Florida Senate - 2026                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 1724
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì104676AÎ104676                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  02/03/2026           .                                
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       The Committee on Regulated Industries (Martin) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Subsection (3) is added to section 180.19,
    6  Florida Statutes, to read:
    7         180.19 Use by other municipalities and by individuals
    8  outside corporate limits.—
    9         (3)(a)A new agreement, or an extension, renewal, or
   10  material amendment of an existing agreement, to provide
   11  electric, water, or sewer utility service at retail pursuant to
   12  subsection (1) must be in writing. Such agreement may not become
   13  effective before an appointed representative of the municipality
   14  that provides the service or intends to provide service, in
   15  conjunction with the governing body of each municipality and
   16  unincorporated area served or to be served, has participated in
   17  a public meeting. Such meeting is not required to be a separate
   18  public meeting, but it must be held within each municipality and
   19  unincorporated area served or to be served for purposes of
   20  providing information and soliciting public input on:
   21         1.The nature of the services to be provided or changes to
   22  the services being provided;
   23         2.The rates, fees, and charges to be imposed for the
   24  services provided or intended to be provided, including any
   25  differential with the rates, fees, and charges imposed for the
   26  same services on customers located within the boundaries of the
   27  serving municipality, the basis for the differential, and the
   28  length of time that the differential is expected to exist;
   29         3.The extent to which revenues generated from the
   30  provision of the services will be used to fund or finance
   31  nonutility government functions or services; and
   32         4.Any other matter deemed relevant by the parties to the
   33  agreement.
   34         (b)Rates, fees, and charges imposed for water or sewer
   35  utility services provided pursuant to subsection (1) must comply
   36  with s. 180.191.
   37         (c)A representative of each municipality that provides
   38  electric, water, or sewer utility services pursuant to
   39  subsection (1), in conjunction with the governing body of each
   40  municipality and unincorporated area in which it provides
   41  services, shall annually conduct a public customer meeting. Such
   42  meeting is not required to be a separate public meeting, but
   43  must be held within each municipality and unincorporated area
   44  for purposes of soliciting public input on utility-related
   45  matters, including fees, rates, charges, and services.
   46         (d)As used in this subsection, the term:
   47         1.“Appointed representative” means an executive-level
   48  leadership employee of a municipality, or of such municipality’s
   49  related and separate utility authority, board, or commission,
   50  specifically appointed by the governing body to serve as its
   51  representative for the purposes of this subsection.
   52         2.“Governing body” means a:
   53         a.Governing body of a municipality in which services are
   54  provided or proposed to be extended; or
   55         b.Board of county commissioners of a county in which
   56  services are provided or proposed to be extended, if services
   57  are provided or proposed to be extended in an unincorporated
   58  area within the county.
   59         Section 2.  Subsection (1) of section 180.191, Florida
   60  Statutes, is amended to read:
   61         180.191 Limitation on rates charged consumer outside city
   62  limits.—
   63         (1) Any municipality within this the state operating a
   64  water or sewer utility outside of the boundaries of such
   65  municipality shall charge consumers outside the boundaries
   66  rates, fees, and charges determined in one of the following
   67  manners:
   68         (a) It may charge the same rates, fees, and charges as
   69  consumers inside the municipal boundaries. However, in addition
   70  thereto, the municipality may add a surcharge of not more than
   71  25 percent of such rates, fees, and charges to consumers outside
   72  the boundaries. Fixing of such rates, fees, and charges in this
   73  manner may shall not require a public hearing except as may be
   74  provided for service to consumers inside the municipality.
   75         (b) It may charge rates, fees, and charges that are just
   76  and equitable and which are based on the same factors used in
   77  fixing the rates, fees, and charges for consumers inside the
   78  municipal boundaries. In addition thereto, the municipality may
   79  add a surcharge not to exceed 25 percent of such rates, fees,
   80  and charges for said services to consumers outside the
   81  boundaries. However, the total of all Such rates, fees, and
   82  charges for the services to consumers outside the boundaries may
   83  shall not be more than 25 50 percent in excess of the rates,
   84  fees, and charges total amount the municipality charges
   85  consumers served within the municipality for corresponding
   86  service. No Such rates, fees, and charges may not shall be fixed
   87  until after a public hearing at which all of the users of the
   88  water or sewer systems; owners, tenants, or occupants of
   89  property served or to be served thereby; and all others
   90  interested shall have an opportunity to be heard concerning the
   91  proposed rates, fees, and charges. Any change or revision of
   92  such rates, fees, or charges may be made in the same manner as
   93  such rates, fees, or charges were originally established, but if
   94  such change or revision is to be made substantially pro rata as
   95  to all classes of service, both inside and outside the
   96  municipality, no hearing or notice shall be required.
   97         (c)Notwithstanding paragraphs (a) and (b), a municipality
   98  may continue to impose a surcharge on consumers outside the
   99  municipal boundaries only to the extent necessary to comply with
  100  the terms of bond covenants in effect as of July 1, 2024. Such
  101  surcharges must be phased out upon retirement, expiration, or
  102  refinancing of the applicable debt obligation.
  103         Section 3. Effective July 1, 2027, section 180.192, Florida
  104  Statutes, is created to read:
  105         180.192Reporting requirements related to municipal utility
  106  service.—
  107         (1)By January 1, 2028, and annually thereafter, each
  108  municipality that provides electric, water, or sewer utility
  109  services outside of its municipal boundaries shall provide a
  110  report to the Florida Public Service Commission which
  111  identifies, for each type of utility service provided by the
  112  municipality:
  113         (a)The number and percentage of customers that receive
  114  utility services provided by the municipality at a location
  115  outside the boundaries of the municipality;
  116         (b)The volume and percentage of sales made to such
  117  customers, and the gross revenues generated from such sales; and
  118         (c)Whether the rates, fees, and charges imposed on
  119  customers that receive services at a location outside the
  120  municipality’s boundaries are different than the rates, fees,
  121  and charges imposed on customers within the boundaries of the
  122  municipality, and, if so, the amount and percentage of the
  123  differential.
  124         (2)By March 31, 2028, and annually thereafter, the
  125  commission shall compile the information provided pursuant to
  126  subsection (1) and submit a report containing that information
  127  to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of
  128  the House of Representatives.
  129         (3)Notwithstanding s. 367.171, the commission shall have
  130  jurisdiction over all utilities identified in subsection (1) for
  131  the limited purpose of enforcing the requirements of this
  132  section. This section does not otherwise modify or extend the
  133  authority of the commission provided by law with respect to any
  134  municipal utility that is required to comply with subsection
  135  (1).
  136         Section 4. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
  137  act, this act shall take effect July 1, 2026.
  138  
  139  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  140  And the title is amended as follows:
  141         Delete everything before the enacting clause
  142  and insert:
  143                        A bill to be entitled                      
  144         An act relating to utility services; amending s.
  145         180.19, F.S.; requiring that a new agreement, or an
  146         extension, renewal, or material amendment of an
  147         existing agreement, to provide certain utility
  148         services at retail be in writing; requiring that
  149         certain public meetings be held as a condition
  150         precedent to the effectiveness of a new or extended
  151         agreement under which a municipality will provide
  152         specified utility services in other municipalities or
  153         unincorporated areas; specifying requirements for such
  154         public meetings; requiring a representative from
  155         certain municipalities to annually conduct public
  156         customer meetings; providing requirements for such
  157         meetings; defining the terms “appointed
  158         representative” and “governing body”; amending s.
  159         180.191, F.S.; revising provisions relating to
  160         permissible rates, fees, and charges imposed by
  161         municipal water and sewer utilities on consumers
  162         located outside the municipal boundaries; authorizing
  163         a municipality to continue to impose a surcharge on
  164         certain consumers for a specified purpose; requiring
  165         the phase-out of such surcharges upon retirement,
  166         expiration, or refinancing of the applicable debt
  167         obligation; creating s. 180.192, F.S.; requiring
  168         municipalities that provide specified utility services
  169         to report certain information by a specified date, and
  170         annually thereafter, to the Florida Public Service
  171         Commission; requiring the commission to compile such
  172         information and submit a report by a specified date,
  173         and annually thereafter, to the Governor and the
  174         Legislature; authorizing commission jurisdiction over
  175         specified utilities; providing construction; providing
  176         effective dates.