The Florida Senate

The Legislature finds that local governments in this state have a wide diversity of resources, conditions, abilities, and needs. The Legislature also finds that the needs and resources of urban areas are different from those of rural areas and that different planning and growth management approaches, strategies, and techniques are required in urban areas. The state role in overseeing growth management should reflect this diversity and should vary based on local government conditions, capabilities, needs, and extent of development. Thus, the Legislature recognizes and finds that reduced state oversight of local comprehensive planning is justified for some local governments in urban areas.

The Legislature finds and declares that this state’s urban areas require a reduced level of state oversight because of their high degree of urbanization and the planning capabilities and resources of many of their local governments. An alternative state review process that is adequate to protect issues of regional or statewide importance should be created for appropriate local governments in these areas. Further, the Legislature finds that development, including urban infill and redevelopment, should be encouraged in these urban areas. The Legislature finds that an alternative process for amending local comprehensive plans in these areas should be established with an objective of streamlining the process and recognizing local responsibility and accountability.

The Legislature finds a pilot program will be beneficial in evaluating an alternative, expedited plan amendment adoption and review process. Pilot local governments shall represent highly developed counties and the municipalities within these counties and highly populated municipalities.

Plan amendments adopted by the pilot program jurisdictions shall follow the alternate, expedited process in subsections (4) and (5), except as set forth in paragraphs (b)-(e) of this subsection.

Amendments that qualify as small-scale development amendments may continue to be adopted by the pilot program jurisdictions pursuant to s. 163.3187(1)(c) and (3).

Plan amendments that propose a rural land stewardship area pursuant to s. 163.3177(11)(d); propose an optional sector plan; update a comprehensive plan based on an evaluation and appraisal report; implement new statutory requirements; or new plans for newly incorporated municipalities are subject to state review as set forth in s. 163.3184.

Pilot program jurisdictions shall be subject to the frequency and timing requirements for plan amendments set forth in ss. 163.3187 and 163.3191, except where otherwise stated in this section.

The mediation and expedited hearing provisions in s. 163.3189(3) apply to all plan amendments adopted by the pilot program jurisdictions.

The local government shall hold its first public hearing on a comprehensive plan amendment on a weekday at least 7 days after the day the first advertisement is published pursuant to the requirements of chapter 125 or chapter 166. Upon an affirmative vote of not less than a majority of the members of the governing body present at the hearing, the local government shall immediately transmit the amendment or amendments and appropriate supporting data and analyses to the state land planning agency; the appropriate regional planning council and water management district; the Department of Environmental Protection; the Department of State; the Department of Transportation; in the case of municipal plans, to the appropriate county; the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; and in the case of amendments that include or impact the public school facilities element, the Office of Educational Facilities of the Commissioner of Education. The local governing body shall also transmit a copy of the amendments and supporting data and analyses to any other local government or governmental agency that has filed a written request with the governing body.

The agencies and local governments specified in paragraph (a) may provide comments regarding the amendment or amendments to the local government. The regional planning council review and comment shall be limited to effects on regional resources or facilities identified in the strategic regional policy plan and extrajurisdictional impacts that would be inconsistent with the comprehensive plan of the affected local government. A regional planning council shall not review and comment on a proposed comprehensive plan amendment prepared by such council unless the plan amendment has been changed by the local government subsequent to the preparation of the plan amendment by the regional planning council. County comments on municipal comprehensive plan amendments shall be primarily in the context of the relationship and effect of the proposed plan amendments on the county plan. Municipal comments on county plan amendments shall be primarily in the context of the relationship and effect of the amendments on the municipal plan. State agency comments may include technical guidance on issues of agency jurisdiction as it relates to the requirements of this part. Such comments shall clearly identify issues that, if not resolved, may result in an agency challenge to the plan amendment. For the purposes of this pilot program, agencies are encouraged to focus potential challenges on issues of regional or statewide importance. Agencies and local governments must transmit their comments to the affected local government such that they are received by the local government not later than thirty days from the date on which the agency or government received the amendment or amendments.

The local government shall hold its second public hearing, which shall be a hearing on whether to adopt one or more comprehensive plan amendments, on a weekday at least 5 days after the day the second advertisement is published pursuant to the requirements of chapter 125 or chapter 166. Adoption of comprehensive plan amendments must be by ordinance and requires an affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the governing body present at the second hearing.

All comprehensive plan amendments adopted by the governing body along with the supporting data and analysis shall be transmitted within 10 days of the second public hearing to the state land planning agency and any other agency or local government that provided timely comments under paragraph (4)(b).

Any “affected person” as defined in s. 163.3184(1)(a) may file a petition with the Division of Administrative Hearings pursuant to ss. 120.569 and 120.57, with a copy served on the affected local government, to request a formal hearing to challenge whether the amendments are “in compliance” as defined in s. 163.3184(1)(b). This petition must be filed with the Division within 30 days after the local government adopts the amendment. The state land planning agency may intervene in a proceeding instituted by an affected person.

The state land planning agency may file a petition with the Division of Administrative Hearings pursuant to ss. 120.569 and 120.57, with a copy served on the affected local government, to request a formal hearing. This petition must be filed with the Division within 30 days after the state land planning agency notifies the local government that the plan amendment package is complete. For purposes of this section, an amendment shall be deemed complete if it contains a full, executed copy of the adoption ordinance or ordinances; in the case of a text amendment, a full copy of the amended language in legislative format with new words inserted in the text underlined, and words to be deleted lined through with hyphens; in the case of a future land use map amendment, a copy of the future land use map clearly depicting the parcel, its existing future land use designation, and its adopted designation; and a copy of any data and analyses the local government deems appropriate. The state land planning agency shall notify the local government of any deficiencies within 5 working days of receipt of an amendment package.

The state land planning agency’s challenge shall be limited to those issues raised in the comments provided by the reviewing agencies pursuant to paragraph (4)(b). The state land planning agency may challenge a plan amendment that has substantially changed from the version on which the agencies provided comments. For the purposes of this pilot program, the Legislature strongly encourages the state land planning agency to focus any challenge on issues of regional or statewide importance.

An administrative law judge shall hold a hearing in the affected local jurisdiction. The local government’s determination that the amendment is “in compliance” is presumed to be correct and shall be sustained unless it is shown by a preponderance of the evidence that the amendment is not “in compliance.”

If the administrative law judge recommends that the amendment be found not in compliance, the judge shall submit the recommended order to the Administration Commission for final agency action. The Administration Commission shall enter a final order within 45 days after its receipt of the recommended order.

If the administrative law judge recommends that the amendment be found in compliance, the judge shall submit the recommended order to the state land planning agency.

An amendment adopted under the expedited provisions of this section shall not become effective until 31 days after adoption. If timely challenged, an amendment shall not become effective until the state land planning agency or the Administration Commission enters a final order determining the adopted amendment to be in compliance.

Parties to a proceeding under this section may enter into compliance agreements using the process in s. 163.3184(16). Any remedial amendment adopted pursuant to a settlement agreement shall be provided to the agencies and governments listed in paragraph (4)(a).

Identification of local governments beyond those participating in the pilot program that should be subject to the alternative expedited state review process. The report may recommend that pilot program local governments may no longer be appropriate for such alternative review process.

Changes to the alternative expedited state review process for local comprehensive plan amendments identified in the pilot program.

Criteria for determining issues of regional or statewide importance that are to be protected in the alternative state review process.

In preparing the report and recommendations, the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability shall consult with the state land planning agency, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the regional planning agencies in identifying highly developed local governments to participate in the alternative expedited state review process. The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Governmental Accountability shall also solicit citizen input in the potentially affected areas and consult with the affected local governments and stakeholder groups.