Rural Electric Cooperatives

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about the enforcement mechanisms or penalties for violating the fee prohibition.

Rural Electric Cooperatives Fee Prohibition

This bill stops rural electric cooperatives from charging certain fees and limits their ability to restrict energy production types or fuel sources used by specific entities.

What This Bill Does

• Stops rural electric cooperatives that sell electricity directly to customers from adding new fees like lot fees, developer fees, or surcharges.
• Prevents these cooperatives from making rules that stop or limit the use of certain energy production types and fuel sources used by specific entities.
• Defines an 'appliance' as a device designed to use energy with specific requirements under Florida's building and fire prevention codes.
• Makes the new rules effective starting July 1, 2026.

Who It Names or Affects

• Rural electric cooperatives that sell electricity directly to customers.
• Entities listed in s. 366.032(1) of Florida Statutes which are authorized to serve customers with specific energy production types or fuel sources.

Terms To Know

appliance

A device designed to use energy and regulated by the Florida Building Code or Fire Prevention Code.

cooperative

An organization owned and operated by its members, in this case for providing electricity services.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify which entities are listed under s. 366.032(1) of Florida Statutes.
• It is unclear how the prohibition on fees will be enforced or what penalties might apply for violations.

Official Summary Text

Rural Electric Cooperatives; Prohibits cooperative that sells electricity at retail from adopting, enacting, or enforcing fee meeting specified criteria; revises applicability of such prohibition on types or fuel sources of energy production which may be used, delivered, converted, or supplied by specified entities.

Current Bill Text

HB 379 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb379-00
Page 1 of 2
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to rural electric cooperatives; 2
amending s. 425.041, F.S.; prohibiting a cooperative 3
that sells electricity at retail from adopting, 4
enacting, or enforcing a fee meeting specified 5
criteria; revising the applicability of such 6
prohibition on the types or fuel sources of energy 7
production which may be used, delivered, converted, or 8
supplied by specified entities; providing an effective 9
date. 10
11
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12
13
Section 1. Section 425.041, Florida Statutes, is amended 14
to read: 15
425.041 Prohibited fees, bylaws, tariffs, and policies.—A 16
cooperative which sells electricity at retail may not adopt, 17
enact, or enforce any fee, including a lot fee, developer fee, 18
or surcharge, or any bylaw, tariff, or policy, or take any other 19
action, that restricts or prohibits or has the effect of 20
restricting or prohibiting: 21
(1) The types or fuel sources of energy production which 22
may be used, delivered, converted, or supplied by the entities 23
listed in s. 366.032(1)(b)-(e) s. 366.032 (1) to serve 24
customers that such entities are authorized to serve. 25

HB 379 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb379-00
Page 2 of 2
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

(2) The use of an appliance, including a stove or grill, 26
which uses the types or fuel sources of energy production which 27
may be used, delivered, converted, or supplied by the entities 28
listed in s. 366.032(1). As used in this subsection, the term 29
"appliance" means a device or apparatus manufactured and 30
designed to use energy and for which the Florida Building Code 31
or the Florida Fire Prevention Code provides specific 32
requirements. 33
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 34