Members of the Florida Senate and House hit the ground running this week as committee meetings began in Tallahassee. Although the legislative session does not begin until March 4, committee weeks are an important period of preparation as legislators engage in budget and policy discussions, hear from agency and local government officials and staff, and identify priority bills. As the action ramps up, here are a few committees to keep an eye on and check to see if any of your elected officials play a major role in crafting and considering legislation for our coasts:
House
- Budget Committee (previously entitled “Appropriations”)
- Agriculture & Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee
- Health & Human Services Committee
- Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee
- State Affairs Committee
- Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee
- Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee
Senate
- Appropriations Committee
- Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government
- Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services
- Environment and Natural Resources Committee
- Health Policy Committee
- Fiscal Policy Committee
As a reminder about the legislative process, after a bill is filed, it must be referenced to relevant committees to be heard and voted on before it can progress to the House or Senate floor for a vote before all legislators. These “committee stops” during session are opportunities for public comment, discussion, and amendments – and important touchpoints for Surfrider and our network as we track key legislation for our coasts and ocean.
In this first week, committee meeting agendas primarily focused on foundational information and reports from various stakeholders. Several committees focused on Surfrider issues convened to review 2024 programs and resiliency issues.
The House Agriculture & Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee convened to hear agency reports and program reviews from 2024. They heard from the Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Surfrider was thrilled to hear Representative Yvette Benarroch’s interest in the DEP’s approach to mangrove restoration and strategies to ensure the long-term success of mangrove replanting efforts. As the representative noted, mangroves play a crucial role protecting coastal communities from erosion and storm surge while also supporting ecosystem biodiversity. Mangroves are also impressive carbon sinks, storing massive amounts of carbon in their biomass and soil, which helps mitigate climate impacts by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Surfrider has long advocated for improving our state-level rules for mangrove replanting and restoration to secure the multitude of resilience, climate, and ecosystem benefits for our Florida coasts.
The Senate Environment, Agriculture, and General Government Appropriations Committee also heard agency reports and priorities for the upcoming session. DEP reported on key grant programs, including the Resilient Florida Grant Program, which supports local governments and regional entities to engage in planning and implementation projects related to sea level rise and flooding. The grant program received 143 eligible applications last cycle – requesting a total of $834 million. Of the 143 applications, the agency selected 23 priority projects for FY25-26 based on a $200 million allocation. The number of eligible applications submitted by local governments and regional entities – and the total funds sought – highlight the importance of this grant program for resilience planning and action across the state.
The House Natural Resources and Disasters Subcommittee heard from a panel of local governments impacted by the 2024 hurricane season. They presented updates on recovery efforts, lessons learned, and legislative requests for the upcoming session. The Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee heard presentations from DEP about water quality improvement projects across the state and the Water Quality Improvement Grant Program.
In addition to committee meetings, bills for the 2025 legislative session continue to be filed. While Surfrider will be tracking all bills that have impacts for our coasts and ocean in Florida, we will also be focusing on priority legislation in our issue areas. A priority bill for Surfrider this session is the Safe Waterways Act, which has been filed in the House by State Representative Peggy Gossett-Seidman and in the Senate by State Senator Ana-Maria Rodriguez.
HB73/SB156 Safe Waterways Act will be familiar to the Surfrider network because strengthening and improving our beach water quality monitoring across the state has been a key focus of Surfrider Florida over the last years. The 2025 Safe Waterways Act begins the process of transferring bacteriological sampling of beach waters and public bathing places from the Florida Department of Health to the Department of Environmental Protection. The bill also strengthens monitoring requirements and the processes for immediate and accessible public notification when beach waters and public bathing spaces do not meet safety standards. Surfrider supports this bill and the effort to move this program to where it will be funded and executed appropriately. The legislation has been filed in both the House and the Senate, and the House bill has received its committee references.
Bills will continue to be filed and the next round of committee meetings will take place next week, so stay tuned for more updates from the capitol! As the upcoming legislative session takes shape, Surfrider will be following the biggest issues for our coasts, ocean, and communities.