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HB 773FLORIDA · STATEWIDESession 2026dead

Rules for Moving Money from City-Owned Utilities to General Funds

Original title: Municipal Utilities

December 15, 2025

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Where This Stands

Currently dead. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Introduced.

Last action
Died in Economic Infrastructure SubcommitteeMar 13, 2026
Lead sponsor

Procedural history

6 actions
  1. Jan 13, 2026HouseIntroduced
    1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
  2. Jan 5, 2026House
    Now in Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee
  3. Jan 5, 2026HouseCommittee
    Referred to Commerce Committee
  4. Jan 5, 2026HouseCommittee
    Referred to Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee
  5. Jan 5, 2026HouseCommittee
    Referred to Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee
  6. Dec 15, 2025HouseIntroduced
    Filed

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

If enacted, this bill would restrict how cities manage their utility revenues, potentially forcing changes to local budget structures and requiring cities to choose between using utility profits for general services or maintaining eligibility for state infrastructure grants.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Municipalities

They must comply with new transfer caps, disclosure requirements, and restrictions on the use of utility earnings.

Utility Customers

They are required to vote in local referendums to establish or reestablish the percentage of utility earnings transferred to the general fund.

What changed

Last recorded activity December 15, 2025.

What's next

Introduced.

Summary

This bill establishes strict limits and disclosure requirements for how municipalities can transfer earnings from city-owned utilities into their general operating budgets. It mandates that these transfer percentages be approved by local voters and prohibits using utility profits for non-utility purposes under penalty of losing state infrastructure funding.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a city use utility profits to pay for general city services like parks or police?
No. The bill explicitly prohibits transferring utility earnings to the for non-utility purposes.
What happens if a city ignores these rules?
If a municipality transfers utility earnings for non-utility purposes, it becomes ineligible to receive state infrastructure funds.
Can the 10% transfer limit be bypassed in an emergency?
Yes, if the Governor declares a state of emergency, the local governing body can approve a higher transfer percentage by a four-fifths vote, provided the excess is repaid within 3 fiscal years.

Why It Matters

If enacted, this bill would restrict how cities manage their utility revenues, potentially forcing changes to local budget structures and requiring cities to choose between using utility profits for general services or maintaining eligibility for state infrastructure grants.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Lobbying Activity

Nossaman Guthner Knox & Elliott LLP

on behalf of East Bay Municipal Utility District

Senate LDAView filing →

Nossaman Guthner Knox & Elliott LLP

on behalf of East Bay Municipal Utility District

Senate LDAView filing →

ARENTFOX SCHIFF LLP

on behalf of CITY OF SPRINGFIELD, OFFICE OF PUBLIC UTILITIES DBA CITY WATER, LIGHT AND POWER

ELECTUS GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

on behalf of TOWN OF CLAYTON, NC

CITY OF SANTA CLARA

RJL SOLUTIONS

on behalf of CITY OF TERRE HAUTE

Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Utility Revenue Decoupling

The bill attempts to strictly separate utility operations from general municipal governance, effectively treating city-owned utilities as independent financial entities.

Connected Entities

otherEconomic Infrastructure SubcommitteeCommittee reviewing the billMap →
otherIntergovernmental Affairs SubcommitteeCommittee reviewing the billMap →
otherCommerce CommitteeCommittee reviewing the billMap →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz10
    Current news / social attention level

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