LEGISLATIVE SESSION 2025
Florida Springs Council's
Analyses, Positions, and Tools for Advocates
The 2025 Legislative Session runs from
March 4, 2025 through May 2, 2025.
We can’t promise you that we will win every time you take an action,
but we can promise that we will lose if you don’t.
Our action alerts make it easy to contact lawmakers with pre-written emails. Provide your name and email address, modify the message if you wish, and hit send. Our system gets the right message to the right legislators.
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If you're ready to take action, click the blue button below!
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2025 BILL TRACKING
The Florida Springs Council is committed to defending Florida's springs, conservation lands and wildlife in the Capitol. We'll need your help to stop bills that would harm our environment and support bills that protect our springs, rivers, wetlands and aquifer. Below is a summary of the bills FSC is tracking with links to our action alerts when action is needed.
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The State Parks Protection bills!
Description: SB 80 and HB 209, known as the “State Park Preservation Act,” were filed in response to last year’s proposals by FDEP to develop State Parks into hotels, golf courses and pickle ball courts. Last week SB 80 passed unanimously in its first of three committees, and we’re happy to see this bill is already moving. Over 80 conservation organizations, including the Florida Springs Council, sent a letter to Senator Harrell and Representative Snyder requesting they strengthen the bills to ensure that no inappropriate developments or uses are allowed in our world class State Parks. We’re working with lawmakers and our partner groups to ensure the bills are as strong as possible and remove any loopholes developers could slip through in the future. Read more here: https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/article300079479.html
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Last Action:
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SB 80: State Land Management
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2/11 PASSED 9-0 Environment & Natural Resources (First Committee)
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HB 209: State Land Management
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3/4 PASSED 18-0 Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee (​First Committee)
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Action Alert: Check back later
Description: Among many changes, this bill would require state agencies to propose rules within 90 days of laws becoming effective. The bill would also take away the ability for agencies to grant themselves never-ending extensions like we have seen with the Springs Harm Rule rule-making process. FDEP took over 8 years to propose the Springs Harm Rule. A 90-day deadline would hold agencies accountable to adopt rules in a more timely manner. Additionally, the bill requires state agencies to review all existing rules over the next five years to ensure they are consistent with Florida law and legislative intent. This bill has already passed its first of two committees.
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Last Action: 3/19 Passed Senate Floor 39-0
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Action Alert: Check back later
The bad plastic pre-emption bill is back!
Description: Just like last year’s Auxiliary Containers bill that the conservation community was able to stop, these bills would ban any local governments or state agencies from regulating any reusable or single-use bag, cup, bottle, can, or other packaging.
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These bills would also eliminate plastic regulations currently in place within state parks like Ichetucknee Springs State Park, Rainbow Springs State Park, and Weeki Wachee Springs State Park as well as many coastal communities. If passed, this would lead to more plastic pollution in State Parks, Springs and other waterways.
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Last Action: ​
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HB 565: 3/11 PASSED 13-5 House Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee (First Committee)
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SB 1822: 3/17 PASSED 5-3 Environment and Natural Resources (First Committee)
Action Alert: Check back later
SB 836: Auxiliary Containers, Wrappings, and Disposable Plastic Bags (Smith)
HB 6023: Auxiliary Containers, Wrappings, and Disposable Plastic Bags (Bartleman)
The bills that would lead to cleaner waterways and communities!
Description: The antithesis of HB 565 / SB 1822 (the bad plastic pre-emption bills) - These bills would remove state preemption on plastic regulations, and the bills open the door for more local prohibitions and regulations of auxiliary containers, wrappings, and disposable plastic bags.
Last Action: ​Filed
Action Alert: Check back later
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Description: "Authorizing certain domestic wastewater treatment facilities to request the incorporation of reclaimed water projects identified in Outstanding Florida Springs recovery or prevention strategies"
Last Action: ​
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SB 1228: 3/11 PASSED 9-0 Environment and Natural Resources
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HB 691: 3/18 PASSED 16-1 Natural Resources & Disasters
Action Alert: Check back later
2025 LEGISLATIVE SESSION KICK-OFF DISCUSSION
We are hosting a Legislative Session Live Discussion to share information about the bills FSC is keeping an eye on this year. Unfortunately, we can no longer host our Legislative Session Live Discussion on March 6 due to an unavoidable conflict with FSC's legal challenge. We are working to reschedule this event, and we look forward to hosting a Legislative Session Live Discussion in the future!
A DEEPER DIVE
Watch our webinars, read our letters to legislators and find more information about bills and budget items from the 2025 Legislative Session.
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ROADTRIP ADVOCATES
For those of you who would like to go beyond mailing or calling your representatives: this gives you the chance to travel to Tallahassee and speak in front of lawmakers in person. Sign up to be notified of any opportunities to join our executive director Ryan Smart, the only lobbyist in Tallahassee working solely on springs issues, for a day in the Capital Building.
We'll bring you up to speed on the issues and together present a united voice for springs.
UPDATE: As legislative session winds down it becomes less likely that there will be further trips to the Capitol. But once you sign up you'll be notified of in-person advocacy opportunities during next year's session or for unexpected advocacy needs throughout the year.