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, use the button below to go directly to all active alerts.
New! Sign up to get the most urgent and time sensitive alerts by text. Enter your number or text "FSC" to 844-722-3080 to sign up!
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
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Action Alert: Take action today and join the over 80 conservation organizations and businesses that have asked lawmakers to amend these bills to safeguard Florida’s state parks - Input your address, add a subject line, customize the message and send an email to your State Representative and Senator. Then, share this action alert with your network to multiply your impact! https://floridaspringscouncil.good.do/2025legislativesession/
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: ​2/11 PASSED 7-0 Governmental Oversight and Accountability
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, this bill would ban any local governments or state agencies from regulating any reusable or single-use bag, cup, bottle, can, or other packaging. If passed, this would lead to more plastic pollution in State Parks, Springs and other waterways.
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Last Action: ​2/12 Filed
Action Alert: Check back later
2024 POST-SESSION RECAP
FSC Executive Director Ryan Smart took us through a deep-dive of springs-related issues we fought hard on in the 2024 Session, including protecting our access to the Courts, keeping trash out of our waterways, and advocating for increased funding for springs restoration and land conservation.
The livestream is now available to watch on the Florida Springs Council's YouTube and Facebook.
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.
SIGN UP FOR SPRINGS NEWS & ACTION ALERTS BY EMAIL
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.