Florida HB 1075: Soil and Water Conservation Districts

Bill Text

CS/CS/HB 1075 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1075-02-c2
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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. 180.19, 2
F.S.; requiring municipalities that operate utility 3
services to allow other municipalities and property 4
owners outside its municipal boundaries to connect 5
with and use the utility services under specified 6
conditions; prohibiting municipalities that operate 7
utility services from denying requests by property 8
owners outside its municipal boundaries to connect 9
with or use the utility services based on specified 10
criteria; providing an exception; requiring 11
municipalities to make certain determinations within a 12
specified timeframe; providing for appeal of such 13
determinations; providing for the award of attorney 14
fees and court costs; providing that municipalities 15
are not liable for such fees and costs under certain 16
conditions; requiring municipalities that operate 17
water and wastewater utility services to negotiate 18
interlocal agreements with counties under specified 19
conditions; providing minimum requirements for such 20
agreements; establishing a deadline for executing such 21
agreements; providing construction; creating s. 22
166.0487, F.S.; defining the terms "wastewater utility 23
infrastructure" and "wastewater utility upgrade 24
project"; prohibiting municipalities from applying 25

CS/CS/HB 1075 2026

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certain comprehensive plan amendments or land use 26
regulations to wastewater utility upgrade projects 27
under specified conditions; providing applicability; 28
amending s. 425.09, F.S.; authorizing notices for 29
rural electrical cooperative board of trustees 30
meetings to be delivered by e-mail; revising notice 31
requirements for meetings during which elections will 32
occur; requiring the board of trustees, beginning on a 33
specified date, to annually prepare a list of 34
cooperative members and to make the list available for 35
certain inspection; revising quorum requirements; 36
authorizing electronic voting; amending s. 425.10, 37
F.S.; requiring the bylaws of rural electrical 38
cooperatives to include specified provisions relating 39
to the nomination of members for election to the board 40
of trustees; requiring the appointment of election 41
inspectors; providing duties of election inspectors; 42
creating s. 425.30, F.S.; authorizing rural electric 43
cooperatives to conduct elections and membership votes 44
through electronic voting under certain conditions; 45
requiring members voting electronically to be counted 46
for quorum purposes; prohibiting substantive votes 47
when a quorum is based on the number of members voting 48
electronically; requiring electronic voting to be 49
authorized by a resolution of the board of trustees; 50

CS/CS/HB 1075 2026

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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

providing requirements for such resolutions; providing 51
for members to consent to and opt out of electronic 52
voting; providing applicability; providing for 53
cooperative members to petition the board of trustees 54
to adopt electronic voting; providing an effective 55
date. 56
57
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 58
59
Section 1. Section 180.19, Florida Statutes, is amended to 60
read: 61
180.19 Use by other municipalities and by individuals 62
outside corporate limits.— 63
(1)(a) A municipality that operates utility services which 64
constructs any works as are authorized under by this chapter 65
shall allow a, may permit any other municipality or property 66
owner and the owners or association of owners of lots or lands 67
outside of its municipal boundaries corporate limits or within 68
the limits of any other municipality, to connect with or use the 69
utility services if: 70
1. The utility system has sufficient treatment, 71
transmission, and distribution capacity to serve the requested 72
connection without materially impairing service to existing 73
utility customers; 74
2. The property is not within the service area of another 75

CS/CS/HB 1075 2026

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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

water or wastewater utility, as applicable; 76
3. The property is within 1 mile of a main line of the 77
utility system, measured by the closest property boundary line 78
from the main line; and 79
4. The requesting municipality or property owner agrees to 80
pay all applicable rates, fees, and charges authorized under s. 81
180.191. 82
(b) If the conditions in paragraph (a) are not met, 83
connection with or use of the