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.
​
Click the "Action Alert" button below to send a thank-you email to the legislators who were instrumental in stopping the plastic preemption bill!
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.
.png)
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. In the beginning of the Legislative Session, 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.
​
Before passing the Florida Legislature unanimously, HB 209 was amended to close loopholes for developers and addressed our concerns.
​
Last Action:
-
HB 209: PASSED the Senate and House Floors unanimously
Action Alert: Check back later
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.
​
Last Action: PASSED the Senate and House Floors​
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, these bills would ban any local governments or state agencies from regulating any reusable or single-use bag, cup, bottle, can, or other packaging.
​
These bills would also eliminate plastic regulations currently in place within state parks like Ichetucknee Springs State Park, Rainbow Springs State Park, and Weeki Wachee Springs State Park as well as many coastal communities. If passed, this would lead to more plastic pollution in State Parks, Springs and other waterways.
​
Last Action: ​
-
HB 565: 4/1 TEMPORARILY POSTPONED - Intergovernmental Affairs (Second Committee)
-
SB 1822: The bad plastic preemption language pushed by Senator Martin and three dozen industry lobbyists DIED, once again, this Legislative Session. The Senate’s attempts to force the bad plastic preemption from SB 1822 by Senator Martin onto HB 1609 by Rep. Weinberger failed, and HB 1609 died in the House thanks to the good sense and courage of Reps. Weinberger, Blanco, and Rizzo, and Senators Bradley, Smith, and Garcia.
Action Alert: Send a thank-you email to the legislators who were instrumental in stopping the plastic preemption - https://floridaspringscouncil.good.do/2025legislativesession/Thanks-HB-1609/
SB 1300: Permits for Drilling, Exploration, and Extraction of Oil and Gas Resources (Simon)
HB 1143: Permits for Drilling, Exploration, and Extraction of Oil and Gas Resources (Shoaf, Tant)
The bills that protect Apalachicola from oil drilling!
Description: The “Kill the Drill” bill that bans oil drilling in Apalachicola passed with overwhelming support thanks to the hard work of the local community, including Downriver Project and Apalachicola Riverkeeper.
​
Last Action:
-
HB 1143: PASSED the Senator and House Floors unanimously
​
Action Alert: Check back later!
​
Description: "Authorizing certain domestic wastewater treatment facilities to request the incorporation of reclaimed water projects identified in Outstanding Florida Springs recovery or prevention strategies" - These bills would allow Jacksonville’s utility (JEA) to implement a reclaimed water project to recharge the aquifer in the Santa Fe River basin. This project would increase spring flow of the Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers.
​
Last Action: ​
-
SB 1228: PASSED the Senate and House Floors unanimously
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.