Welcome to Committee Week 5 of the 2026 Session 

Both chambers convened this week for their fifth round of interim committee meetings. Committees heard from agency leaders and subject matter experts on key state issues. The final interim committee week will be next week 



• December 8-12, 2026  

Regular session will begin on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. 

Tune in to this week’s episode of Capital Recap for the latest updates on legislative meetings, policy discussions, and key developments from the Capitol that impact counties across Florida.

Each year during the height of legislative session, FAC hosts our Legislative Day in Leon County. Commissioners and staff are encouraged to come to Tallahassee 

to assist in the lobbying efforts to protect home rule and prevent unfunded mandates.  January 21st will be here soon, so book your hotel room and legislator appointments today! 

On Tuesday, the House State Affairs Committee on Property Taxes heard four of the eight property tax proposals put forth as part of the Speaker Perez Memo last month. The proposals make significant changes to the tax base through expanding or carving new homestead exemptions, tightening assessment caps, and eliminating non-school homestead property taxes altogether (HJR 201). Each proposal prohibits local governments from reducing funding for law enforcement services below FY 26 or FY 27 funding levels; however, the proposals provide no mechanism for revenue replacement or implementation. FAC along with many other local government representatives opposed the proposals on the basis that they are tax shifts that do not contemplate core components of Florida’s public safety and community well-being established in statute and the Florida Constitution. Each of the four bills passed along party line votes. 



To watch the committee hearing, click here. 

Counties retain all statutory and constitutional responsibilities, including: Sheriff operations, Jails and corrections, Courts and justice system facilities, EMS and fire response, Public health and indigent care, Infrastructure and roads, Water quality and stormwater, Elections administration, and all constitutional officers’ operations.

For HJR 201—Elimination of non-school homestead property taxes, state estimates provide a $14 billion impact on local governments (county, city, special districts) for the first-year implementation in FY 2027-28 if approved by the voters. FAC estimates the statewide county share of this impact to be roughly $9 billion. 

To assist each county, FAC has estimated the impact of each proposal, based on adopted estimates by the state. To view county-by-county analysis of the adopted impacts, click here.   

• HJR 201—Elimination of non-school homestead property taxes  
• $14 billion statewide first-year impact ($9 billion county share)   
• HJR 205—Non-school homestead elimination for seniors over 65+  
• $5.7 billion statewide first-year impact ($3.5 billion county share)  
• HJR 209—Additional 200,000 exemption for insured properties on non-school homestead value 
• $9.5 Billion first-year impact ($4 billion county share) 
• HJR 211—Eliminate Save-Our-Homes Portability Cap for non-school homestead  
• $43 million first-year impact ($27 million county share)  

Next week, only one property tax proposal, HJR 209, will be heard during the Ways and Means Committee. 

On Tuesday, FAC’s Deputy Executive Director Davin Suggs, presented on county responsibilities and budgeting, during the Senate Committee on Community Affairs meeting. FAC explained that Florida counties—67 subdivisions of the state—deliver a growing set of state-mandated services and facilities largely funded with local revenues, while also meeting expanding “municipal-type” service expectations as nearly half of Floridians live in unincorporated areas (e.g., parks, libraries, fire protection, affordable housing, veterans’ services). The presentation outlines counties’ budget authority (constitutional, statutory, and local), their budget structure (fund accounting across general, special revenue, debt service; revenue/expenditure classification; reserves), and a year-round timeline tied to TRIM and statutory adoption requirements, with key roles for constitutional officers (sheriff, clerk, property appraiser, supervisor of elections, tax collector) and the BOCC.  

County budgets effectively fund at least six separate government organizations, not just the county commission. Property taxes are highlighted as the primary revenue engine for the General Fund, which then supports most major functions that lack dedicated revenue—often including constitutional officers and subsidies for underfunded, tax-supported areas—creating tension between state responsibilities and local preferences.



Click here to view FAC’s presentation on County Responsibilities and Budgeting (Page 12)

On Wednesday, 12/3, the House Budget Committee heard HB 145 Suits Against the Government by Representative McFarland. The bill is identical to Sovereign Immunity legislation that cleared the Florida House last session but ultimately failed as the Senate never considered the bill. The bill significantly expands the current waiver of sovereign immunity of government entities in tort actions resulting in significant increased costs to government entities from caps of $200,000 per individual claim and $300,000 per incident to $500,000 and $1 million respectively. The bill then increases the caps further in October 2031 to $600,000 per individual claim and $1.2 million per incident. Aside from the increases, the bill authorizes subdivisions of the state to settle above the caps without the need for a claims bill in the Legislature, effectively leaving subdivisions of the state without caps. 



The bill will lead to uncertainty in assessing risk and will have the effect of increasing insurance premiums. The bill creates additional uncertainty by potentially increasing the number of claims and lawsuits filed against counties potentially inflating pay-out of claims against governmental entities. The committee discussed this issue amidst the backdrop of the ongoing property tax discussion and the potential for decreased local government revenues. While FAC and other local government entities opposed the bill, the bill passed 22-2. Currently, there is no Senate companion legislation. 

The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) invites you to participate in the Rural Health Transformation Program Town Hall Series. These sessions are part of a statewide effort to engage local partners, gather insights, and help providers and communities prepare for the multi-year Rural Health Transformation Grant Program—an initiative that will make significant investments in strengthening rural health care across Florida. 

Florida Rural Health Transformation Program Town Hall Schedule 

• December 5 – 2:00 p.m. CST 

Jackson County – Jackson Hospital 

4250 Hospital Dr, Marianna, FL 32446 

• December 8 – 3:00 p.m. 

Okeechobee County – Okeechobee Healthcare Facility 

1646 US-441, Okeechobee, FL 34972 

• December 15 – 3:00 p.m. 

Hendry County – Hendry Regional Medical Center 

524 W Sagamore Ave, Clewiston, FL 33440 

Florida Rural Health Transformation Program Webinar Schedule 

• December 11 – 3:00–4:00 p.m. 
• December 19 – 12:00–1:00 p.m. 

** Registration links will be provided soon. 

Why Attend? 

These town halls are designed for leaders and teams across the rural health care landscape, including: 

• Rural hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, and emergency departments 
• FQHCs, Rural Health Clinics, and county health departments 
• EMS providers, community paramedicine programs, and behavioral health organizations 
• Nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and long-term care providers 
• Local governments, county commissions, and academic institutions 
• Workforce boards, broadband partners, telehealth vendors, community organizations, and advocacy groups 

Together, we will: 

• Provide an overview of the Rural Health Transformation Program and upcoming funding opportunities 
• Discuss initiative bundles and their potential to strengthen local care delivery 
• Share guidance on application readiness, partnerships, and technical assistance 
• Hear directly from you about local priorities, challenges, and opportunities 

This program has the potential to significantly enhance access to care, workforce stability, technological capacity, and community partnerships across rural Florida. Your input is essential in shaping an implementation approach that reflects the unique needs of your community. 



If you have any questions or require more information, please contact: Tonnette Graham at tgraham@fl-counties.com or (850) 509-5333. 

On Tuesday, House Industries and Professional Activities Subcommittee heard CS/HB 405 Commercial Construction Projects by Representative Griffitts Jr. The bill changes Florida’s rules for public construction contracts by making unenforceable any contract clause that tries to waive or erase a contractor’s right to recover costs, damages, equitable adjustments, or time extensions for performance delays caused by the public awarding body (or its agents, employees, or others working on its behalf). This applies to public construction contracts entered on or after July 1, 2026, and the bill takes effect July 1, 2026. It also clarifies that certain provisions are not voided, including requirements that a contractor give notice of a claimed delay, liquidated damages provisions for delays caused by the contractor (or its subs/agents/employees), and provisions related to arbitration or other dispute-resolution procedures. 

The bill also updates the Florida Building Codes Act by directing the Florida Building Commission, working with DBPR, to create a uniform commercial building permit application to be used statewide without modification, and to make it available online and to local enforcement agencies by July 1, 2027. In addition, the Commission must develop standardized supplemental trade forms (e.g., electrical, HVAC, plumbing, water/sewer) that locals may require depending on project scope, but these forms cannot lengthen review/permit timelines; agencies must also allow relevant reviews to happen simultaneously and may request extra documents only as needed for code/zoning compliance without changing the uniform application. The bill defines “commercial construction project” and requires local enforcement agencies to reduce permit fees when private providers do plan review or inspections by at least 50% and at least 75% if both services are provided by a private provider—while barring fee collection if the reduction is not provided. 

During committee, two amendments were adopted. The first amendment revised and clarified parts of the construction contracts and eliminated that the local government would be in part responsible for the delays, and also defined a concurrent delay. The second amendment requires the Florida Building Commission, in consultation with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, to create trade-specific supplemental forms that local enforcement agencies may require based on project scope, and it moves the deadline for the uniform commercial building permit application to be finalized and available to agencies to July 1, 2027. 

On Tuesday, Senate Agriculture Committee heard SB 290 Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services by Senator Truenow. SB 290 is an omnibus bill and serves as the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services bill. The bill prohibits counties from enacting or enforcing any ordinance, resolution, rule, or policy that restricts or prohibits the use of gasoline-powered farm or landscape equipment. Counties may still encourage the use of alternative technologies but may not regulate or limit the use of gasoline-powered equipment within their jurisdiction.  

Additionally, Section 3 of SB 290 makes changes to how state and local governments handle the surplus of public lands, particularly those with agricultural potential. The bill requires the Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC) to review any locally surplused lands and determine whether those lands are suitable for bona fide agricultural purposes. If the ARC finds a property to be suitable for commercial agriculture, future development rights may not be transferred for that land. In addition, the bill directs the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to work jointly with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS)—to identify state-owned conservation lands that could be used for bona fide agriculture. The DEP is then authorized to surplus those lands for agricultural use, but the state must retain a rural-lands protection easement to ensure the property remains in agricultural production rather than being developed. A committee amendment was adopted to clarify that these requirements apply only to lands surplused or acquired on or after January 1, 2024 (removing retroactive application). 



Finally, the bill amends s. 403.0855, F.S., to require that any biosolids land application site permitted after July 1, 2020, may apply only Class AA biosolids, eliminating the current ability to land-apply Class A or Class B biosolids under an approved nutrient management plan. The section also removes the requirement that biosolids-related rules adopted by DEP be ratified by the Legislature.