The bill amends Florida Statutes concerning impact fees by introducing new definitions and requirements to improve planning and coordination among local governments, school districts, and special districts. It defines "plan-based methodology" as a data-driven approach for projecting growth and capacity impacts over a ten-year period, mandating that interlocal agreements for transportation capacity impacts adhere to this methodology. The bill also establishes "extraordinary circumstances" to describe development effects that require mitigation beyond current impact fee amounts. Additionally, any study justifying an increase in impact fees must utilize this methodology and include a declaration of the intended use of the increased fees. The legislation imposes restrictions on local governments regarding fee increases, ensuring that outdated data is not used and limiting percentage increases within specified timeframes.

In a separate provision, the bill CS/CS/HB 1139 enhances the use of local government infrastructure surtaxes for public projects, allowing counties to use these funds for energy efficiency improvements and landfill closure financing, particularly for smaller counties. It ratifies prior uses of surtax proceeds for landfill closure and debt servicing. The bill defines "infrastructure" broadly to include various public facilities and emergency shelter improvements, and introduces a definition for "energy efficiency improvement." Local governments can allocate up to 15 percent of surtax proceeds for economic development projects, with specific ballot statement requirements. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
H 1139 Filed: 163.3177, 163.3180, 163.31801, 212.055
H 1139 c1: 163.3177, 163.3180, 212.055
H 1139 c2: 163.3177, 163.3180, 212.055