Hurricane recovery changes head to the Governor's desk
After three hurricanes hit the state in 2024, Florida lawmakers Friday gave final approval to a bill that would make changes involving issues such as debris removal and rebuilding storm-damaged homes.
The House voted 106-0 and the Senate voted 34-1 to approve the bill (SB 180), which is ready to go to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
'This bill is meant to help those folks in the future that are going through their darkest hours because, unfortunately, we know that we're going to continue to have hurricanes,' Rep. Will Robinson, R-Bradenton, said.
The bill, in part, would require local governments each year to set in advance at least one debris-management site; to develop plans for businesses and homeowners about post-storm permitting processes; to establish what are known as mutual-aid agreements to bring in help from elsewhere; and to set plans for staffing after storms.
Local governments also would be prohibited from increasing building-permit and inspection fees for 180 days after emergencies are declared for hurricanes or tropical storms.
The bill also would seek to prevent a repeat of an incident where a crane collapsed into a St. Petersburg office building when Hurricane Milton slammed into the area last year.
The bill would require that 24 hours before anticipated hurricane impacts, all hoisting equipment would have to be secured to comply with manufacturer recommendations, which could include removing advertising, laying down fixed booms and setting towers in a 'weathervane position.'
An earlier version of the bill also dealt with the authority of elections supervisors to make changes after storms, but that issue was removed from the final measure. House sponsor Fiona McFarland, R-Sarasota, said those issues could be addressed in the 2026 legislative session.
This year's six-month hurricane season will start June 1. Florida was hit by hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton in 2024, causing tens of billions of dollars in damage.
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