summary
Introduced
01/06/2026
01/06/2026
In Committee
02/16/2026
02/16/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
Potential new amendment
2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
An act relating to utilities; amending s. 180.19, F.S.; requiring municipalities that operate utility services to allow other municipalities and property owners outside its municipal boundaries to connect with and use the utility services under specified conditions; prohibiting municipalities that operate utility services from denying requests by property owners outside its municipal boundaries to connect with or use the utility services based on specified criteria; providing an exception; requiring municipalities to make certain determinations within a specified timeframe; providing for appeal of such determinations; providing for the award of attorney fees and court costs; providing that municipalities are not liable for such fees and costs under certain conditions; providing construction; amending s. 425.09, F.S.; authorizing notices for rural electrical cooperative board of trustees meetings to be delivered by e-mail; revising notice requirements for meetings during which elections will occur; requiring the board of trustees, beginning on a specified date, to annually prepare a list of cooperative members and to make the list available for certain inspection; revising quorum requirements; authorizing electronic voting; amending s. 425.10, F.S.; requiring the bylaws of rural electrical cooperatives to include specified provisions relating to the nomination of members for election to the board of trustees; requiring the appointment of election inspectors; providing duties of election inspectors; creating s. 425.30, F.S.; authorizing rural electric cooperatives to conduct elections and membership votes through electronic voting under certain conditions; requiring members voting electronically to be counted for quorum purposes; prohibiting substantive votes when a quorum is based on the number of members voting electronically; requiring electronic voting to be authorized by a resolution of the board of trustees; providing requirements for such resolutions; providing for members to consent to and opt out of electronic voting; providing applicability; providing for cooperative members to petition the board of trustees to adopt electronic voting; providing an effective date.
AI Summary
This bill makes several changes to utility regulations, primarily focusing on how municipalities and rural electrical cooperatives operate and interact with their customers. For municipalities that provide utility services, the bill requires them to allow other municipalities and property owners outside their boundaries to connect to their services under specific conditions, such as having sufficient capacity and the property not being within another utility's service area, and prohibits denying service based on a property owner's refusal to annex. It also mandates that municipalities make capacity determinations within 30 days and allows for appeals to court with potential attorney fees awarded against the municipality if the denial was wrongful, unless the municipality can prove a good-faith, reasonable engineering determination of insufficient capacity. For rural electrical cooperatives, the bill allows for meeting notices to be sent via email, revises requirements for election notices to include nominee names, mandates the annual creation and availability of a member list for inspection, and adjusts quorum requirements, notably allowing electronic voting under strict conditions that ensure member identity verification, vote integrity, and the ability to separate ballots from identifying information, while also requiring members voting electronically to be counted for quorum purposes but prohibiting substantive votes on issues not specifically identified in the electronic ballot. Additionally, the bill requires bylaws to outline member nomination processes for trustee elections and mandates the appointment of election inspectors to verify votes and report results.
Committee Categories
Business and Industry, Government Affairs
Sponsors (2)
Other Sponsors (1)
Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee (House)
Last Action
House Commerce Committee Hearing (15:00:00 2/24/2026 ) (on 02/24/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1075 |
| https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1075/Amendment/511053/PDF | |
| Analysis - Commerce Committee (Post-Meeting) | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1075/Analyses/h1075d.COM.PDF |
| BillText | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1075/BillText/c1/PDF |
| Analysis - Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee (Post-Meeting) | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1075/Analyses/h1075c.IAS.PDF |
| Analysis - Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee (Post-Meeting) | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1075/Analyses/h1075b.EIS.PDF |
| Analysis - Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee (Post-Meeting) | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1075/Analyses/h1075a.EIS.PDF |
| Analysis - Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee (Post-Meeting) | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1075/Analyses/h1075.EIS.PDF |
| BillText | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1075/BillText/Filed/PDF |
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