Week Six: February 20, 2026

On Tap @ the Cap is your weekly update on what’s happening in Tallahassee during the legislative session and what it means for Florida’s cities.

Several bills heard this week are already slated for additional committee hearings next week. For a refresher of some of the terminology that will be used throughout this session, please click here.

Bills Heard 


Elimination of Non-School Property Taxes for Homesteads (Oppose) 

CS/CS/HJR 203 (Miller) is a proposed constitutional amendment relating to the elimination of non-school property taxes for homestead properties. The bill originally would have established a new, additional $100,000 homestead property tax exemption for non-school property taxes each year for the next 10 years, with any remaining taxable value being exempt by 2037. It was amended by the bill sponsor on the House floor to propose the complete elimination of non-school property taxes for homestead properties. (Chapman)

The bill was heard on the House floor on Thursday and passed, as amended, on an 80-30 vote. It is now in the Senate Appropriations Committee and is eligible to be heard on the Senate floor. The Senate has yet to offer a viable property tax reform proposal, thus far.

Please click here to watch the bill's discussion on the House floor. The bill was discussed from 22:00-2:39:21, beginning with a speech by the Speaker of the House Daniel Perez related to property taxes.

The Florida League of Cities would like to thank the following House members for voting no on this bill:

• Rep. Jose Alvarez
• Rep. Bruce Antone*
• Rep. Wallace Aristide
• Rep. Robin Bartleman*
• Rep. Daryl Campbell*
• Rep. Kevin Chambliss
• Rep. Lindsay Cross*
• Rep. Dan Daley
• Rep. Kimberly Daniels
• Rep. Fentrice Driskell*
• Rep. Lisa Dunkley*
• Rep. Anna Eskamani*
• Rep. Gallop Franklin II*
• Rep. Ashley Gantt*
• Rep. Mike Gottlieb

• Rep. Rita Harris*
• Rep. Dianne Hart-Lowman*
• Rep. Yvonne Hinson*
• Rep. Christine Hunschofsky*
• Rep. Rob Long
• Rep. Johanna López
• Rep. Angie Nixon*
• Rep. Michele Rayner*
• Rep. Felicia Robinson*
• Rep. Mitch Rosenwald
• Rep. Kelly Skidmore
• Rep. Allison Tant*
• Rep. Debra Tendrich
• Rep. Marie Woodson*
• Rep. RaShon Young

*Denotes those who spoke against the bill

Please continue to speak with your legislators on this issue and explain the direct connection between property taxes and the essential services your communities rely on.

Local Business Taxes (Oppose)

CS/HB 103 (Botana) proposes to repeal Chapter 205, Florida Statutes, and eliminate the ability for local governments to levy local business tax. (Chapman)

For a detailed discussion of the impacts of this bill, please see this legislative update.

The bill was heard on the House floor on Tuesday and passed by an 82-26 vote. It is now in the Senate Appropriations Committee and is eligible to be heard on the Senate floor.

Land Use Regulations for Local Governments Affected by Natural Disasters (Support)

SB 840 (DiCeglie) narrows 2025's SB 180 bill relating to post-disaster land-use restrictions to cities impacted by a hurricane and ties applicability more closely to hurricane damage. The bill restores key local planning authority, refocuses limitations on actions that delay repair or reconstruction, removes the private right of action and one-sided attorney fees, and shortens the retroactive land-use freeze tied to recent storms, establishing a clearer framework going forward. The bill shortens 2025’s SB 180’s end date for the “more restrictive or burdensome” land-use restrictions from October 1, 2027, to June 30, 2026. (Singer)

SB 840 was heard on the Senate floor on Thursday and passed by a 38-0 vote. The bill is now in House messages and is eligible to be heard on the House floor.

Utility Services (Oppose)

CS/HB 1451 (Busatta) and CS/CS/SB 1724 (Martin) eliminate the automatic 25% surcharge on extraterritorial water and sewer service. (O’Hara)

CS/CS/SB 1724 was heard in the Senate Rules Committee, its final committee of reference, on Tuesday and passed by a 21-3 vote. The bill is now eligible to be heard on the Senate floor.

CS/HB 1451 is on the agenda for the House Commerce Committee, its final committee of reference, on Tuesday, February 24, at 3:00 p.m.

CS/CS/CS/SB 1014 (Mayfield) and CS/HB 1075 (Sirois) mandate that a municipal utility provide extraterritorial service. (O’Hara)

CS/CS/CS/SB 1014 was heard in the Senate Rules Committee, its final committee of reference, and passed on a 24-0 vote. It is now eligible to be heard on the Senate floor.

CS/HB 1075 is on the agenda for the House Commerce Committee, its final committee of reference, on Tuesday, February 24, at 3:00 p.m.

Qualified Contractors (Oppose)

CS/CS/HB 927 (Sapp) and CS/SB 1138 (Massullo) require local governments to allow private contractors to conduct mandatory pre-application reviews for certain ministerial development approvals, significantly limit local review authority, broadly preempt conflicting local procedures, and authorize lawsuits with attorney fees against noncompliant governments. (Cruz)

The House bill was heard Wednesday in the House Commerce Committee and passed on a 17-3 vote. The bill is now in the House State Affairs Committee, its final committee of reference, and is on the agenda for the State Affairs Committee meeting on Tuesday, February 24, at 8:30 a.m.

The Senate bill is on the agenda for the Senate Rules Committee meeting on Tuesday, February 24, at 12:00 p.m.

On Agenda

The following bills have been placed on committee agendas for the upcoming week.

Local Government Spending (Oppose)

CS/SB 1566 (DiCeglie) proposes expanding local government budget posting requirements, increasing budget transparency, and requiring budget-cutting exercises. (Wagoner)

CS/SB 1566 is on the agenda for the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government meeting on Wednesday, February 25, at 1:30 p.m.

Public Meetings (Support)

CS/CS/SB 332 (Bradley) and CS/CS/HB 655 (Duggan) allow local governments to meet privately with their attorneys during the 90-day Bert Harris claim period to receive confidential legal advice aimed at resolving claims before litigation, with transcripts released to the public later. (Singer)

The Senate bill is on the agenda for the Senate Rules Committee meeting on Tuesday, February 24, at 12:00 p.m.

The House bill is on the Special Order Calendar for Wednesday, February 25, and is scheduled to be heard on the House floor on that date.

Land Use Regulations (Support)

SB 218 (Gaetz) proposes a narrow change to last session’s SB 180 (Chapter 2025-190), which placed limits on local land-use, planning, and permitting authority after a major disaster. (Singer)

SB 218 is on the agenda for the Senate Rules Committee meeting on Tuesday, February 24, at 12:00 p.m.

View All Legislative Bill Summaries

What You Can Do 


Please reach out to your local legislators, particularly your state senator, and inform them of how your municipality raises and uses property taxes. We want to ensure legislators are aware of the real-world implications of property tax reform for municipalities and their citizens. Find your legislators' contact information in the Capitol Contacts Directory.