Week 7 of the 2026 Session 



Welcome to week 7 of the 2026 legislative session! With 14 days to go until Sine Die, stay on top of county priorities with this weekly legislative bulletin and our comprehensive Bill Tracker. 

This week, the House and Senate released their respective tax packages, HB 7031 and SB 7046, beginning the process for the adoption of this session’s tax changes. The Senate will consider the bill again on Monday during Senate Appropriations. 

Senate Tax Package 

Live Local – Missing Middle Opt-Out: 

The bill tightens the standard for opting out of the 80–120 percent AMI property tax exemption by requiring that the previous three Shimberg Annual Reports demonstrate a housing surplus, rather than relying on the most recent report alone. Projects with final site plan approval within four years before an opt-out may continue to receive the exemption if eligibility is maintained. These changes limit local flexibility and may reduce county ad valorem revenues. 

Fiscally Constrained Counties: 

Consistent with SB 250 (Rural Renaissance), the bill revises eligibility by removing the “rural area of opportunity” requirement and increasing the 1-mill revenue threshold from $5 million to $10 million. The bill replaces the declining satellite distribution with a new sales tax distribution equal to the greater of $50 million or 0.1412 percent of available sales tax proceeds. Funds must be used for 50 percent public safety, 30 percent infrastructure, and 20 percent any public purpose, and may not be used for debt service. The changes provide a more stable revenue source while directing local spending and altering eligibility. 

Millage Rate – Prior Year Zero: 

The bill clarifies that if a county levied a millage rate of zero in the prior year, any new nonvoted millage must be approved by a unanimous vote, a three-fourths vote (if the governing body has nine or more members), or by referendum. This codifies a heightened voting requirement and limits flexibility for counties reestablishing millage. 

RV Park Assessment Limitation: 

The bill limits non-ad valorem assessments on recreational vehicle parks to no more than 400 square feet per RV space or campsite. This may reduce revenues for fire, solid waste, stormwater, and similar services in affected counties. 

Net-Zero Prohibition: 

The bill prohibits counties and other governmental entities from adopting or implementing net-zero policies, including through expenditures, taxes, fees, assessments, or carbon trading programs. Beginning January 1, 2027, counties must annually certify compliance to the Department of Environmental Protection. This restricts local regulatory authority related to climate and sustainability initiatives. 

Sales Tax Holiday – Local Impact: 

The 3.5-month hunting, fishing, and camping sales tax holiday applies to county discretionary sales surtaxes, reducing local collections during the holiday period. 

House Tax Package 


Millage Rate – Prior Year Zero: 

The House mirrors the Senate language requiring a unanimous vote, three-fourths vote (if nine or more members), or referendum when levying millage after a prior year rate of zero. FAC advocated for allowing adoption by a two-thirds vote to preserve local budget flexibility. 

Mobile Home Park Assessment Limitation: 

Beginning January 1, 2027, mobile home parks in which more than 75 percent of lots are leased for one year or more, and where residents are responsible for the taxes, are limited to a three percent annual assessment increase. Properties not meeting the criteria remain subject to the existing 10 percent non-homestead cap. This may reduce growth in county taxable value. 

Property Tax Disclosure on Listing Platforms: 

Online real property listing platforms must include estimated property taxes for residential properties displayed. While not a revenue change, this affects how local property taxes are presented to prospective buyers. FAC supported this as a part of HB 827/SB 856. 

Ad Valorem Exemptions – Governmental Purpose: 

The bill expands exemptions by deeming certain Space Florida projects to serve a governmental purpose and broadens the definition to include defense and aerospace uses. The provision also allows certain multifamily projects on state-owned lands to retain exemptions after transfer to a non-state entity if statutory conditions continue to be met. These provisions may reduce local taxable value. 



Vacation Rental Tax Collection: 

Advertising platforms are required to collect and remit local option tourist development taxes and discretionary sales surtaxes on vacation rental transactions conducted through their platforms. This affects administration and collection of locally levied taxes. 

On Thursday, 2/26, the House State Affairs Committee passed CS/CS/CS/HB 299 Blue Ribbon Projects by Representative Melo by a vote of 21-5. The bill was amended to make two significant changes to the Blue Ribbon Project (BRP) framework: increasing the minimum acreage threshold and modifying the local review and comprehensive plan consistency process. 

First, the amendment raises the minimum project size from 10,000 contiguous acres to 15,000 contiguous acres. This change narrows the universe of properties eligible for designation as a blue ribbon project and further limits the program to only the largest landholdings in the state. 

Second, the amendment revises the local government review process by introducing a statutory presumption of comprehensive plan consistency. While the bill continues to require two publicly noticed hearings before the Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners (BCC), the scope of local review is altered. 

To qualify as a Blue Ribbon Project (BRP), a development must set aside at least 60 percent of the property as reserve area, with at least 70 percent of that reserve contiguous and no more than 15 percent used for public benefit facilities. Lands under conservation easement before July 1, 2026, may not count toward the reserve requirement. The remaining development area must follow a dense, walkable, mixed-use pattern, include varied housing types, and dedicate at least 20 percent of units in each phase to affordable, missing middle, or Hometown Hero–eligible housing. Nonresidential uses must comprise at least 10 percent of the development area.  

Under the amendment, a blue ribbon plan that meets the statutory criteria established in the bill is presumed to be consistent with the local comprehensive plan. However, this presumption is rebuttable. The amendment specifies that consistency relates to core comprehensive planning elements, including: 

• The data and studies supporting the plan; 
• Future land use provisions governing the distribution of residential and non-residential lands; 
• The amount of land needed to accommodate projected growth; and 
• The availability of water supplies, public facilities, and services, among other factors. 

A county may overcome the presumption by making a finding that the blue ribbon plan is “substantially inconsistent” with the local comprehensive plan. If the county denies the plan on that basis, the denial must clearly state the grounds, including the applicable rules, statutes, comprehensive plan provisions, or other legal authority supporting the decision. 

The amendment does not restore state or regional agency review. 

In effect, the amendment shifts the framework from one in which comprehensive plan consistency is not required to one in which consistency is presumed unless affirmatively rebutted by the county. While this provides local governments with a defined pathway to deny a proposal based on substantial inconsistency, it also places the burden on the county to overcome a statutory presumption in favor of the project. 

The Senate companion, CS/CS/SB 354, by Sen. McClain passed its second committee hearing on 2/12.  



To watch the committee hearing, click here. 

On Tuesday, 2/24, the House Commerce Committee passed CS/CS/HB 1389 Affordable Housing favorably by Representative Redondo (18-5). The bill amends the Live Local Act to expand affordable housing development opportunities and further limit certain local government restrictions. A late-file, hand written amendment to the amendment provided for the elimination of the Live Local Missing Middle Property Tax Opt-Out. FAC opposed the legislation. 

As amended, the bill: 

• Authorizes multifamily and mixed-use residential developments on property owned by a county, municipality, or school district, provided the property is within that entity’s geographic boundaries and the entity is a party to the development application. 
• Authorizes similar development on certain property owned by a religious institution (3+ acres with an existing house of public worship), requires the religious institution to be a party to the application, and requires the house of public worship to remain on the property. 
• Prohibits local governments from restricting building height through setbacks or stepbacks that are more restrictive than the minimum standards of the underlying zoning. 
• Clarifies that farms and farm operations are not considered commercial or industrial uses under the Live Local Act. 
• Allows developments in airport-impacted areas if approved by the governing body of the airport. 
• Exempts from the Act: 
• Areas subject to pre-July 1, 2026 land development regulations intended to retain open space character; 
• Areas of Critical State Concern; and 
• Property encumbered by a recorded conservation easement. 
• Removes the ability of local governments to “opt out” of the ad valorem tax exemption for certain newly constructed affordable housing developments. 
• Waives sovereign immunity for the state and local governments for violations of the Florida Fair Housing Act related to discriminatory land use or permitting decisions, including discrimination based on the source of financing. 
• Requires local governments to adopt, by December 1, 2026, an ordinance allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) by right in single-family residential areas, subject to specified limitations on parking, owner-occupancy requirements, and discretionary review. 
• Prohibits denial of a homestead exemption solely because an ADU is rented, but requires the ADU to be separately assessed based on its use. 
• Authorizes local governments to provide density bonus incentives to landowners who donate land to assist in providing affordable housing to military families receiving a basic allowance for housing. 
• Requires OPPAGA to study the effectiveness of mezzanine financing and tiny homes in expanding affordable housing supply and report by December 31, 2027. 

The bill takes effect July 1, 2026. 

The Senate companion, SB 1548 by Senator Calatayud, passed its first committee stop on 2/3.  

To watch the committee hearing, click here.  

On Tuesday, 2/24, the Senate Rules Committee passed CS/CS/SB 208 Land Use and Development Regulations favorably by Senator McClain (22-1). Originally, the bill revised laws on compatibility, infill residential development, building design regulations, and development fees.  

Also on Tuesday, 2/24, the House State Affairs Committee passed CS/CS/HB 399 Land Use and Development Regulations by Representative Borrero with a vote 16-10. 

The bill was amended in the committee to: 

• Requires development permit and development order application fees to reasonably relate to the costs of review, processing, and final disposition; prohibits fees based on a percentage of construction costs, site costs, or project valuation. 
• Requires local government interlocal agreements with school districts to address reasonable access to public easements and rights-of-way necessary for public school facilities. 
• Requires comprehensive plans and land development regulations to include factors for assessing compatibility of allowable residential uses within a residential zoning district and future land use category. 
• Requires land development regulations to incorporate objective design standards or other measures to mitigate potential incompatibility. 
• Requires local government staff to identify specific areas of incompatibility and authorizes staff to recommend mitigation measures before recommending denial of a rezoning, subdivision, or site plan application on compatibility grounds. 
• Prohibits denial of an application on compatibility grounds unless written findings identify specific incompatibilities and conclude that proposed mitigation is inadequate and no feasible mitigation measures exist; references to “community character” alone are insufficient. 
• Provides that compatibility requirements do not apply to uses in different future land use categories, development within planned unit developments or master planned communities, or development within historic districts designated before January 1, 2026. 
• Authorizes placement of manufactured homes on any lot in a recreational vehicle park. 
• Requires parity in zoning and land use regulations for off-site constructed residential dwellings compared to site-built single-family homes. 
• Requires OPPAGA to study the effects of removing Urban Development Boundaries or similar boundaries in Miami-Dade County and other counties. 
• Effective January 1, 2027. 

The House bill contains additional provisions not included in the Senate bill that: 

• Require amendments to the future land use element of a comprehensive plan to be transmitted and adopted by a majority vote of the governing body members present at the hearing, notwithstanding any county charter provision requiring a greater vote threshold. 
• Require local governments to administratively approve certain minor special exceptions or variances for qualifying large destination resorts. 

Additionally, the House bill is effective upon becoming law, except for specified sections that take effect January 1, 2027, while the Senate bill takes effect January 1, 2027. 



To watch the committee hearing, click here.  

On Tuesday, 2/24, the House State Affairs Committee passed  CS/CS/HB 927 Local Land Planning and Development favorably by Representative Sapp.  

On Tuesday, 2/24, the House State Affairs Committee passed CS/CS/CS/HB 927 Local Land Planning and Development favorably by Representative Sapp (23-2). The Senate companion, CS/CS/SB 1138 by Senator Massullo, was heard the same day in the Senate Rules Committee and passed favorably by a vote of 22-0. The bills restructure local development review by requiring counties with populations over 75,000 and municipalities over 10,000 to establish, by January 1, 2027, a qualified contractor registry and preapplication consulting services program for certain development applications. 

As amended, the bills: 

• Requires eligible local governments to establish a preapplication consulting services program allowing applicants to use qualified contractors to review permit applications, site plans, and plats prior to formal submission. 
• Requires creation and maintenance of a registry of at least four qualified contractors or two qualified contractor firms. 
• Specifies that qualified contractors may not review discretionary or quasi-judicial land use matters. 
• Provides that a contractor’s certification establishes administrative completeness but does not constitute substantive approval. 
• Requires local governments to verify completeness within five business days and take final action within 45 days; failure to act may result in automatic approval after notice and cure period. 
• Requires local governments to use the registry to supplement staff resources for administrative plat approval. 
• Prohibits local governments from imposing additional plat procedures inconsistent with state law and requires acceptance of commonly used financial assurance instruments. 
• Expands the expedited residential building permit process to apply to phases of a subdivision or community. 
• Prohibits conditioning issuance of building permits on completion of infrastructure beyond minimum fire code access requirements or on certifications not required by law. 
• Revises performance bond provisions and clarifies bonding authority. 
• Provides applicants a five-year vested right in an approved preliminary plat. 
• The bill takes effect July 1, 2026. 



To watch the committee hearing, click here. 

On Wednesday, 2/25, the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government passed  CS/CS/SB 1566 Local Government Spending favorably by Senator DiCeglie. The House companion, CS/CS/HB 1329 by Representative Benarroch, passed the State Affairs Committee on 2/26 by a vote of 17-6. The bill revises local government budget transparency requirements and website posting standards. 

The Senate bill: 

• Requires county and municipal tentative, adopted tentative, and final budgets, as well as budget amendments, to be posted on official websites in a searchable, filterable, and downloadable format with graphical display options. 
• Requires the public to be able to review revenue and expenditure trends, compare data, and view employee salary information in a searchable format. 
• Requires budget data to be viewable by fund, department, division, program, or activity. 
• Revises posting timelines by requiring: 
• Tentative budgets to be posted 7 days before the public hearing (currently 2 days); 
• Proposed budget amendments to be posted 7 days before adoption; 
• Final budgets and adopted amendments to remain posted for 5 years (currently 2 years). 
• Requires counties and municipalities to provide at least 7 days’ notice of a public hearing on a proposed budget amendment. 

The Senate CS removed earlier provisions regulating utility revenues and does not include a budget-cutting exercise requirement. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026. 

The House bill contains similar transparency and website formatting requirements, but includes additional provisions that: 

• Require counties and municipalities to conduct an annual 10 percent budget-cutting exercise at least 14 days before final budget adoption and post the results online. 
• Provide an exemption from the data formatting and budget-cutting requirements for smaller counties (10,000 or fewer residents and under $10 million budget) and municipalities (5,000 or fewer residents and under $10 million budget). This provision does not apply to any county in Florida. 
• Authorize local governments to request a hardship waiver from the Department of Financial Services (DFS) if unable to comply. 
• Require tentative budgets to be posted 14 days before the public hearing (rather than 7 days in the Senate bill). 
• Require counties to provide at least 7 days’ notice of a hearing on a proposed budget amendment. 
• The House bill takes effect July 1, 2026. 



To watch the committee hearing, click here.  

On Tuesday, 2/24, the Senate Rules Committee passed CS/CS/SB 1234 Building Permits and Inspections favorably by Senator DiCeglie. On Wednesday, 2/25, the House passed its companion, CS/CS/HB 803 by Representative Trabulsy, unanimously (114–0).

The legislation makes significant changes to local building permit requirements, private provider law, and the Florida Building Code framework. 

The Senate bill: 

• Provides that building permits for single-family dwellings expire one year after issuance or the effective date of the next Florida Building Code update, whichever occurs later, with extensions allowed. 
• Prohibits local governments from requiring permits for certain residential work valued under $7,500 (excluding electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, and gas work). 
• Exempts qualifying temporary hurricane and flood protection barriers from permitting requirements, subject to National Flood Insurance Program compliance. 
• Prohibits requiring separate permits for each lot upon which certain residential retaining walls are installed. 
• Prohibits glazing requirements exceeding 15 percent of the primary façade for certain new commercial or mixed-use projects. 
• Requires the Florida Building Commission to adopt uniform statewide residential and commercial building permit applications by July 1, 2027. 
• Prohibits inspection fees from exceeding actual costs or being based on total project value. 
• Requires a five-day response for certain permit applications for existing single-family homes valued under $15,000. 
• Prohibits homeowners’ associations from requiring issuance of a building permit before reviewing proposed improvements. 
• Authorizes placement of manufactured homes on any lot in a recreational vehicle park. 
• Requires off-site constructed residential dwellings to be permitted as of right in single-family zoning districts. 

Private Provider Provisions 

• Requires local governments to establish a registration system for private providers. 
• Limits local review of plans approved by private providers to administrative, floodplain, life-safety, and ordinance compliance matters unrelated to Building Code compliance. 
• Restricts audit authority and limits inspections by local officials unless there is actual knowledge of noncompliance. 
• Prohibits punitive or additional fees when private providers are used. 
• Requires commercial permit fees to be reduced by at least 25 percent when a private provider performs partial services and by at least 50 percent when the provider performs all required plans review and inspections. 

CS/CS/HB 803 – House Version (as Amended on the Floor) 

The House bill contains the same core building permit, glazing, uniform application, permit exemption, and fee reduction provisions described above. However, the House floor amendment revised the private provider registration framework: 

Private Provider Registry 

• HB 803 requires the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) to maintain a statewide registry of qualified private providers. 
• Local governments must use the statewide DBPR registry to verify licensure and insurance. 
• A private provider listed in the statewide registry satisfies any local registration requirement. 
• Local governments may not require a separate local registration or charge a local registration fee. 

By contrast, SB 1234 requires each local government to establish its own registration system for private providers. The measures take effect July 1, 2026. 



To watch the House floor session, click here.  

To watch the committee hearing, click here. 

On Tuesday, 2/24, the House passed CS/CS/HB 979 Infill Redevelopment favorably by Representative Borrero, in State Affairs, and the Senate companion, CS/CS/SB 1434 Infill Development by Senator Calatayud, passed the Rules committee favorably as well. The bills create the “Infill Redevelopment Act,” preempting certain local land development regulations and requiring administrative approval of qualifying infill redevelopment projects on environmentally impacted land in large urban counties. 

The legislation applies to parcels of at least five acres that are environmentally impacted and located in counties with more than 1.475 million residents and at least 15 municipalities—currently Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach. Excluded are designated agricultural lands, publicly owned parkland, property outside an urban growth boundary, land near military installations, and parcels owned by public utilities within the past 15 years. 

Under the bills, qualifying parcels must be approved administratively for residential development at up to the average density allowed in adjacent residential zoning districts, not to exceed 25 units per acre under the Senate version. Projects must comply with applicable concurrency requirements, and local governments may apply generally applicable architectural design standards so long as they do not reduce authorized density or intensity. 

If a qualifying parcel is surrounded by single-family homes or townhomes, a 20-foot open space buffer is required. Additional provisions apply to former recreational facilities, including a 12-month inactivity requirement, payment of double parks impact fees, and a 90-day right of first refusal for adjacent property owners to preserve the land as open space for at least 30 years. 

The bill takes effect upon becoming law. 



To watch the House committee hearing, click here. 

To watch the Senate committee hearing, click here. 

On Thursday, 2/26, the House Commerce Committee passed CS/HB 1001 Official Local Actions of Local Governments favorably by Representative Black, adopting a delete-all amendment that clarifies and refines the bill’s provisions. 

The bill prohibits counties and municipalities from funding, promoting, or taking official action related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and renders any existing DEI-related ordinances, resolutions, rules, regulations, programs, or policies void. Local governments may not expend funds—regardless of source—to establish or support DEI offices or DEI officers. 

The amendment adds a definition of “acting in an official capacity,” removes the prior temporary allowance for DEI-related civic events through June 30, 2027, and clarifies that local governments may not provide or authorize their funds to be used by employees, contractors, volunteers, vendors, or agents to promote DEI initiatives. 

A county commissioner, municipal governing body member, or other local official acting in an official capacity who violates the law commits misfeasance or malfeasance in office. Residents may bring a civil action against a county or municipality for violations, and courts may award declaratory and injunctive relief, damages, and costs. 

The bill requires potential recipients of county or municipal contracts or grants to certify that they will not use local government funds for DEI-related instruction or materials. 

The act takes effect January 1, 2027. 

The Senate companion, SB 1134, by Sen. Yarborough passed its third committee stop on 2/17.  



To watch the committee hearing, click here.  

On Tuesday, 2/24, the House State Affairs Committee passed  CS/CS/HB 433 Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services favorably by Representative Alvarez. The DACS package prohibits counties from adopting or enforcing any ordinance, resolution, rule, or policy that restricts or prohibits the use of gasoline-powered farm or landscape equipment. Furthermore, Section 3 of SB 290 revises how state and local governments may surplus lands with agricultural potential. The Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC) must review any surplused lands and determine whether the property is suitable for bona fide agricultural purposes. If ARC finds that a parcel is suitable for commercial agriculture, both the state and local governments may not transfer future development rights for that land. Additionally, the bill expands the existing preemption related to agritourism by preventing local governments from requiring an agricultural property owner to obtain a rural event venue permit or license.  

Finally, the bill amends s. 403.0855, F.S., to require that permittees of biosolids land application sites permitted after July 1, 2020, ensure that only Class AA biosolids are land applied, effective July 1, 2028. 



The bill provides an extension for local governments that do not transport biosolids for land application outside their jurisdictional boundaries. For those local governments, compliance with the Class AA land application requirement is extended until July 1, 2031. The bill further clarifies that this section does not prohibit a local government from transporting Class B biosolids outside its boundaries to a Class AA biosolids treatment facility or a waste-to-energy facility. 

The Senate companion, CS/CS/CS/SB 290, by Senator Truenow passed unanimously on the Senate floor on 2/19.  

To watch the committee hearing, click here. 

To watch the Senate floor session, click here.  

On Thursday, 2/26, the Senate passed CS/CS/SB 484 Data Centers by Senator Avila on the floor, while the House advanced CS/CS/HB 1007 Data Centers by Representative Griffitts Jr.,  through State Affairs on Tuesday, 2/24, and the Commerce Committee on Thursday, 2/26. Both bills prohibit nondisclosure agreements related to data center siting, preserve local government authority over comprehensive planning and land development regulations, require the Public Service Commission to create large-load tariffs ensuring data centers pay their full cost of electric service, and establish a dedicated consumptive-use permitting framework for large-scale data centers that prioritizes reclaimed water when feasible. 

In its original form, the house version prohibited local governments from issuing construction permits for a new large-scale data center located within five miles of any residential property or school, unless the local governing body unanimously voted to waive the restriction.  

An amendment adopted in the House Commerce Committee replaced the prohibition with a performance-based compatibility standard. Under the amendment, when a proposed data center is within five miles of a residence or school, the applicant must demonstrate compliance with federal and state radiofrequency requirements, local noise and abatement ordinances, and all other applicable land-use regulations. 

To watch the Senate floor session, click here.  

To watch the House State Affairs committee hearing, click here. 

To watch the House Commerce committee hearing, click here. 

On Tuesday, 2/24, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed CS/CS/CS/SB 1220 Transportation unanimously by Senator Massullo Jr. and the House Commerce Committee passed CS/CS/HB 1233 favorably by Representative Griffitts Jr. The bills make broad updates to Florida’s transportation laws, including provisions on trails, freight mobility, advanced air mobility, and infrastructure security.  

Both versions of the bill amend s. 337.401, F.S., governing communications facilities in county and municipal rights-of-way. The bills limit local permitting requirements by prohibiting counties and municipalities from requiring providers to locate or survey underground facilities other than their own or right-of-way boundaries when seeking a permit. It also prohibits local governments from limiting the number of permits issued—by project size or number of open permits—provided permits are closed within 45 days of work completion. 

The bills also revise financial assurance requirements by allowing counties and municipalities to require a bond or similar financial instrument only if reasonably related to right-of-way restoration costs and prohibits requiring cash deposits or escrows. Additionally, a single bond may cover multiple permits. The bill also prohibits imposing any tax, fee, charge, or exaction for the placement of communications facilities in the public right-of-way and requires consolidated permitting processes for communications facility applications. Additional provisions limit certain local placement requirements, indemnification standards, and landscaping mandates to those directly tied to right-of-way restoration. 



To watch the Senate Appropriations committee hearing, click here.  

To watch the House Commerce committee hearing, click here. 

On Tuesday, 2/24, the Senate Rules Committee passed CS/CS/SB 332 Public Records and Public Meetings/Private Property Rights unanimously by Senator Bradley. This bill expands county authority to hold closed attorney-client sessions by expressly allowing private meetings during the 90-day notice period for Bert Harris Act property rights claims, in addition to pending litigation. This change helps counties protect legal strategy and settlement discussions during sensitive pre-litigation stages without public disclosure. FAC supported the proposal as part of the Legislative Action Plan. 

The bill preserves Sunshine Law safeguards, requiring public notice, open meeting commencement and conclusion, and full recording and transcription by a certified court reporter. Transcripts become public upon claim or litigation resolution or expiration of limitations. Counties may incur modest administrative and transcription costs, but requirements largely mirror existing attorney-client session procedures.  

The House companion, CS/CS/HB 655 by Rep Duggan passed its third committee hearing on 2/10. It was read a second and third time, and passed the House of Representatives (116-0 ) on 2/25.  

To watch the House floor session, click here. 

To watch the committee hearing, click here. 

On Tuesday, 2/24, the Senate Rules Committee passed CS/CS/CS/SB 686 Agricultural Enclaves unanimously by Senator McClain and passed the Senate floor (34-2) on 2/26.  



The bill replaces the current comprehensive plan amendment process for agricultural enclaves with a new certification framework. Agricultural enclaves—generally agricultural lands largely surrounded by development—may be certified through a public hearing process, with automatic approval if a local government fails to act within 90 days. Once certified, property owners may submit development plans for single-family residential housing consistent with the density or land use of adjacent parcels, and such development must be treated as a conforming use. Local governments may not impose requirements more burdensome than those applied to comparable uses. 

The bill expands and clarifies the definition of “agricultural enclave,” including allowing multiple parcels to qualify and adding new eligibility criteria tied to urban service districts, interstate highways, and rural study areas. It limits applicability to counties with populations of 1.75 million or less and allows infrastructure requirements to be met through binding agreements. 

The agricultural enclave provisions expire January 1, 2028, at which time the statute reverts to current law. 

The House companion, CS/CS/HB 691, by Rep. Botana passed its third committee hearing on 2/17.  

To watch the committee hearing, click here. 

To watch the Senate floor session, click here.  

On Tuesday, 2/24, the Senate Rules Committee passed SB 830 Public Records/County Administrators and City Managers favorably by Senator Leek. This bill creates a new public records exemption protecting sensitive personal identifying and location information of senior local government executives, including county administrators, deputy and assistant county administrators, and their municipal counterparts. The bill limits public access to home addresses, telephone numbers, and dates of birth of covered officials, as well as extensive personal information related to their spouses and children, including names, photographs, places of employment, and school or day care locations. FAC supported the bill as a part of our Legislative Action Plan. 



The House companion, HB 263, by Rep Rizo has not been heard this session.  

To watch the committee hearing, click here. 

On Tuesday, 2/24, the House Commerce Committee passed CS/CS/CS/HB 1093 Data Centers unanimously by Representative Spencer. While the bill originally contained broad provisions related to vertiport development, state preemption, sovereign immunity, and sales tax exemptions for eVTOL aircraft, it has been significantly scaled back during the committee process. 

As originally filed, the bill provided sovereign immunity protections for vertiports collocated with public airports, created sales tax exemptions for certain eVTOL-related expenses, preempted specified aspects of vertiport regulation, required FDOT to adopt a model vertiport siting code, and directed the establishment of vertiport demonstration corridors. 

However, the Transportation & Economic Development Budget Subcommittee substantially narrowed the bill, removing the sovereign immunity provisions, eliminating the vertiport preemption language, deleting the requirement for FDOT to adopt a model siting code, and striking the creation of demonstration corridors.  

As passed in Commerce, the bill now primarily authorizes vertiports and charging systems as qualifying projects under public-private partnership law and allows FDOT to fund up to 100 percent of the costs of a public vertiport if federal funds are unavailable, or up to 80 percent of the nonfederal share when federal funds are used.  

The bill takes effect July 1, 2026. 

The Senate companion, CS/CS/SB 1362, by Sen. Harrell passed its second committee hearing on 2/18. 

To watch the committee hearing, click here. 

On Wednesday, 2/25, CS/CS/HB 405 Commercial Construction Projects by Representative Griffitts Jr. passed the Florida House floor(113-2).  

The bill makes certain contract provisions in public works contracts unenforceable if they waive, release, or extinguish a contractor’s right to recover costs, damages, or time extensions for delays caused in whole or in part by the awarding governmental entity. Contractors are also entitled to time extensions for concurrent delays if at least one delay is attributable to the government. The bill does not affect notice requirements, arbitration provisions, or liquidated damages for contractor-caused delays. 

The bill also directs the Florida Building Commission to adopt a uniform commercial building permit application and standardized trade-specific supplemental forms for statewide use by July 1, 2027. Local enforcement agencies must accept the uniform forms but may require additional documentation necessary to demonstrate compliance with the Florida Building Code or local zoning. 

Permit fees must be limited to the actual and reasonable costs incurred by the local enforcement agency. When a private provider performs plan review or inspections, local governments must reduce permit fees by at least 25 percent (partial services) or 50 percent (full services), with DBPR surcharges calculated on the reduced fee. The bill also limits local glazing requirements on certain commercial or mixed-use projects. 



The Senate companion, CS/SB 526 by Senator Grall, passed its second committee hearing on 2/2. 

To watch the House floor session, click here.