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SB 7002FLORIDA · STATEWIDESession 2025
High Impact

Water Management Districts Oversight and Funding Bill

Original title: Water Management Districts

June 16, 2025

water managementstate budgetenvironmental restorationlobbyingtaxationreclamation, and use

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The Frame

What this does

The bill would have changed how water management districts manage their budgets, report on Everglades restoration progress, and procure large-scale construction projects, while also dictating how state funds are allocated for flood resilience and environmental infrastructure.

Who is mentioned in the record

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

Water Management Districts

Districts face new budget reporting requirements, procurement rules, and restrictions on the use of state funds.

Lobbyists

Lobbyists are prohibited from making expenditures to district officials and face potential ethics investigations.

Property Taxpayers

Taxpayers in districts or basins could be subject to new referenda for ad valorem taxes to fund capital improvement projects.

What changed

Last recorded activity June 16, 2025.

What's next

Introduced.

Summary

This bill proposed new oversight, financial reporting, and lobbying restrictions for Florida's water management districts, while also establishing a revolving loan program for flood and sea-level rise projects. It included significant appropriations for Everglades restoration and set new requirements for district budget transparency and capital project procurement.

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

What happens to the bill?
The bill died in returning messages on June 16, 2025, as a companion bill (SB 2506) was passed instead.
How would this have affected water management district taxes?
It would have allowed districts to levy separate es for s, provided they were approved by a majority of voters in a referendum.
What are the new lobbying rules?
Lobbyists and principals would have been prohibited from making any expenditures to district board members, executive directors, or employees who qualify as local officers.

Why It Matters

The bill would have changed how water management districts manage their budgets, report on Everglades restoration progress, and procure large-scale construction projects, while also dictating how state funds are allocated for flood resilience and environmental infrastructure.

News Coverage

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

Lobbying Activity

PACIFIC ATLANTIC PARTNERS

on behalf of WATER REPLENISHMENT DISTRICT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

View filing →

MABRY PUBLIC AFFAIRS LLC

on behalf of HIDALGO COUNTY DRAINAGE DISTRICT NO. 1

View filing →

SIERRA PACIFIC STRATEGIES

on behalf of KLAMATH IRRIGATION DISTRICT

View filing →

Voting Record

Motion succeededlower4/30/2025openstates_bulkOfficial roll call ↗

Passage, Third Reading

Total

118

Yes

92

No

20

Present

0

Not Voting

6

Abstain

0

Motion succeededupper4/9/2025openstates_bulkOfficial roll call ↗

Third Reading

Total

38

Yes

37

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Motion succeededupper4/2/2025openstates_bulkOfficial roll call ↗

Favorable with Committee Substitute

Total

18

Yes

18

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Motion succeededupper3/5/2025openstates_bulkOfficial roll call ↗

Favorable

Total

11

Yes

11

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Motion succeededupper2/18/2025openstates_bulkOfficial roll call ↗

Submitted and Reported Favorably as Committee Bill

Total

7

Yes

7

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Full roll-call analysis →

Sponsors

Discoveries

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

policy shift90% confidence

Increased Legislative Oversight

The bill represents a significant move toward centralizing legislative control over water management district budgets and procurement processes.

Legislative Budget CommissionSouth Florida Water Management District

Connected Entities

organizationDepartment of Environmental Protection“Oversees the Statewide Flooding and Sea Level Rise Resilience Plan and revolving”Map →
organizationCommission on Ethics“Tasked with investigating prohibited expenditures by lobbyists.”Map →
organizationLegislative Budget Commission“Authorized to reject specific district budget proposals.”Map →
otherEverglades Restoration“Subject of significant funding and reporting requirements.”Map →
organizationSouth Florida Water Management District“Primary entity for Everglades restoration and budget reporting requirements.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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