Our 2022 Legislative Session has ended. Sierra Club priorities were: Climate Change, Land Conservation, Smart Growth, Water Quality and Quantity, Democracy, and Environmentally Appropriate Home Rule. See our Florida Sierra Club Legislative web page for details.

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House:  https://myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/myrepresentative.aspx
Senate:  http://flsenate.gov/Senators/Find

Final Update 3/23/22:
From David Cullen, our Florida Chapter lobbyist:
Greetings All,
Thank you for your visits, calls, and emails to legislators this past session.  There was a lot of bad legislation, but with your help, we were able to stop some of it.  And there were even a few outright wins:-)
See this Session Report giving some of the details on what happened since January 11th when the Session began.  Please stay tuned.  There will be a lot more coming down the pike.
David Cullen
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Here is a summary of the longer report:

These bad bills died:
1. S.B. 280/H.B. 403  Local Ordinances by Sen. Hutson/Rep. Giallombardo
This bill would have elevated the interests of business over the interests of the community.  It allowed a business to sue a local government if the locality adopted an ordinance the business thinks is “unreasonable.”  “Arbitrary” and “capricious”.
2. S.B. 198/H.B. 349 Water Resources Management by Sen.  Ana Maria Rodriguez/Rep. Sirois/Rep.  Overdorf
This bill would have allowed the developers to use a new mitigation banking scheme to build projects that destroy seagrasses on the dubious theory that they would be able to pay to have seagrass successfully planted somewhere else.
3. S.B. 954/H.B. 1139  Energy by Sen. Brodeur/Rep. Drake
This bill started out as a bill we supported because it would have been good for electric vehicles and would have allowed Florida to lead by example.  Sadly, the bill was amended in both the House and the Senate to require the promotion of natural gas vehicles as well as EVs.
While we were unable to remove the bad natural gas language from the bill, it did not pass either chamber.
4. H.J.R. 1127/SJR 1412  Limiting Subject of Constitutional Amendments Proposed by Citizen Initiative by Rep. Beltran/Sen. Brodeur
This Constitutional amendment, if adopted by voters, would have severely constrained the kinds of issues citizen initiatives could address.  
5. S.B. 1400/H.B. 603  Land Acquisition Trust Fund (LATF) by Sen. Burgess/Rep. Bell
The bill would have taken $20 million annually from the LATF to implement the Heartland Headwaters Protection and Sustainability Act  which would have included spending on water supply, stormwater, and flood control which are not appropriate for LATF funding which should only be used for the acquisition, restoration, management, or improvement of conservation and recreation lands.  

These bad bills passed and were sent to the Governor:
1. H.B. 741/S.B. 1024 Net Metering by Rep. McClure/Sen. Bradley
The bill was amended to create a “glide path” for solar installers, but the effect of the bill will be to bring net metering and rooftop solar to a grinding halt starting January 1, 2024.  Currently, homeowners with solar panels get a 1-to-1 credit towards their power bill for each killowatt hour they send to the grid. From 1/1/24 to 12/31/25 that credit will be cut to 75%. For all of 2026 the credit will be reduced to 60%, and then reduced again to 50% through 27-28.
2. S.B. 2508: Environmental Resources
This bill shifts the focus of land acquisition from conservation to agricultural lands, and from the scientifically based Acquisition and Restoration Council's scientific selection and prioritization process in DEP to the Rural and Family Lands program in DACS.

These good bills died:
1. S.B. 732/H.B. 887  Heat Illness Prevention by Sen.  Ana Maria Rodriguez/Rep.  Chambliss
The bill included training and education, and requirements that employers provide outdoor workers a quart of cool or cold clean water to drink, at least one quart for each hour that they are working, a cooling off period every two hours, shade or an equivalent means of having a cooling off spot, and appropriate medical attention.
2. H.B. 729/S.B. 932 Everglades Protection Area by Rep.  Aloupis/Sen. Rodriguez
Section 1 of this bill would have required the use of the more stringeent coordinated review process (instead of the expedited process) to amend a comprehensive plan in or near the Everglades Protection area (EPA).
3. S.B. 1562/ H.B. 745 Solar Photovoltaic Facility Development by Sen.  Ausley/ Rep.  Alexander
This bill, the "Brownfields to Brightfields Act," directed the Department of Environmental Protection, in coordination with the Office of Energy within DACS, to conduct a study of brownfield sites and closed landfill sites to determine viable locations for redevelopment as solar photovoltaic facilities.
4. S.B. 238/H.B. 711 Endangered and Threatened Species by Sen. Jones/Rep. Diamond
This bill would have directed the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to protect endangered or threatened species of flora and fauna, regardless of the status of their federal classification, and would have prohibited the FWCC from considering cost when designating a species as endangered or threatened.  Finally, the bill would have included the impacts of climate change in factors to be considered regarding endangered or threatened species.

These good bills passed and were sent to the Governor:
1. S.B. 518/H.B. 1555  Private Property Rights to Prune, Trim, and Remove Trees by Sen.  Brodeur/Rep. McClain
This bill addresses some of the major deficiencies of the bill that gutted local tree canopy protection ordinances around the state. It is hoped that this bill will prevent the clear cutting of lots that are zoned residential and will stop unscrupulous tree trimming operations from certifying that perfectly health trees are “dangerous.”
2. H.B. 105/S.B. 224 Regulation of Smoking by Counties and Municipalities by Rep. Fine and Rep. Thad Altman/Sen. Gruters
This bill has been filed the past three years, and this year made it through both the full House and Senate.  The bill was not entirely unscathed since it was amended to retain the state preemption of regulation of unfiltered cigars. 

2021 State Legislative Review: Preemptions, Redistricting, and Greenwashing Galore
Another Florida legislative session has come and gone. It was an especially arduous session for environmentalists and progressives alike. While there are bright spots worth recognizing, it should be noted that these victories do not outweigh the environmental and democratic losses that Florida suffered this session.
Click here for a review of the 2021 session and what to expect in the future.