Nick DiCeglie bills would address growth, hurricane reconstruction and public safety pressures

Republican Sen. Nick DiCeglie has filed a slate of bills that would speed up hurricane recovery, change how Florida handles self-defense claims by survivors of domestic violence, loosen regulatory requirements for certain professions, and update traffic safety and transportation rules.

Several of the bills, filed ahead of the Session’s start next week, target pressure points that have drawn legislative attention in recent years.

SB 1234 would make sweeping changes to Florida’s building permitting and inspection framework, significantly curbing the discretion of local governments while expanding the role of private providers.

The bill directs the Florida Building Commission to exempt certain residential hurricane and flood protection walls from permit requirements. It would also tighten when local governments may require permits at all, providing an exemption for most residential work valued under $7,500 from the permitting process — although the proposal does make limited exceptions for structural, electrical and plumbing work.

The proposal would also formalize the use of private providers for plan reviews and inspections, and requires that local governments reduce permit fees when private providers are used. It also would establish statutory deadlines for permit decisions, with applications automatically deemed approved if local governments fail to act within strict timeframes.

SB 1260 would authorize the Governor to allow qualified inspectors from states with mutual aid agreements to work in Florida during declared emergencies. It would also require that the Division of Emergency Management and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation develop relevant training programs, and direct local governments to create plans that anticipate supplemental personnel needs to speed up the permitting process after hurricanes and tropical storms.

SB 1228, also called the Survivor Safety Act, would create legal protections for survivors of domestic and dating violence who fight back against a known abuser. 

The bill would establish the presumption that a survivor acted with a reasonable fear of imminent death or great bodily harm when certain conditions are met, particularly in situations where there is documented prior abuse. The measure would also instruct juries on the presumption of reasonable fear, and shift the legal burden of proof to prosecutors and away from victims during a case. 

The bill would add mandates for trauma-informed training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors and Judges, and create a Survivor Self-Defense Case Review Panel within the Florida Commission on Offender Review.

St. Petersburg Democratic Rep. Michele Rayner filed the companion bill (HB 1127) in the House.

SB 1262 would ease administrative burdens for physical therapists by exempting certain services from the rule requiring a practitioner of record to review and sign treatment plans. Eligible services include those meant for health promotion, injury prevention, and wellness and fitness.

SB 1274 is a wide-ranging transportation bill that touches on traffic signal safety and monitoring, commercial transportation oversight, fuel tax administration and loosening up on golf cart registrations.

The bill would direct the Florida Department of Transportation to increase the minimum perception-reaction time for yellow traffic signals by 0.4 seconds, authorize the use of automated license plate recognition systems by private entities on certain properties, shift motor carriers from a registration-based system to a licensing system, revise due dates for motor fuel use tax returns, and allow certain golf carts that meet low-speed vehicle standards to be titled and registered for operation on designated roads without a state inspection.

If approved, the proposals would take effect July 1.