Rules committee clears consideration of House Bill 1389 on consumer fuel choice, FAA overlay and annexation language

The Rules Committee voted to allow consideration of the conference committee report for House Bill 13 89, a package that combines a consumer fuel-choice provision with an FAA overlay district and pocket annexation language.

Representative Pressell, the house conferee on the bill, told the committee, “I call it consumer choice. It allows for the consumer to choose what fuel choice for a tool or a lawnmower or anything, rather than the government or an HOA.” He described the bill as two parts, with the second creating “an overlay district, per the FAA, to protect, approach patterns, approach zones.”

The nut of the bill, Pressell said, is preserving individual consumer choice while adding airport-related overlay protections. He also said the conference committee added language reflecting a provision from House Bill 197 that “prohibits a county, a municipality from adopting or enforcing a utility usage data ordinance,” and that the conference committee included pocket-annexation language from House Bill 14 37.

Committee members asked questions about the conference committee process. Chairman Smalls noted a conference committee took place; Pressell said, “I did not discuss that, yes,” then acknowledged the panel had a “pretty comprehensive conference committee” that “lasted almost 47 minutes.”

Representative Slager moved to suspend House Rule 153.1 so the conference committee report for House Bill 13 89 could be eligible for consideration after 04/15/2025, and to amend House Rule 155.1 so the report may be provided for member distribution and held for one hour. The motion was seconded and the roll call produced a 6-2 vote in favor. The clerk recorded the following votes: Chairman Smalls — yes; Representative Slater — yes; Representative Behr — yes; Representative Karakoff — yes; Representative Manning — yes; Representative Oltoff — yes; Representative Dvorak — no; Representative Pierce — no. Representatives Zimmerman and Johnson were recorded as excused.

With the suspension approved, the conference committee report for House Bill 13 89 is eligible for consideration under the amended rules timetable. No final passage of the underlying bill occurred at this meeting; members authorized distribution and a one-hour hold for the report so floor consideration may proceed under the committee’s amended rules.