
983 collaboration with M.P.O.’s, to establish certain
984 quality performance metrics and develop certain
985 performance targets; requiring the department to
986 evaluate and post on its website whether each M.P.O.
987 has made significant progress toward such targets;
988 amending s. 339.65, F.S.; requiring the department to
989 prioritize certain Strategic Intermodal System highway
990 corridor projects; creating s. 339.85, F.S.; requiring
991 the department to implement a next-generation traffic
992 signal modernization program; providing program
993 requirements; requiring the allocation of funds from
994 the State Transportation Trust Fund to the program;
995 requiring that a certain percentage of such funds be
996 used for certain roads through the use of matching
997 grants; amending s. 348.0304, F.S.; revising
998 membership of the governing body of the Greater Miami
999 Expressway Agency; reenacting s.