Florida HB 273: Motor Vehicle Insurance Coverage Exclusions

Bill Text

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CS/HB 273, Engrossed 1 2026 Legislature

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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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

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An act relating to special district funding; amending 2
s. 215.971, F.S.; revising agency agreements that 3
provide state financial assistance to recipients or 4
subrecipients to include specified special districts 5
as an entity to which such agency may provide for the 6
payment of invoices under specified circumstances; 7
providing construction; requiring state agencies to 8
expedite payment requests from certain counties, 9
municipalities, and special districts for a specified 10
purpose; amending s. 288.0656, F.S.; revising the 11
definition of the term "rural community" to include 12
specified special districts; providing an effective 13
date. 14
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 16
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Section 1. Paragraph (h) of subsection (1) of section 18
215.971, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 19
215.971 Agreements funded with federal or state 20
assistance.— 21
(1) An agency agreement that provides state financial 22
assistance to a recipient or subrecipient, as those terms are 23
defined in s. 215.97, or that provides federal financial 24
assistance to a subrecipient, as defined by applicable United 25

ENROLLED
CS/HB 273, Engrossed 1 2026 Legislature

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb273 -02-er
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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

States Office of Management and Budget circulars, must include 26
all of the following: 27
(h) If the agency agreement provides federal or state 28
financial assistance to a county or municipality that is a rural 29
community or rural area of opportunity as those terms are 30
defined in s. 288.0656(2) or a special district located entirely 31
within such county or municipality or an independent special 32
district that provides water and wastewater services within a 33
rural area of opportunity as defined in s. 288.0656(2), a 34
provision allowing the agency to provide for the payment of 35
invoices to such the county, municipality, or special district 36
rural area of opportunity as that term is defined in s. 37
288.0656(2), for verified and eligible performance that has been 38
completed in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth 39
in the agreement. The provision is not intended to require 40
reimbursement to such county, municipality, or special district 41
for invoices paid, but to allow the agency to provide for the 42
payment of invoices due. The agency shall expedite payment 43
requests in order to facilitate the timely payment of invoices 44
received by such county, municipality, or special district. This 45
provision is included to alleviate the financial hardships that 46
such certain rural counties, and municipalities, or special 47
districts encounter when administering agreements, and must be 48
exercised by the agency if when a county, or municipality, or 49
special district located entirely within such county or 50

ENROLLED
CS/HB 273, Engrossed 1 2026 Legislature

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb273 -02-er
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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

municipality or an independent special district that provides 51
water and wastewater services within a rural area of 52
opportunity, as defined in s. 288.0656(2), demonstrates 53
financial hardship, to the extent that federal or state law, 54
rule, or other regulation allows such payments. This paragraph 55
may not be construed to alter or limit any other provisions of 56
federal or state law, rule, or other regulation. 57
Section 2. Paragraph (e) of subsection (2) of section 58
288.0656, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 59
288.0656 Rural Economic Development Initiative.— 60
(2) As used in this section, the term: 61
(e) "Rural community" means: 62
1. A county with a population of 75,000 or fewer. 63
2. A county with a population of 125,000 or fewer which is 64
contiguous to a county with a population of 75,000 or fewer. 65
3. A municipality or special district within a county 66
described in subparagraph 1. or subparagraph 2. 67
4. An unincorporated federal enterprise community or an 68
incorporated rural city with a population of 25,000 or fewer and 69
an employment base focused on traditional agricultural or 70
resource-based industries, located in a county not defined as 71
rural, which has at least three or more of the economic distress 72
factors identified in paragraph (c) and verified by the 73
department. 74
5. An independent special district that provides water and 75

ENROLLED
CS/HB 273, Engrossed 1 2026 Legislature

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb273 -02-er
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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

wastewater services within a rural area of opportunity. 7