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Advocacy
Here's What Florida Realtors Is Watching During the 2021 Session
We're in the state Capitol watching out for Realtors and property owners' interests — on everything from rising property insurance costs to affordable housing.
Florida Realtors serves as the voice of real estate in Florida. It provides programs, services, continuing education, research and legislative representation to about 200,000 members in 51 boards/associations.
Its mission is to advance Florida’s real estate industry by shaping public policy on real property issues; encouraging, promoting and teaching consistent standards for ethical practice and professionalism; and building on the efforts of local boards/associations to provide the information and tools members need to succeed.
Final 2020 Session Committee Week
The final committee week leading up to the 2020 legislative session is complete and lawmakers made sure it was a busy one. Before we go into some of the more relevant updates, I wanted to highlight our partnership with state-wide housing advocates to support homeownership programs.
This week, Florida Realtors® joined the Florida Housing Coalition at the state capitol to thank Governor DeSantis for recommending full funding of the housing trust funds.
“Each year, Florida’s Governor releases budget recommendations in advance of the legislative session, which runs for 60 days and begins on Jan. 14, 2020,” says Danielle Scoggins, Florida Realtors® vice president of public policy. “We are excited that Governor DeSantis has again recommended full funding of the housing trust funds – including $267.2 million for the State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP) Program which directly helps Floridians achieve the dream of homeownership.”
Housing advocates are urging the legislature to take the Governor’s lead and appropriate housing trust funds for critical housing programs, such as down payment and closing cost assistance.
Environment
This week, the Senate Environmental Policy Committee passed SB 712. The major topics in the bill include onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems (OSTDSs, commonly referred to as septic systems), wastewater and storm water. One major highlight of the bill is the transferring of oversight of the state’s septic program from the Department of Health to the Department of Environmental Protection. The bill also addresses some findings from the Blue-Green Algae Task Force which would help curb the blooms that tend to occur after large rain events in South Florida. The house version of this bill has not yet been released but is being discussed. It will come out during the early weeks of session.
Commercial Leases
HB 469 by Rep. Wyman Duggan passed the House Civil Justice Subcommittee by a 12-0 vote on Thursday, December 12th. The bill repeals the two subscribing witnesses requirement for leases longer than one year. Florida is one of only five states that require certain lease agreements to be witnessed.
Discriminatory Restrictive Covenants
SB 810 by Sen. Keith Perry passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 4-0 vote on Tuesday, December 10th. The bill extinguishes certain discriminatory restrictive covenants from the governing documents of a community association.
Sincerely,
Danielle
Scoggins
Vice President of Public Policy
Florida Realtors®
(Content from Florida Realtors Legislative Update on 12/16/19)
REALTOR® Political Action Committee (RPAC)
REALTOR® Political Action Committee (RPAC) is a voluntary political action committee whose membership consists of REALTORS® interested in actively and effectively protecting the real estate industry by participating in government affairs at the local, state and federal levels. Members are asked to donate to RPAC through CFCAR and support our continued efforts to gain a discount of the Business Rent Tax in Florida and more...
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