Florida HB 187: Florida Public Service Commission

Bill Text

HB 187 2026

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A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to the Florida Public Service 2
Commission; amending s. 350.01, F.S.; revising the 3
membership of the Florida Public Service Commission; 4
creating s. 350.129, F.S.; requiring that orders 5
issued by the commission contain adequate support and 6
rationale for any conclusions made by the commission; 7
requiring the commission to provide an explanation and 8
a discussion of major elements of the settlement when 9
issuing an order accepting or denying certain 10
settlement agreements; amending s. 366.06, F.S.; 11
requiring the commission to ensure that the allowable 12
return on equity does not exceed the national average 13
authorized return on equity for comparable public 14
utilities; amending s. 366.07, F.S.; requiring the 15
commission to establish a schedule by which rate 16
change requests may be submitted to the commission by 17
each public utility company; creating s. 366.077, 18
F.S.; requiring the commission to provide a report to 19
the Governor and the Legislature by a specified date 20
annually; providing requirements for the report; 21
amending s. 377.814, F.S.; conforming a cross-22
reference; providing an effective date. 23
24
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 25

HB 187 2026

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Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 350.01, Florida 27
Statutes, is amended to read: 28
350.01 Florida Public Service Commission; terms of 29
commissioners; vacancies; election and duties of chair; quorum; 30
proceedings; public records and public meetings exemptions.— 31
(1) The Florida Public Service Commission shall be 32
composed consist of seven five commissioners appointed pursuant 33
to s. 350.031. One member must be a certified public accountant, 34
and one member must be a chartered financial analyst. 35
Section 2. Section 350.129, Florida Statutes, is created 36
to read: 37
350.129 Orders of the Florida Public Service Commission.— 38
(1) All orders issued by the commission must contain 39
adequate support and rationale for the commission's conclusions, 40
including the specific facts and factors on which the 41
conclusions are based. While the commission may make conclusions 42
based upon the public interest, as provided in chapters 350-368, 43
it shall specify in its orders a rationale for such conclusions. 44
(2) For commission orders that affect substantial 45
interests pursuant to s. 120.569, when issuing an order 46
accepting or denying a settlement agreement reached by any of 47
the parties to a proceeding, the commission shall provide a 48
reasoned explanation, citing the specific facts and factors on 49
which it relied. In addition, the commission shall provide in 50

HB 187 2026

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its order a discussion of the major elements of the settlement 51
and a rationale for its conclusions. 52
Section 3. Present subsection (4) of section 366.06, 53
Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (5), and a new 54
subsection (4) is added to that section, to read: 55
366.06 Rates; procedure for fixing and changing.— 56
(4) In order to best meet the needs of Florida households, 57
the commission shall ensure that the allowable return on equity 58
for public utilities does not exceed the national average 59
authorized return on equity for comparable public utilities 60
across the country. 61
Section 4. Section 366.07, Florida Statutes, is amended to 62
read: 63
366.07 Rates; adjustment.— 64
(1) Whenever the commission, after public hearing either 65
upon its own motion or upon complaint, shall find the rates, 66
rentals, charges or classifications, or any of them, proposed, 67
demanded, observed, charged or collected by any public utility 68
for any service, or in connection therewith, or the rules, 69
regulations, measurements, practices or contracts, or any of 70
them, relating thereto, are unjust, unreasonable, insufficient, 71
excessive, or unjustly discriminatory or preferential, or in 72
anywise in violation of law, or any service is inadequate or 73
cannot be obtained, the commission shall determine and by order 74
fix the fair and reasonable rates, rentals, charges or 75

HB 187 2026

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classifications, and reasonable rules, regulations, 76
measurements, practices, contracts or service, to be imposed, 77
observed, furnished or followed in the future. 78
(2) The commission shall establish a schedule by which 79
rate change requests may be sub