LEGISLATIVE SESSION 2020

MOST EVERYTHING DIED BEFORE REACHING THE FINISHING LINE

An Opinion By Jan Bergemann 
President, Cyber Citizens For Justice, Inc.

Published March 17, 2020

 

At the beginning of this year’s session we saw a lot of bills filed dealing with community association issues – see PRIORITY BILLS.

But the summary of bills reaching the desk of Governor Ron DeSantis is very short: SB 476 -- Senator Ed Hooper (companion bill HB 307 – Representative Chip LaMarca). This bill made it quickly through the legislature and was signed into law by the Governor on February 24, 2020 as Chapter No.2020-5. The bill’s content: Providing that community associations may not prohibit a law enforcement officer from parking his or her law enforcement vehicle in certain areas.

 

The bill just confirmed what an AG advisory opinion had already stated many years ago. But it was obviously needed since certain boards and their attorneys clearly ignored this AG opinion. Let’s see if the provision is more effective now that it is in black and white in the statutes.

 

BUT THAT WAS IT FOR THIS SESSION!

 

There were three bills still running until the last day of the session:

1.     HB 623 -- Community Associations

2.     HB 1257 -- Community Associations

3.     HB 689 – Department of Business and Professional Regulation

 

All these bills made it through all committees, underwent lots of changes through amendments, but failed to reach consensus of Senate and House on the last evening of the session.

 

All in All: The Florida Legislature didn’t get much done to solve the many problems owners of more than 4.5 million units homes, condos, co-ops and mobile homes) in community associations in Florida are facing. What is the legislature waiting for? The moment – estimated for 2022 – when more than 50% of Florida’s populations is living in some sort of community association?


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LEGISLATIVE SESSION 2020