2025 Florida Legislative Session: What It Means for Tourism

Here Comes the 2025 Florida Legislative Session!

Greetings from the Discover The Palm Beaches (DTPB) Community Engagement & Advocacy Team!

The 2025 Florida Legislative Session doesn’t officially begin until March 4, but Tallahassee is already buzzing with special sessions, legislative committee weeks, and plenty of speculation about budget decisions and future laws.

Through all of it, DTPB is your voice at the capital. To make sure people in Tallahassee hear us, we are again working with Palm Beach County (PBC) Legislative Affairs and Delegation Offices, along with our counterparts across the state via Destinations Florida.

Palm Beach County Day in Tallahassee

Palm Beach County Day is when government leaders, local stakeholders, non-profit organizations, and business leaders go to Tallahassee, fanning around the capitol building to promote what our county means to Florida’s economy and future. Many people, including DTPB, will meet with the PBC Legislative Delegation, the senators and representatives whose districts cover our county. DTPB is a proud sponsor for this year’s event, which takes place at the start of the session, March 4 – 5.

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Palm Beach County State Legislative Agenda

The Palm Beach County State Legislative Agendais the document explaining everything the county is looking to do in Tallahassee. The PBC Board of County Commissioners officially approves the agenda, and then PBC Legislative Affairs works with senators, representatives, and local stakeholders to carry out agenda objectives. For a full look at things, please read the full agenda.

Key Legislative Issues Impacting Tourism in 2025

Bed Tax / Tourist Development Tax (TDT)

DTPB was involved in crafting language to help maintain funding for destination promotion. It’s absolutely vital for DTPB together TDC agencies have available resources to continue building the local tourism economy.

Agenda Text on Bed Tax/TDT

Palm Beach County OPPOSES any further expansion of the Tourist Development Tax and SUPPORTS maintaining TDT revenue for local tourism promotion, which supports businesses in the community, beach renourishment efforts, sporting events, people employed in the visitor industry, and quality of place for everyone.

Cultural Arts and Historic Grants Funding

Last year, Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed all $32 million in state arts funding, some of those grants were for institutions in The Palm Beaches. PBC backs full funding for cultural grants. DTPB stands with the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County in their work to see funding restored.

Vacation Rentals

Right now, the state of Florida limits the authority local governments have over vacation rental properties. Changes to those limits have been hotly contested for the last decade.

PBC would like to see reasonable power given back to local jurisdictions, including the ability to tax overnight stays on vessels and rental properties to provide more contact or location details.

Transportation Network Companies (TNCs)

TNCs are ride-sharing operators such as Uber and Lyft. PBC backs the expansion of transportation options and will monitor efforts to reclassify drivers from independent contractors to employees.

PBC opposes any restrictions on airports charging fees to TNCs, controlling pick-up and drop-off locations, or mandating free staging areas for TNC vehicles. This helps ensure fair competition among transportation options, supports infrastructure needs, and contributes to maintaining high standards for service.

Everglades Restoration

Back in 2000, Florida and Federal governments established the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). Great, but so far there have been zero CERP projects completed in PBC.

PBC is all for advancing local CERP proposals to benefit Lake Worth Lagoon, reducing potential flooding impacts, and increasing available water supplies. 

Lake Okeechobee

Algal blooms can be alarming and harmful for both visitors and residents. Palm Beach County (PBC) advocates for adjustments to the timing of stormwater releases to help reduce these blooms, as long as it does not compromise the integrity of the dike or other water levels around Lake Okeechobee.

Beaches

PBC is requesting that all local shore protection projects be included in the State’s matching grant plan, the Beach Management Funding Assistance Program. Currently, there are 15 projects from Jupiter to Boca Raton.

Bed taxes provide for more than $10 million dollars for beach sustainability in PBC, but by adding in State dollars, these local shore protection projects will happen now and in the future.

Coral Reef Protection

Florida’s Coral Reef stretches almost 350 miles from the Dry Tortugas to the St. Lucie Inlet. It’s the only coral reef system in the continental United States. Since 2014 it’s been hurt by a disease outbreak of unknown origin. PBC wants to continue seeing funds go towards the State’s efforts to protect, restore, and recover the reef.

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Your DTPB Advocacy Contact

Sergio Piedra, Senior Director, Community Engagement & Advocacy

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 561.233.3035