Florida SB 1724: Utility Services

Bill Text

1724 
Utility Services 
2026-02-11T11:28:13Z 
Requiring that a new agreement, or an extension, renewal, or material amendment of an existing agreement, to provide certain utility services at retail be in writing; requiring that certain public meetings be held as a condition precedent to the effectiveness of a new or extended agreement under which a municipality will provide specified utility services in other municipalities or unincorporated areas; revising provisions relating to permissible rates, fees, and charges imposed by municipal water and sewer utilities on consumers located outside the municipal boundaries; requiring municipalities that provide specified utility services to report certain information by a specified date, and annually thereafter, to the Florida Public Service Commission, etc. 
Committee Substitute 2 
2026 
S 
GB 
General Bill 
c2 

 Florida Senate - 2026 CS for CS for SB 1724 

 By the Committees on Community Affairs; and Regulated 
 Industries; and Senator Martin 

 578-02732-26 20261724c2 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to utility services; amending s. 
 3 180.19, F.S.; requiring that a new agreement, or an 
 4 extension, renewal, or material amendment of an 
 5 existing agreement, to provide certain utility 
 6 services at retail be in writing; requiring that 
 7 certain public meetings be held as a condition 
 8 precedent to the effectiveness of a new or extended 
 9 agreement under which a municipality will provide 
 10 specified utility services in other municipalities or 
 11 unincorporated areas; specifying requirements for such 
 12 public meetings; requiring rates, fees, and charges 
 13 imposed for water or sewer utility services to comply 
 14 with specified provisions; requiring a representative 
 15 from certain municipalities to annually conduct public 
 16 customer meetings; providing requirements for such 
 17 meetings; defining the terms “appointed 
 18 representative” and “governing body”; amending s. 
 19 180.191, F.S.; revising provisions relating to 
 20 permissible rates, fees, and charges imposed by 
 21 municipal water and sewer utilities on consumers 
 22 located outside the municipal boundaries; authorizing 
 23 a municipality to continue to impose a surcharge on 
 24 certain consumers for a specified purpose; requiring 
 25 the phase-out of such surcharges upon retirement, 
 26 expiration, or refinancing of the applicable debt 
 27 obligation; creating s. 180.192, F.S.; requiring 
 28 municipalities that provide specified utility services 
 29 to report certain information by a specified date, and 
 30 annually thereafter, to the Florida Public Service 
 31 Commission; requiring the commission to compile such 
 32 information and submit a report by a specified date, 
 33 and annually thereafter, to the Governor and the 
 34 Legislature; authorizing commission jurisdiction over 
 35 specified utilities; providing construction; providing 
 36 effective dates. 
 37 
 38 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 39 
 40 Section 1. Subsection (3) is added to section 180.19, 
 41 Florida Statutes, to read: 
 42 180.19 Use by other municipalities and by individuals 
 43 outside corporate limits.— 
 44 (3)(a) A new agreement, or an extension, renewal, or 
 45 material amendment of an existing agreement, to provide 
 46 electric, water, natural gas, or sewer utility service at retail 
 47 pursuant to subsection (1) must be in writing. Such agreement 
 48 may not become effective before an appointed representative of 
 49 the municipality that provides the service or intends to provide 
 50 the service, in conjunction with the governing body of each 
 51 municipality and unincorporated area served or to be served, has 
 52 participated in a public meeting. Such meeting is not required 
 53 to be a separate public meeting, but it must be held within each 
 54 municipality and unincorporated area served or to be served for 
 55 purposes of providing information and soliciting public input 
 56 on: 
 57 1. The nature of the services to be provided or changes to 
 58 the services being provided; 
 59 2. The rates, fees, and charges to be imposed for the 
 60 services provided or intended to be provided, including any 
 61 differential with the rates, fees, and charges imposed for the 
 62 same services on customers located within the boundaries of the 
 63 serving municipality, the basis for the differential, and the 
 64 length of time that the differential is expected to exist; 
 65 3. The extent to which revenues generated from the 
 66 provision of the services will be used to fund or finance 
 67 nonutility government functions or services; and 
 68 4. Any other matter deemed relevant by the parties to the 
 69 agreement. 
 70 (b) Rates, fees, and charges imposed for water or sewer 
 71 utility services provided pursuant to subsection (1) must comply 
 72 with s. 180.191. 
 73 (c) A representative of each municipality that provides