Legislative Bulletin - Apr 22, 2024

As introduced, authorizes a local government to amend adopted building codes to include three-family dwellings and four-family dwellings within the scope of the residential code.

As introduced, establishes that the district attorney general shall only prosecute cases in municipal court where the municipality provides sufficient additional prosecutorial personnel for the district attorney general; empowers the district attorney general with sole and exclusive discretion in determining the necessity and sufficiency of the additional prosecutorial personnel; specifies the particular resources the district attorney general has absolute discretion to use in the performance of their duties and responsibilities. 

As amended, prohibits local governments from being liable in a class action resulting from a cyber security event.  As introduced, declares a private entity to be not civilly liable in a class action resulting from a cybersecurity event unless the cybersecurity event was caused by willful, wanton, or gross negligence on the part of the private entity.

As introduced, authorizes the chief legislative body of a municipality to create a voluntary attainable housing incentive program by ordinance for the purpose of authorizing certain incentives to be provided to property owners who seek to build attainable housing.

As introduced, raises the penalty for the offense of drag racing from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony.

As introduced, permits a court to award the reasonable court costs and attorney's fees to a petitioner successfully proving that a governing body knowingly and willfully violated the public meetings laws in this state. 

As introduced, clarifies that only a person who has requested to personally inspect a state, county, or municipal record and whose request has been denied has standing to file an action for judicial review of the denial and that intervention by a non-governmental third party in a public records lawsuit is not permitted. 

As introduced, requires a municipality levying the hotel-motel tax under general law to submit a report annually detailing how the revenue earned from the tax is used by the municipality; requires the comptroller of the treasury to audit the reports of the municipality; requires a municipality found to have used the funds improperly to appropriate general funds in the same amount for promotion of tourism and tourism development; prohibits a municipality, on and after July 1, 2025, from levying or increasing the hotel-motel tax if the aggregate total tax would exceed 8 percent

As introduced, excludes recreational facilities, recreational purposes, and parks from the definition of "public use" as it applies to eminent domain.

As introduced, requires the review of executive branch agency policies and spending as it relates to illegal immigration; requires a report to be compiled and delivered to the governor and the speakers of the senate and house of representatives regarding such review. 

As introduced, removes requirement for receipt of certain grants and loans for water and wastewater treatment infrastructure projects that a municipality includes depreciation in its calculation of fees or rates.