Palm Beach County State Legislative Update

Week of April 28

Session Hits 60-Day Mark, Then Gets Extended



The 2025 Legislative Session was scheduled to adjourn “sine die” on Friday, May 2. Legislators were on the floor of their respective chambers late into the night on Friday closing out several key policy issues. At around 10:30pm, the presiding officers announced that they would not be adjourning session but rather extending it until June 6, 2025 citing unfinished business as the reason. 

The extension is to consider and pass several appropriations bills, including a tax relief package and the FY 25-26 State Budget. Also included in the extension is SB 110, the Senate President’s priority legislation that included economic programs and infrastructure support for rural communities. This bill was heavily negotiated between the House and Senate and the same version of the bill did not pass both chambers before May 2. An iteration of the bill that passed the Senate had language that would assist Palm Beach County in reconstructing County Road 880. We will continue to work diligently to help the Senate President get the bill across the finish line during the extended session. Lawmakers are expected to pick up their business in Tallahassee sometime next week.

Select Committee on Property Taxes



The House Select Committee on Property Taxes met on Friday to receive a brief overview of the five proposals that were announced previously as a “starting point” for the committee to discuss. The five proposals include:

• Requiring every city, county, and special district to hold a referendum on the question of eliminating property taxes on homestead properties.
• Creating a new $500,000 homestead exemption, as well as a $1 million homestead exemption for properties owned by Floridians aged 65 and older, or who have had a homestead for 30 years, applicable to all non-school taxes.
• Authorizing the Legislature to increase the homestead exemption to any value by general law.
• Modifying the assessment increase limitations on property values:
• For homestead properties, changing the cap from the lower of 3% or CPI to a flat 3% over any three-year period for all taxes.
• For non-homestead properties, changing the cap from 10% annually to 15% over any three-year period for all non-school taxes.
• Eliminating the ability to foreclose on a homestead property due to a property tax lien.

The committee is tasked with creating a property tax relief proposal to have ready for the House to consider during the 2026 Legislative Session. Palm Beach County has three Delegation members who serve on this committee: Rep. Jervonte Edmonds, Rep. Debra Tendrich, and Rep. Meg Weinberger. We will continue to closely monitor and engage in their efforts as they meet during the extended session and into the summer and fall.

Bills That Passed



Out of the 1,952 bills filed this legislative session, 254 bills passed both chambers and were enrolled awaiting the Governor’s action. Below are a few bills of interest that made it through both chambers.

SB 180, Emergencies: Makes various changes relating to the preparation and response activities of state and local government during emergencies.

HB 209, State Land Management: Creates the State Park Preservation Act; requires state parks to be managed for conservation-based recreational uses and in a manner that provides the greatest combination of benefits to the public and the land’s natural resources.

HB 211, Farm Products: Amends the definition of “farm product” to include plants and plant products, regardless of whether the plants and plant products are edible or nonedible.

HB 481, Anchoring Limitation Areas: Creates a new exception for large counties from the general prohibition against local governments enacting or enforcing regulations related to the anchoring of vessels outside the marked boundaries of mooring fields.

HB 593, Dangerous Dogs: Modifies several aspects of Florida’s dangerous dogs laws in the interest of public safety.

HB 703, Utility Relocation: Modifies the process under which communications services providers must relocate facilities located in a public right-of-way.

HB 913, Condominiums and Cooperative Associations: Makes several modifications to the allowed actions of condo associations regarding structural integrity reserve studies and special assessments related to these studies.

SB 954, Certified Recovery Residences: Requires local governments to adopt an ordinance to streamline the process for applicants seeking reasonable accommodations from land use regulations for certified recovery residences and changes requirements for certain certified recovery residences.

HB 987, Transportation Facility Designations: Designates several transportation facilities after individuals, including two in Palm Beach County: PBSO Motorman Highway and President Donald J. Trump Boulevard.

HB 4011, Palm Beach County: Amends the special act creating the Palm Beach County Building Code Advisory Board to expand the definition of “local building official”.

SB 7006, Public Records and Meetings/NG911: Renews current public records exemption for 991 and E911 systems and adds NG911 systems to those that are exempted.

Bills That Died

Out of the 1,952 bills filed this legislative session, most of these failed to make their way to final passage by both chambers. Below are a few bills of interest that died this session.

SB 188, Possession or Use of a Firearm in a Sensitive Location: Prohibits the possession or use of a firearm in a sensitive location including government buildings.

HB 301, Sovereign Immunity: Increases sovereign immunity caps.

HB 365, Rent of Affordable Housing Units: Prohibits landlords of qualifying affordable housing units, who benefit from federal, state, or local support, from increasing rent during the term of a rental agreement.

SB 420, Official Actions of Local Governments: Prohibits counties and municipalities from funding, promoting, or taking official actions related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

HB 623, Public Records/County and City Administrators and Managers: Exempts the personal identifying and location information of current county and city administrative officials and their families from public records requirements.

SB 852, Study on the Elimination of Property Taxes: Requires the Office of Economic and Demographic Research to study the elimination and replacement of property taxes.

HB 991, Community Redevelopment Agencies: Terminates community redevelopment agencies by July 1, 2025, with limitations on new projects, exceptions for outstanding bonds, and no future expansions or creations of such agencies.

HB 1221, Local Option Taxes: Expands uses local option tourist taxes, eliminates certain tourism bodies, redirects revenues for existing projects and ad valorem tax relief, and expands auditing and compliance requirements.

HB 1609, Waste Incineration: Prohibits the issuance of construction permits for new waste incineration or waste-to-energy facilities within one-half mile of residential properties or schools.

SB 1694, Prohibited Preferences in Government Contracting: Amends existing statutes to eliminate preferences based on race, ethnicity, or minority status in government contracting and related activities across various sectors.