Florida HB 193: Sexual Offender Registration

Bill Text

HB 193 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb193-00
Page 1 of 8
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to utilities; amending s. 163.3205, 2
F.S.; revising legislative intent; defining terms; 3
authorizing a county to adopt an ordinance for the 4
decommissioning of certain solar facilities that have 5
reached the end of their useful life; providing for 6
the rebuttal of certain presumptions; authorizing a 7
county to require financial assurance from a solar 8
facility owner to establish that the solar facility 9
owner has the capability to satisfy the estimated cost 10
of decommissioning the solar facility; authorizing a 11
county to decommission a solar facility under certain 12
circumstances; requiring the Department of 13
Environmental Protection to develop best management 14
practices (BMPs) for the construction of a solar 15
facility; specifying requirements for the BMPs; 16
requiring the department to review certain information 17
to revise and update such BMPs annually; requiring a 18
solar facility operator to implement specified BMPs; 19
amending s. 366.96, F.S.; requiring that improvements 20
included in certain transmission and distribution 21
storm protection plans have forecasted customer 22
benefits that exceed their forecasted cost; revising 23
the factors that the Public Service Commission must 24
consider in reviewing such plans; deleting obsolete 25

HB 193 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb193-00
Page 2 of 8
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

language; requiring the commission to submit a 26
proposed rule for adoption by a specified date; 27
providing an effective date. 28
29
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 30
31
Section 1. Section 163.3205, Florida Statutes, is amended 32
to read: 33
163.3205 Solar facility approval process; decommissioning 34
requirements; construction requirements.— 35
(1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.—It is the intent of the 36
Legislature to encourage renewable solar electrical generation 37
throughout this state, while ensuring that agricultural land 38
used for a solar facility be returned to its original state and 39
be viable for agricultural use at the end of the solar 40
facility's useful life. It is essential that solar facilities 41
and associated electric infrastructure be constructed and 42
maintained in various locations throughout this state in order 43
to ensure the availability of renewable energy production, which 44
is critical to this state's energy and economic future. 45
(2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term: 46
(a) "Agricultural land" means land within: 47
1. An area categorized as agricultural land in a local 48
government comprehensive plan. Such categorization includes any 49
agricultural land use category; or 50

HB 193 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb193-00
Page 3 of 8
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

2. An agricultural zoning district within an 51
unincorporated area. 52
(b) "Decommission" means the removal of a solar facility 53
and return of agricultural land that was used for the solar 54
facility to an agriculturally useful condition similar to that 55
which existed before construction of the solar facility, 56
including the removal of above-ground facilities and 57
infrastructure that do not serve a continuing purpose. 58
(c) "Solar facility" means a production facility for 59
electric power which: 60
1.(a) Uses photovoltaic modules to convert solar energy to 61
electricity that may be stored on site, delivered to a 62
transmission system, and consumed primarily offsite. 63
2.(b) Consists principally of photovoltaic modules, a 64
mounting or racking system, power inverters, transformers, 65
collection systems, battery systems, fire suppression equipment, 66
and associated components. 67
3.(c) May include accessory administration or maintenance 68
buildings, electric transmission lines, substations, energy 69
storage equipment, and related accessory uses and structures. 70
(3) PERMITTED USE.—A solar facility is shall be a 71
permitted use in all agricultural land use categories in a local 72
government comprehensive plan and all agricultural zoning 73
districts within an unincorporated area and must comply with the 74
setback and landscaped buffer area criteria for other similar 75

HB 193 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb193-00
Page 4 of 8
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

uses in the agricultural district. 76
(4) LANDSCAPE REQUIREMENTS.—A county may adopt an 77
ordinance specifying buffer and landscaping requirements for 78
solar facilities. Such requirements may not exceed the 79
requirements for similar uses involving the construction of 80
other facilities that are permitted uses in agricultural land