The bill amends Section 180.19 of the Florida Statutes to establish new requirements for municipalities providing utility services, specifically electric, natural gas, water, or sewer services. It mandates that any new or extended agreements for these services must be written and cannot take effect until a public meeting is held, where an appointed representative of the municipality and the governing body of each affected area must participate. The public meetings are intended to address the nature of the services, rates and fees, the use of revenues for non-utility functions, and any other relevant matters. Additionally, municipalities are required to conduct annual public customer meetings to solicit input on utility-related issues.

Furthermore, the bill introduces Section 180.192, which requires municipalities to report specific information to the Florida Public Service Commission by January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter. This information includes the number of customers receiving services outside the municipality, the volume of sales, and any differences in rates charged to those customers compared to those within the municipality. The Commission is tasked with compiling this data and reporting it to the Governor and the Legislature by March 31 of each year. The bill also limits the use of utility revenues for general government functions to 10% and mandates that any excess revenues be reinvested into the municipal utility or returned to customers.

Statutes affected:
H 1451 Filed: 180.19