[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6080633,"mediaKeyId","2945996-8eb151cd4930617f332fd323b163514e","parentId",2945996,"title","Votes at a glance: Appropriations committee reports 11 transportation, tourism and economic development bills","audioSeconds",2738,"startMs",1000,"endMs",2739000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2945996-8eb151cd4930617f332fd323b163514e&start=1&end=2739","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2945996-8eb151cd4930617f332fd323b163514e/thumbnail_1000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6080633/Florida/Votes-at-a-glance-Appropriations-committee-reports-11-transportation-tourism-and-economic-development-bills","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6080633-4edc4b0da51232ee79f22b14c4ba89df/orig.mp4?Expires=1771071305&Signature=IYFWfE65Dw14lDc~KBjtaQKJT~SXiGfq2ywEIimyJ2ZUDDNlN4lfnKfx4qewaSb2i6CiixPAFD8TxlNzKzPy2WWQwQ2buRs2BtcoUmhbThAFClqSKdOLp0Su5zDnfCRkddVr8UMzP4Pch~Qk7VYLDdNf~phL8BVCHSDNLqQv0UqhWEbVWCRxMcQDclrsp2WOdDDIlVqeFDgqPMhhkpXxZCuws3M84Vv~TZjF~ql6aSIxrYl2wQLo2etT8MK66Kbs5pOCJ8C3nvuXjSf7QvXe26YWldmGgoemVk75WdbulhEby3r-33wf5Z5kQvpIOw09wBMWw-a3OhFlcj--bfOEOg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Florida Legislature","date","2025-04-10T00:00:00Z","article","The Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development on May 20 advanced 11 bills, most by voice vote or brief roll call, moving a mix of technical transportation changes, specialty license plate measures, toll exemptions and two policy items that drew substantive discussion.

CS/CS Senate Bill 1662 (transportation agency bill) — reported favorably as amended
Senator Collins explained a strike‑all amendment that retained establishment of the Florida Transportation Academy, clarified the Florida Transportation Research Institute’s mission, restored a legislative budget commission consultation process for work‑program amendments, adjusted the small‑business definition, removed the sunset on the aggregate supply chain grant program, added fiscal‑responsibility and transparency requirements for airports and seaports, and allowed cranes to apply for special blanket permits for overnight travel subject to FDOT safety protocols. The amendment removed language giving the department authority to inspect commercial airport facilities that had received state funding. The amendment was adopted and CS/CS 1662 was reported favorably.

CS Senate Bill 574 (Purple Heart toll exemptions) — reported favorably
Senator Collins said SB 574 would allow Florida residents displaying Purple Heart license plates to pass through toll gates without charge. The sponsor said there are about 9,311 Purple Heart plates in Florida and staff estimated a fiscal impact of \"about 500,000 to 600,000\" annually. One witness, William B. Smith of the Florida PBA, waived in support. The committee reported the bill favorably.

CS Senate Bill 824 (Florida Highway Patrol specialty plate) — reported favorably
Senator Pizzo said proceeds, after administrative costs, would go to an advisory council that funds scholarships for troopers and their families. One witness, William B. Smith, waived in support. The committee reported the bill favorably.

CS/CS Senate Bill 3-24 (construction impact relief revolving loan program) — reported favorably (see separate article)
This bill attracted extended questioning regarding eligibility verification, public-records exposure of business financials, elimination of grant funding and delegation of rulemaking authority to the Department of Commerce. The committee adopted a delete‑everything amendment that removed a hotline in favor of a web page and added liability protections for the department. The bill was reported favorably as amended.

CS Senate Bill 1714 (local housing assistance plans; mobile home lot-rental assistance) — reported favorably
Senator Burton said the bill requires county and municipal local housing assistance plans under the state Housing Initiatives Partnership Program to include strategies to provide program funds to mobile‑home owners, including lot rental assistance. Nancy Stewart of the Federation of Manufactured Homeowners of Florida and a representative of the Manufactured Housing Association waived in support. The measure was reported favorably.

CS Senate Bill 776 (registration of agents and organizations associated with foreign countries of concern) — reported favorably as amended
Senator Burgess introduced an amendment aligning definitions with federally recognized standards and set a 20% beneficial‑ownership threshold so the registration requirement targets entities substantially owned by a foreign country of concern. The amendment was adopted and the bill was reported favorably.

CS Senate Bill 1024 (United States Military and Naval Academy specialty plates) — reported favorably
Senator Burgess said the bill would create specialty plates for the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy. Committee recorded the vote in the affirmative.

CS Senate Bill 1246 (\"Save Coastal Wildlife\" specialty plate) — reported favorably
Senator Rodriguez said the $25 annual use fee would fund the Zoo Miami Foundation Inc. for coastal wildlife conservation and mission‑focused research in Florida. The bill was reported favorably.

CS Senate Bill 1644 (emergency services warning signals) — reported favorably
Senator Rodriguez said the bill expands allowed use of red or red‑and‑white warning signals for volunteer firefighters, medical staff and emergency transport vehicles, removing restrictions on the number of warning lights. He said the change responds in part to community medical responder services (Hatzalah) that lack traditional ambulance lighting and need clearer warning options. The committee reported the bill favorably.

CS Senate Bill 1152 (Florida Wildflower specialty plate) — reported favorably
Senator Arrington said raising the wildflower tag from $15 to $25 (with bulk purchase discounts) is expected to raise about $330,000 annually to support research and native‑seed industry development with IFAS and expand DOT highway beautification efforts. The measure was reported favorably.

CS Senate Bill 532 (toll exemptions for 100% disabled veterans; amendment adds Purple Heart) — reported favorably as amended
Senator Angolia described SB 532 as exempting 100% disabled veterans from tolls; an adopted amendment added Purple Heart recipients to the exemption list. Senators discussed potential fiscal impacts and narrowing options (for example, limiting exemptions by age) to reduce state and local recurring costs. The committee reported the bill favorably as amended.

What passed and next steps: All 11 bills on the committee agenda were reported favorably and will proceed to subsequent committees or floor consideration as provided by the legislative calendar. Many measures were technical or specialty‑plate bills; two items—SB 3-24 and SB 532—drew extended policy questions and sponsor commitments to refine language and address fiscal or public‑records concerns in later committee stops.

Votes and procedure: The transcript records roll calls or voice votes for each bill in the committee record; amendments described in this summary were raised on the floor, discussed and adopted where noted.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development 4/10/25","oneSentenceSummary","The Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development reported favorably on 11 bills, moving a mix of transportation agency updates, specialty license plates, toll exemptions and emergency‑services changes forward to later legislative steps.","taxTitle","Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development, Standing Committees, Senate, Legislative, Florida","taxId",26940,"location","Florida","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6080639,"Senate committee advances loan program to help small businesses hit by public-works construction",1209,519000,1728000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2945996-8eb151cd4930617f332fd323b163514e&start=519&end=1728","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2945996-8eb151cd4930617f332fd323b163514e/thumbnail_519000.jpg","/articles/6080639/Florida/Senate-committee-advances-loan-program-to-help-small-businesses-hit-by-public-works-construction","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6080639-7bfe501c00b4fb21cd2c856f88a7efb2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771071305&Signature=e0-m0nQ0Ad4Ct3VYBLhf8gx~DgmCjYSrjZxe2-rkDvk8DXTMrVWoaU7e4YD4FyXvSCTpGkXAWC9DqF~LFMBApwKrtynTFHJY4tyUyrnrRNrTu9rEdvkAaQMEz2flKYrkOeUt97vgR7ZXnttnKlQKH~iC5TrT8XDZIXt7MkkfEO5~Kp98UzeAlLDO6hQPZ6MKMJmjtW-3TGgJSYbhbe0mujPJvy~xhRL26L1P6WxZ6OG7VYn6QWfjdbjjKss2q9vvfvcWbcWl5rlKHH1zy93lUp3B7~syKG~OnwAxWAJ71ztT19zF8YdMvYaGHeavq89ZaWn7UyOBkqlaJTfKNktz3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 3-24, which would create a construction impact relief revolving loan program to help eligible small businesses that suffer demonstrable revenue losses tied to local or state public-works construction, was reported favorably by the Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development.

The bill, explained by Senator Smith, would place the program under the Department of Commerce and require applicants to document verifiable revenue loss tied to public-works construction and to accept consultation from the Florida Small Business Development Center Network. “Small businesses form the backbone of our local economy ... Blocked entrances, endless construction, limited parking, and reduced foot traffic for months, sometimes years of disruption like this can shut a local business down for good,” Senator Smith said in committee.

Senate staff and sponsors said the measure creates low‑interest, revolving loans rather than grants after concerns about cost. “Originally, when we filed the bill, the bill included low interest loans, and it also included grants. We eliminated the grants because we believe that that would be too costly,” Senator Smith said. The author added the Department of Commerce will administer applications and is delegated rulemaking authority to set application details and eligibility criteria.

Why it matters: Sponsors and several senators said this bill targets small retail and service businesses—particularly restaurants and storefronts—whose operations can be severely reduced by prolonged construction projects. Senator Smith cited an 18‑month sewer project in Orlando’s Lake Ivanhoe business district in 2023 that she said forced at least one business to close and harmed others.

What the bill would do: It would (1) create a revolving loan program at the Department of Commerce; (2) require applicants to submit documentation demonstrating a revenue decline attributable to specific public-works construction (examples listed in the bill and discussed in committee include photos/videos showing blocked parking or entrances and financial statements); (3) require participation in consultation with the Florida Small Business Development Center Network; and (4) remove an earlier proposed hotline in favor of a program web page, per an adopted amendment.

Committee debate and revisions: Committee members pressed on verification and fraud‑risk protections, the appropriate minimum time a business must have been operating to show a revenue trend, and whether sensitive financial materials submitted by applicants would be exposed under public‑records law. Senator Angolia asked how applicants would prove a direct nexus between construction and revenue drops; Senator Smith said the bill requires documentation of reduction in revenue “over time” and delegates specific proof requirements to Commerce rulemaking. Senator Leake and others noted the need to limit unintended consequences—especially the program’s reach to businesses that cannot otherwise obtain credit—and urged clearer public‑records protections for submitted financial statements.

Amendments adopted in committee: A delete‑everything amendment refined language with input from Florida Commerce, removed a proposed department hotline and replaced it with a program webpage, added a litigation‑shield provision for the department related to loan disputes, and narrowed or clarified other program details. An amendment to that amendment removed unnecessary liability language. Sponsors said Commerce notified them that earlier fiscal concerns had been addressed by the adopted amendments.

Outstanding issues and next steps: Senators raised concerns about (1) whether the department should have clearer statutory limits when determining how long a business must have been operating before the construction began, (2) public-records protections for financials submitted with applications, and (3) potential fiscal exposure if the program serves businesses that could obtain credit in the private market. Senator Golian and Senator Bernard said they would vote for the bill but asked for tighter language in later committees. The bill was reported favorably and will continue through the legislative process.

Ending: Sponsor Senator Smith asked for support and said she would work with colleagues to tighten language and consider public-records exemptions for business financials before subsequent committee stops.","Senate Bill 3-24, which would create a construction impact relief revolving loan program to help eligible small businesses that suffer demonstrable revenue losses tied to local or state public-works construction, was reported favorably by the Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development.","actionData","errors"]

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Votes at a glance: Appropriations committee reports 11 transportation, tourism and economic development bills

Senate committee advances loan program to help small businesses hit by public-works construction