Recent legislation strengthens Florida’s leadership in flood resilience | Opinion

The Florida director for the American Flood Coalition touts two pieces of legislation from the 2024 session that will increase funding for flood resilience projects and require disclosure of flood damage.

As we have seen in recent days, Florida communities are on the front lines of flooding and sea-level rise. As storms increase in frequency and severity every year, these communities are more and more vulnerable to disasters.

Fortunately, state leaders recognize this and are committing investments to flood resilience accordingly. We applaud Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature for unanimously passing bills that boost flood protections and infrastructure for communities and homeowners across the state.

Though there is more to be done, the recent legislation adds to the series of steps that has made Florida a nationwide leader in funding flood resilience.

In terms of sheer funding, Senate Bill 1638 is one of the most significant achievements in flood resilience. The bill uses recurring revenue from the Seminole Gaming Compact to fund several environmental programs, including the Resilient Florida grant program, the state’s signature fund for resilience.

Resilient Florida is critical for countless inland and coastal communities. Since the grant program was created in 2021, Resilient Florida has invested over $1.5 billion in flood and resilience projects across the state.

As communities grapple with the urgent need to combat flooding and sea-level rise, Resilient Florida has grown in popularity. This year alone, applicants have submitted projects totaling $1.7 billion through the grant program. This year’s portion of gaming revenue, when combined with existing funding, gives the Resilient Florida grant program a minimum of $200 million of total funding each year going forward.

The Legislature also changed Resilient Florida so that more communities are now eligible for reduced cost share for flood projects. With these changes, an additional 25 municipalities and one county are now eligible for reduced cost share, which will enable them to more easily move projects from the drawing board to shovels in the ground.

Finally, the 2024 session also brought much-needed flood disclosure laws. House Bill 1049 requires sellers to disclose if they have ever filed a claim for flood damage with any insurance provider, including the National Flood Insurance Program, and to disclose if they have received federal assistance for flood damage to their property.

The bill also informs buyers that homeowners’ insurance does not cover flood damage and encourages discussion about purchasing separate flood insurance. Though the Legislature stopped short of requiring sellers to disclose past flood damage to potential homebuyers, it’s a great start to providing consumer information and awareness for the largest purchase in a person’s life.

We commend DeSantis and the Florida Legislature for increasing funding of resilience projects that ensures Florida is better prepared for the future. And we at the American Flood Coalition look forward to strengthening these investments and programs in future sessions.

As storms become stronger and floods become more common, this legislation shows that Florida takes flooding seriously and is committed to building a more resilient, more prosperous future for both inland and coastal communities.

Kate Wesner is Florida director for the American Flood Coalition. This opinion piece was distributed by The Invading Sea website (theinvadingsea.com), which posts news and commentary on climate change and other environmental issues affecting Florida.