FL H0425

Effective January 1, 2024, extends Florida's "Move Over" law to require drivers to vacate the lane closest to a disabled motor vehicle displaying warning lights, hazard lights, emergency flares, or with persons visibly present, or slow to 20 mph below the posted speed limit if lane change is not safe.

Requires the Department of Transportation to establish autonomous vehicle grading standards for State Highway System roads, coordinate with federal/regional/local partners and industry, and incorporate those standards into new construction and maintenance projects.

Establishes the I-STREET (Implementing Solutions from Transportation Research and Evaluating Emerging Technologies) Living Lab at the University of Florida, with a 9-member advisory board, to conduct research on innovative transportation mobility and safety technology and submit annual reports to the Governor and Legislature beginning July 1, 2024.

Requires up to $20 million annually from FY 2023-2024 through FY 2027-2028 from existing work program revenues to fund seaport, rail line, and rail facility projects that increase capacity to move and store construction aggregate, with priority given to projects with a funding match; also allocates $5 million annually for 5 years from the State Transportation Trust Fund for workforce development in the road and bridge industry.

Revises Metropolitan Planning Organization (M.P.O.) requirements, including prohibiting M.P.O.s from performing project production or delivery on the State Highway System, requiring M.P.O.s serving Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties to submit a consolidation feasibility report by December 31, 2023, and mandating that multiple M.P.O.s within a contiguous urbanized area coordinate long-range plans and transportation improvement programs.