FL H0035

Authorizes governmental agencies (counties, municipalities, school boards, and other local government units) to publish certain legal notices on a newspaper's website and the statewide legal notice website (www.floridapublicnotices.com) in lieu of print publication, after a public hearing and majority vote determining residents have sufficient Internet access via broadband.

Revises newspaper qualification requirements for publishing legal notices, requiring an audience of at least 10% of households in the county or municipality (combining print circulation and online unique visitors), with at least 25% of print copies delivered to home or business addresses, certified biennially by an independent third-party auditor. Newspapers holding periodicals permits as of March 1, 2021, may continue publishing through December 31, 2023, under prior standards.

Requires the Florida Press Association to publish quarterly reports on the statewide legal notice website listing all newspapers that posted notices, the qualification criteria each newspaper met, unique visitor counts, and the number of notices published by Internet-only versus print, and to seek equitable access to legal notices for minority populations.

Caps charges for Internet-only publication of governmental agency notices at the rate that would apply under existing law if the notice were printed, prohibits rebates or commissions, and requires agencies using Internet-only publication to run a weekly print notice in a local newspaper informing readers that additional legal notices are available online.

Adds legal notices published in accordance with Chapter 50 as self-authenticating documents under the Florida Evidence Code (s. 90.902) and conforms over 20 cross-referenced statutes governing specific types of notices—including zoning, tax, retirement, forfeiture, code enforcement, and special district notices—to the new Internet publication option. Effective January 1, 2022.