Florida Senate - 2022 SB 886 By Senator Jones 35-00886-22 2022886__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to municipal water and sewer utility 3 rates; amending s. 180.191, F.S.; requiring a 4 municipality to charge customers receiving its utility 5 services in another municipality the same rates, fees, 6 and charges as it charges consumers within its 7 municipal boundaries under certain circumstances; 8 providing an effective date. 9 10 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 11 12 Section 1. Present subsections (2), (3), and (4) of section 13 180.191, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (3), 14 (4), and (5), respectively, a new subsection (2) is added to 15 that section, and subsection (1) of that section is amended, to 16 read: 17 180.191 Limitation on rates charged consumer outside city 18 limits.— 19 (1) Any municipality within thisthestate operating a 20 water or sewer utility outside of the boundaries of such 21 municipality shall charge consumers outside the boundaries 22 rates, fees, and charges determined in one of the following 23 manners: 24 (a) It may charge the same rates, fees, and charges as 25 consumers inside the municipal boundaries. However, in addition 26 thereto, the municipality may add a surcharge of not more than 27 25 percent of such rates, fees, and charges to consumers outside 28 the boundaries, except as provided in subsection (2). Fixing of 29 such rates, fees, and charges in this manner doesshallnot 30 require a public hearing except as may be provided for service 31 to consumers inside the municipality. 32 (b) It may charge rates, fees, and charges that are just 33 and equitable and thatwhichare based on the same factors used 34 in fixing the rates, fees, and charges for consumers inside the 35 municipal boundaries, except as provided in subsection (2). In 36 addition thereto, the municipality may add a surcharge not to 37 exceed 25 percent of such rates, fees, and charges for said 38 services to consumers outside the boundaries. However, the total 39 of all such rates, fees, and charges for the services to 40 consumers outside the boundaries mayshallnot be more than 50 41 percent in excess of the total amount the municipality charges 42 consumers served within the municipality for corresponding 43 service.NoSuch rates, fees, and charges may notshallbe fixed 44 until after a public hearing at which all of the users of the 45 water or sewer systems; owners, tenants, or occupants of 46 property served or to be served thereby; and all others 47 interested shall have an opportunity to be heard concerning the 48 proposed rates, fees, and charges. Any change or revision of 49 such rates, fees, or charges may be made in the same manner as 50 such rates, fees, or charges were originally established, but if 51 such change or revision is to be made substantially pro rata as 52 to all classes of service, both inside and outside the 53 municipality, no hearing or notice shall be required. 54 (2) Any municipality within this state operating a water or 55 sewer utility providing service to customers in another 56 recipient municipality from infrastructure located in the 57 recipient municipality shall charge consumers in the recipient 58 municipality the same rates, fees, and charges as it does the 59 consumers inside its own municipal boundaries. 60 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.