Florida SB 1420: Service of Process

Bill Text

1420 
Local Utility Revenues 
2026-01-08T05:18:42Z 
Prohibiting counties and municipalities, respectively, from transferring for specified purposes revenues collected from providing utility services; requiring revenue surpluses to be returned to the ratepayers; requiring county and municipal utilities, respectively, to develop budget forecasts and strategies that meet certain requirements; prohibiting counties and municipalities, respectively, from charging a higher rate or adding a surcharge to certain customers, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1420 

 By Senator DiCeglie 

 18-01330-26 20261420__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to local utility revenues; creating 
 3 ss. 125.483 and 180.1901, F.S.; defining the term 
 4 “utility”; providing legislative intent; prohibiting 
 5 counties and municipalities, respectively, from 
 6 transferring for specified purposes revenues collected 
 7 from providing utility services; requiring counties 
 8 and municipalities, respectively, to reinvest such 
 9 revenues back into a utility for specified purposes; 
 10 requiring revenue surpluses to be returned to the 
 11 ratepayers; requiring county and municipal utilities, 
 12 respectively, to develop budget forecasts and 
 13 strategies that meet certain requirements; prohibiting 
 14 counties and municipalities, respectively, from 
 15 charging a higher rate or adding a surcharge to 
 16 certain customers; providing that violations may 
 17 subject a utility to the withholding of certain state 
 18 funds; amending s. 180.191, F.S.; deleting an 
 19 authorization for municipalities to add a surcharge to 
 20 certain customers outside the municipal boundaries; 
 21 providing an effective date. 
 22 
 23 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 24 
 25 Section 1. Section 125.483, Florida Statutes, is created to 
 26 read: 
 27 125.483 County utility revenues.— 
 28 (1) As used in this section, the term “utility” includes 
 29 public entities providing water, wastewater, stormwater, 
 30 electric, and gas utilities. 
 31 (2) The Legislature intends for a county that provides 
 32 utility services to its residents to provide such services in an 
 33 affordable, transparent, and reliable manner that protects 
 34 public health and this state’s natural resources. 
 35 (3) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a county that 
 36 generates revenue from providing utility services to customers 
 37 may not transfer any revenues collected for providing utility 
 38 services to finance general governmental functions or special 
 39 projects, to purchase bonds to finance general governmental 
 40 functions, or to lend money to finance general governmental 
 41 functions within the local government which are not for the 
 42 ongoing utility service or a part of the utility. A revenue 
 43 surplus must be returned to the ratepayers. Such returns may 
 44 include rebates, credits, or new appliances or services. 
 45 (4) A county shall reinvest utility service revenues back 
 46 into the utility for purposes of operational integrity. Such 
 47 investments may include building, maintaining, renovating, or 
 48 otherwise improving the infrastructure of its utility 
 49 facilities. The utility must, every 5 years, develop a budget 
 50 forecast and strategies that ensure continuous maintenance, as 
 51 well as strategic improvements to provide optimal service 
 52 performance at consistent rates. The budget forecast and 
 53 strategies must anticipate increasing service demand due to 
 54 population growth and new commercial industries, expenditures on 
 55 advanced technologies, and costs incurred from damages and 
 56 complications arising from intensifying storms, floods, and 
 57 water shortages. 
 58 (5) A county may not charge a higher rate or add a 
 59 surcharge to customers outside of jurisdictional boundaries 
 60 which is greater than the actual costs of providing services at 
 61 locations more distal from central utility operations. 
 62 (6) A violation of this section shall be cause for the 
 63 withholding from the county’s utility of any portion of any 
 64 state funds to which the utility may be entitled. 
 65 Section 2. Section 180.1901, Florida Statutes, is created 
 66 to read: 
 67 180.1901 Municipal utility revenues.— 
 68 (1) As used in this section, the term “utility” includes 
 69 water, wastewater, stormwater, electric, and gas utilities. 
 70 (2) The Legislature intends for a municipality that 
 71 provides utility services to its residents to provide such 
 72 services in an affordable, transparent, and reliable manner that 
 73 protects public health and this state’s natural resources. 
 74 (3) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a municipality 
 75 that generates revenue from providing utility services to 
 76 customers may not transfer any revenues collected for providing 
 77 utility servic