April 19, 2022 – This morning Governor DeSantis issued a Proclamation expanding the Special Session beginning today to direct the Legislature to examine certain special districts whose special acts creating the district have not been re-established ratified or otherwise reconstituted after November 5, 1968.  The Proclamation also called on the Legislature to reconsider an exemption to a 2021 law.  Section 501.2041, Florida Statutes, passed by the 2021 Legislature and signed into law by the Governor, provides for consumer protection from arbitrary censorship by social media platforms. Governor DeSantis strongly supported this legislation, but the law exempts any company that owns and operates a theme park or  entertainment  complex from the definition of  a “social media platform”.

Proposed bills have been filed in the House and Senate that dissolve independent special districts created prior to November 5, 1968 that have not been re-established, ratified or reconstituted by special act or general law, effective June 1, 2023.  Affected districts may be re-established on or after June 1, 2023.  A House staff analysis has been released that identifies 6 affected districts:

• Bradford County Development Authority, Bradford County
• Sunshine Water Control District, Broward County
• Eastpoint Water and Sewer District, Franklin County
• Hamilton County Development Authority, Hamilton County
• Marion County Law Library, Marion County
• Reedy Creek Improvement District, Orange and Osceola County

Click here to view the proposed legislation.  To view the staff analysis, click here.  LLW lobbyists are engaged on this matter and will keep you posted of further developments.  For more information, contact Chris Lyon at clyon@llw-law.com.