Transportation Infrastructure Land Development Regulations; Creating the “Transit-Oriented Development Act” for a specified purpose; requiring the governing body of a county or municipality to adopt an ordinance, and the governing body of a special district to adopt a resolution, establishing specified transit-oriented development (TOD) zones by a certain date; prohibiting a local government from imposing certain regulations in specified TOD zones; encouraging public transit providers and public agencies to develop land within specified TOD zones, etc.
Rapid Rail Transit Compact; Authorizing the Governor to execute a rapid rail transit compact with specified states to join the Southern Rail Commission; providing the form of the compact, etc.
SB 976 amends Florida law to allow counties collecting tourist development taxes to use those revenues for operating commuter rail services within regional transportation authorities. This change specifically adds commuter rail operations as an authorized use under Section 125.0104(5)(a)(8) of the Florida Statutes, alongside existing permitted uses like convention centers, beach maintenance, and tourism promotion. The bill does not alter other existing uses of tourist tax funds but expands the scope to include public transit infrastructure. It takes effect on July 1, 2026, and applies to all Florida counties imposing the tourist development tax.
Rapid Rail Transit Compact; Authorizes Governor to execute rapid rail transit compact with specified states, to join Southern Rail Commission & provides form of compact.
Traffic Infraction Enforcement; Revising the periods during which a county or municipality may enforce school zone speed limits, and the violations for which such enforcement is authorized, through the use of a speed detection system; prohibiting the use of a traffic infraction detector for remote surveillance; requiring district school board authorization and a public hearing process before a school district may place or install, or contract with a vendor to install, operate, and maintain, school bus infraction detection systems; revising the periods for which a county or municipality may authorize a traffic infraction enforcement officer to issue certain uniform traffic citations, etc.
Transportation; Revises & provides provisions relating to increasing minimum perception-reaction time for steady yellow signals, seaports, speed detection systems in school zones, automated license plate recognition systems, private school bus contractors, school bus infraction detection systems, lowering maximum speed limits, flashing beacons, school zones, radar & LiDAR units, disabled parking permits, golf carts, prevention of excessive or unusual noise, motor vehicle registration, license plate frames or decorative border devices, digital driver licenses & electronic credentialing system, digital imaged licenses, use of data by identity verification service providers, direct payments to subcontractors, metropolitan planning organizations, & takeover agreements; provides various penalties.
