Palm Beach County State Legislative Update

Week of April 7

State Budget Update

The Florida Senate and House of Representatives each passed competing proposals on Wednesday setting up negotiations over the roughly $4 billion difference in the plans, including diverging ideas on tax cuts and state employee pay. The Senate passed its $117.36 billion budget proposal unanimously with no debate on Wednesday, although senators did pepper the budget committee chairs with questions about details of spending on schools and a wait list for services from the Agency of Persons With Disabilities. The House amended its version of the budget bill proposing spending just under $113 billion, onto the bill arriving from the Senate, passed it, and agreed to conference to work out the discrepancies. A major point of divergence is the House's push to cut the state sales tax from 6% to 5.25%, a move that would reduce state revenue by roughly $5 billion, while the Senate is set to push a clothing sales tax cut. Conference is anticipated to begin after Easter, but this timeline could change based on how conversations on allocations are going between the two chambers. In order to end the legislative session on schedule, the legislature must have a final budget "on the desk" by April 29th to allow for the constitutionally mandated 72-hour cooling off period before they can vote on its passage.

Included below is a table showing Palm Beach County’s submitted appropriations requests and the amounts they are funded at this time. All Palm Beach County projects are eligible for funding in the final budget.

Additionally, here is information about Palm Beach County priority projects for other various entities and their current funding status:

South Florida AgriCenter and Emergency Shelter at the South Florida Fairgrounds: $350,000 (Senate), $0 (House)

Let's Move 365! Health Initiative for Low Income Families & Elderly: $500,000 (Senate), $0 (House)

Busch Wildlife Sanctuary's Environmental Education Program: $500,000 (Senate), $250,000 (House)

Boca Helping Hands (BHH) Job Training Program: $427,700 (Senate), $0 (House)

Senate Tax Relief Proposal Released

This week, the Florida Senate released details regarding Senate Proposed Bill (SPB) 7034—a broad, long-term tax relief proposal. Led by Senate President Ben Albritton, the bill reflects an “all-of-the-above” approach that blends permanent tax cuts with time-limited tax holidays. The bill is slated to be considered in committee next week.

Permanent Elimination of Sales Tax on Clothing and Shoes

SPB 7034 proposes the permanent elimination of the sales tax on most clothing and shoes priced at $75 or less. The Senate’s proposal builds on previous efforts that exempt necessities like groceries, medicine, diapers, and baby supplies from sales tax.

Property Tax Reform Study and Potential Voter Amendment

SPB 7034 also includes a directive to the Office of Economic and Demographic Research to study the feasibility of reducing—or potentially eliminating—property taxes for homesteaded properties. The comprehensive study will examine impacts on essential public services like education, emergency response, and public safety, and assess how such a shift could affect homeownership rates, property values, and homeowner behavior (such as making resiliency upgrades). The findings, due by November 1, 2025, will help shape a potential constitutional amendment that voters could consider in the 2026 General Election.

Renewal and Expansion of Targeted Sales Tax Holidays

To provide more immediate relief, SPB 7034 renews several highly utilized sales tax holidays and introduces a new one:

Back-to-School Holiday (August 1–10, 2025): Covers school supplies, backpacks, learning aids, and personal computers and accessories .
Disaster Preparedness Holiday (June 2–15, 2025): Includes tax-free purchases on flashlights, radios, tarps, portable generators (up to $3,000), and even pet evacuation supplies.
Freedom Month (July 1–31, 2025): Offers tax-free admissions to concerts, museums, parks, and fitness facilities, plus recreational gear like camping and fishing supplies, outdoor equipment, and pool chemicals.
Skilled Worker Tool Holiday (August 29–September 7, 2025): Provides tax relief on tools and safety equipment used by skilled tradespeople, such as hand tools, power tools , and work boots.
New Hunting Season Holiday (September 15–October 19, 2025): Introduces a tax-free period for hunting gear, including firearms, ammunition, bows, and accessories.

Additional Provisions

The bill also proposes an extension of the freeze on local communications services tax rates through 2031. This measure builds on legislation passed in 2023 that temporarily capped these taxes on cell phone and TV services.

Another provision, drawn from SB 182, establishes the Home Away From Home Tax Credit. This new credit provides tax incentives to businesses that donate to charitable organizations offering free or low-cost housing for families of critically ill children receiving care away from home.

HB 209, State Land Management

HB 209 by Representative John Snyder was unanimously approved in committee this week. The bill would prohibit the addition of large-scale amenities—like golf courses and hotels—to Florida’s state parks and conservation lands. The bill comes in response to public outcry over a previously undisclosed plan by DeSantis administration officials to introduce such developments, including pickleball courts, at multiple parks. The legislation also mandates that any proposed changes to conservation lands be made public at least 30 days before a hearing, promoting transparency. An amendment removed a requirement for "substantial harm" to block developments—strengthening the bill’s conservation focus. The proposal now moves to the full House, while its Senate counterpart (SB 80) continues through committee review. Environmental groups have broadly supported the measure and plan further demonstrations to maintain momentum.

HB 789, Public Records - Public Officers

On its way to the House floor, HB 789 creates a public records exemption to protect the personal and location information of current congressional members and public officials, including county commissioners, along with their spouses and children. The Senate measure, SB 268, has already passed the Senate and is waiting for House approval.

HB 1163, Recovery Residences

This bill preempts local zoning laws to permit recovery residences in all multifamily zones upon administrative approval, with certain exceptions. The bill also adjusts personnel-to-resident ratio limits and relaxes 24/7 supervision requirements for certain recovery residences. The bill has one more committee to pass through before it can be heard on the House floor. The Senate companion bill, SB 954, is on the agenda of its last committee of reference next week.

SB 1730, Affordable Housing

The bill amends several provisions of the Live Local Act, originally passed during the 2023 Regular Session, which preempts certain local zoning and land use regulations to support the development of affordable housing. It clarifies the scope of zoning preemption by defining terms such as “commercial,” “industrial,” and “mixed-use zoning,” and confirms that the preemption applies to areas like planned unit developments, even when different zoning mechanisms are used.

This legislation prohibits local governments from requiring amendments to developments of regional impact before allowing development to proceed, and from mandating a specific percentage of residential use in mixed-use projects. It also clarifies the administrative approval process for affordable housing developments. Additionally, the bill requires local governments to reduce parking requirements for such developments, rather than merely consider doing so. It introduces provisions for priority docketing and awards attorneys' fees to the prevailing party in lawsuits filed under the Live Local Act.

SB 1730 clarifies that the Fair Housing Act prohibits local governments from discriminating in land use decisions based on the nature of a development as affordable housing. Lastly, it prevents local governments from imposing building moratoria that would delay permitting or construction of affordable housing, except under certain conditions.

The bill passed passed its final committee of reference on Tuesday and is scheduled to be heard on the Senate floor next week. A comparable bill in the House, HB 943, varies in its provisions and also passed through committee this week.

HB 1221, Local Option Taxes

This legislation requires that any local discretionary sales surtax, tourist development tax, or local option food and beverage tax which is subject to approval in a referendum and is in effect on June 30, 2025, be renewed on or before January 1, 2033. The bill generally creates a new 8-year duration for those taxes; however, for any tax that is pledged for debt service, the 2033 renewal is delayed until the retirement of the debt. Future levies that will be pledged for debt service are subject to a maximum 30-year duration. The bill has one more committee of reference in the House and its counterpart in the Senate, SB 1664, is on the agenda of its second committee stop next week.

HB 301, Sovereign Immunity

Passing its final committee on Tuesday, HB 301 raises the amount individuals can recover when suing government entities, marking the first proposed increase to sovereign immunity caps in over a decade. The revised bill would raise the cap from $200,000 to $500,000 for individual claims and from $300,000 to $1 million for multiple claims arising from the same incident. Beginning in late 2030, those caps would increase to $600,000 per person and $1.1 million per incident. It would also allow local governments to settle certain claims above the cap without needing separate legislative approval. The Senate version of the bill has not yet been heard.

HB 211, Farm Products

The House Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee approved HB 211 this week, sending it to its final committee of reference. The bill amends the definition of “farm product” to include plants and plant products, regardless of whether the plants and plant products are edible or nonedible. The bill also revises the prohibition on governmental entities adopting or enforcing any ordinance, resolution, regulation, rule, or policy that prohibits, restricts, regulates, or otherwise limits an activity of a bona fide farm operation to include the collection, storage, processing, and distribution of farm products on agricultural land. The Senate companion measure has two more committees before the floor.

HB 593, Dangerous Dogs

This legislation, also known as the “Pam Rock Act,” strengthens the regulation of dangerous dogs in the state. It mandates the apprehension and quarantine of dogs suspected of injuring or threatening humans, a step that was previously optional. Owners of dogs classified as dangerous must now carry $100,000 in liability insurance and have the dog microchipped. Removal of the chip would be a third-degree felony. The bill also changes the criteria for misdemeanor charges involving unclassified dogs that attack humans, removing the need to prove reckless disregard by the owner. The bill expands the definition of a "proper enclosure" to include locked fenced yards that prevent access by children and escape by the dog. Additionally, animal shelters must post clear signage about the legal responsibilities of adopting a dangerous dog. The bill passed its second committee of reference this week and has one more hearing before the floor. Palm Beach County is working with the sponsor of the legislation on an amendment that would prohibit owners of dangerous dogs from knowingly hiding a dangerous dog or lying about the whereabouts of the dog to animal control officers.

HB 703, Utility Relocation

Passing its final committee this week, HB 703 bill modifies the process under which communications services providers must relocate facilities located in a public right-of-way. It requires these providers to submit a “reasonable” schedule to expedite the relocation of their facilities within the right-of-way. Additionally, the bill extends the time allowed for providers to begin relocation work from 30 days to 60 days. It also shifts the responsibility for the costs associated with the relocation to the government entity that owns the right of way. The Senate companion bill, SB 818, has one more committee of reference.