FL S0870

Changes the requirement for public entities to publish notice of unsolicited public-private partnership proposals from mandatory ("shall") to permissive ("may"), allowing entities to proceed without a public bidding process under certain conditions

Allows a responsible public entity to bypass competitive bidding on unsolicited proposals if it holds two duly noticed public meetings — one for presentation and public comment, and a second to make a formal determination that the proposal is in the public interest

Requires the public interest determination to consider five factors: public benefits, financial structure and economic efficiencies, the private entity's qualifications and experience, compatibility with regional infrastructure plans, and public comments received

Mandates that if a public entity proceeds without competitive bidding, it must publish a report in the Florida Administrative Register for at least 7 days detailing its public interest determination, the factors considered, and its findings on each factor

Requires that for unsolicited projects where facility ownership will not be conveyed to the public entity within 10 years of initial operation, the public benefits apart from ownership must be specifically identified in the public interest determination; effective date is July 1, 2024