Legislative Reporter
We see a Florida where our communities, economies, and environments all thrive.
The second week of the legislative session featured a full slate of committee meetings as lawmakers advanced bills and refined priorities ahead of the heavier floor-action weeks to come. These early weeks of activity are a critical checkpoint in the legislative process, allowing proposals to be shaped and reshaped based on initial feedback before moving into more public-facing stages and full floor votes. The shortened week resulted in packed legislative schedules, crowded committee hearings, and a busy Capitol, as dozens of organizations convened to advocate on behalf of their members.
Below is an update on the bills APA Florida is tracking this session. The full tracking list of priority bills is here and bills we are monitoring is here
Priority Bill Action (Alphabetically)
Agricultural Enclaves – CS/SB 686 by Sen. Stan McClain (R-Ocala) and HB 691 by Rep. Adam Botana (R-Bonita Springs) revise the definition of “agricultural enclave” and create an expedited public hearing process requiring local governments to certify a parcel as an agricultural enclave as defined in s.163.3164 if one or more adjacent parcels or an adjacent development permits the same density as, or higher density than, the proposed development. If the local government does not approve or deny certification as an agricultural enclave within 90 days, the parcel is automatically approved. The bills deem development plans approved under a new certification process a conforming use, regardless of local comprehensive plans or zoning, and prohibit enactment or enforcement of burdensome regulations specifically targeting agricultural enclaves. The amendments made by this act expire Jan. 1, 2028. The proposed effective date is July 1, 2026. (Senate Staff Analysis)
SB 636 passed the Senate Community Affairs Committee on Jan. 20 by a vote of 8-0.
Growth Management – CS/SB 548 by Sen. Stan McClain (R-Ocala) and HB 1139 by Rep. Richard Gentry (R-DeBary) create a new definition for “plan-base methodology” and “extraordinary circumstances.” The bills provide that the demonstrated-need study required to show extraordinary circumstances justifying an impact fee rate increase must specify the standards used to support the existence of such extraordinary circumstances and be accompanied by a declaration of the method and timeframe by which the impact fee increase will increase capacity. The bills restrict use of data older than four years and prohibit local governments and school districts from exceeding 100 percent total impact fee rate increases in a 4year period. Entitles prevailing residents and business owners who challenge local government or special district impact fees to reasonable attorney fees and costs. The proposed effective date is July 1, 2026. (Senate Staff Analysis)
SB 548 passed the Senate Community Affairs Committee on Jan. 20 by a vote of 8-0.
Data Centers – SB 484 by Sen. Bryan Avila (R-Hialeah Gardens) and HB 1517 by Rep. Dotie Joseph (D-North Miami) are similarly related to Data Centers. SB 484 prohibits agencies from entering into nondisclosure agreements that restrict public disclosure of data center development information, maintains local government authority over comprehensive planning and land development regulations for large load customers, requires the Florida Public Service Commission to develop tariffs to protect ratepayers, and requires hearings and stringent requirements for large-scale data center water use permits. HB 1517 requires applications for data centers to include energy, water, waste, and emissions disclosures, and requires public posting and compliance obligations for data centers. The proposed effective date is July 1, 2026. (Senate Staff Analysis)
SB 484 passed the Senate Regulated Industries Committee on Jan. 20 by a vote of 8-0.
Land Use Regulations for Local Governments Affected by Natural Disasters – SB 840 by Sen. Nick DiCeglie (R-St. Petersburg) and HB 1465 by Rep. Alex Andrade (R-Pensacola) address Sections 18 and 28 of SB 180.
SB 840 narrows the definition of “impacted local government” from counties located within 100 miles of a hurricane’s track to those within 50 miles and requires inclusion in a federal major disaster declaration. The bill clarifies that for one year after a hurricane makes landfall in Florida, an impacted local government may not enforce a moratorium that prevents or delays the repair or reconstruction of an existing improvement damaged by such hurricane but carves out moratorium imposed to address stormwater and sewer systems. The bill adds exceptions if a comprehensive plan amendment is needed to comply with state or federal law or a federal floodplain management standard. Clarifies that damage must require a permit to trigger limitations and that an impacted local government may require documentation that the property was damaged by a hurricane. The bill removes the ability to file suits and clarifies that the section does not restrict local government from adopting or enforcing building code or local technical amendments. The bill revises the sunset date of Section 28 to June 30, 2026, instead of June 30, 2028. (Senate Staff Analysis)
HB 1465 defines “burdensome” and “restrictive” to limit local government actions that reduce development rights or delay approvals. The bill provides an exemption for amendments necessary to be in compliance with changes in federal or state law, or the amendment substantially increases the allowable density and intensity of property throughout the jurisdiction and does not restrict development of property outside an urban service area. The bill removes the OPPPAGA study and in Section 28, requires local governments to process pending applications under the less restrictive regulations in effect when the application was filed.
SB 840 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Jan. 20 by a vote of 9-0.
Other Bill Action of Interest (Alphabetically)
Areas of Critical State Concern – CS/HB 755 by Rep. Jim Mooney (R-Key Largo) and SB 934 by Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez (R-Doral) exempt projects under a 99-year ground lease with Habitat for Humanity from payment and performance bond requirements and extend through fiscal year 2035-36 the allocation of at least $5 million annually from Florida Forever for purchasing land in the Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern. The proposed effective date is July 1, 2026. (House Staff Analysis)
HB 755 passed the House Natural Resources and Disasters Subcommittee on Jan. 20 by a vote of 16-0.
Building Permits and Inspections – CS/HB 803 by Rep. Dana Trabulsy (R-Fort Pierce) and SB 1234 by Sen. Nick DiCeglie (R-St. Petersburg) set a uniform 1-year permit expiration, or until the next Florida Building Code update, for singlefamily dwelling permits issued by counties or local governments, exempt certain residential flood or hurricane barriers and smaller retaining walls from permit requirements, prohibit local governments from requiring building permits for minor single-family home projects under $7,500, clarify that local governments must reduce permit fees when a private provider handles plan reviews or inspections and prohibits extra forms, fees, or discouraging private providers, and require local building officials to approve or deny permit applications within specified timeframes. The proposed effective date is July 1, 2026. (House Staff Analysis / Senate Staff Analysis)
HB 803 passed the House Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee on Jan. 20 by a vote of 14-0. SB 1234 passed the Senate Community Affairs Committee on Jan. 20 by a vote of 8-0.
Community Development District Recall Elections – CS/HB 1051 by Rep. Jose Alvarez (D-Kissimmee) and SB 1180 by Sen. Kristen Arrington (D-Kissimmee) create a new recall process for community development district board members elected by the qualified electors of the district, including petition requirements, grounds for removal, and election procedures. The proposed effective date is July 1, 2026. (House Staff Analysis)
HB 1051 passed the House Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee on Jan. 20 by a vote of 16-0.
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services – CS/CS/SB 290 by Sen. Keith Truenow (R-Tavares) and HB 433 by Rep. Danny Alvarez (R-Riverview) make a number of changes to laws related to DACS, including requiring the Acquisition and Restoration Council to determine whether any lands surplused by a local governmental entity are suitable for bona fide agricultural purposes, and prohibiting local governments from transferring future development rights for such lands. The bills require Department of Environmental Protection to determine whether any state-owned conservation lands are suitable for bona fide agricultural purposes, and to retain a rural-lands-protection easement for all such lands. The House bill adds definitions for “ecologically significant parcel” and “low-density municipality” and requires applications for development on an ecologically significant parcel to have an attestation that the development will not exceed a maximum density of 1 residential unit per 20 acres. The proposed effective date is July 1, 2026. (Senate Staff Analysis / House Staff Analysis)
HB 433 passed the Commerce Committee on Jan. 21 by a vote of 18-0.
Department of Commerce – HB 741 by Rep. Michael Owen (R-Apollo Beach) and SB 998 by Sen. Clay Yarborough (RJacksonville) make a number of changes to laws related to the Department of Commerce, including exempting federal agencies from the requirement to revert land when land is conveyed for a military installation buffer even if the specific military mission or function of the land has changed, removing the requirement for a federal enterprise community designation and allowing the governor to designate certain unincorporated rural areas with economic distress factors, and repealing the Florida Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program Act and renaming the program to the Community Development Block Grant Program, designating the Department as the state administering agency with rulemaking authority. The proposed effective date is July 1, 2026. (Senate Staff Analysis)
SB 998 passed the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee on Jan. 21 by a vote of 6-4.
Electric Bicycles, Scooters, and Motorcycles – CS/HB 243 by Rep. Yvette Benarroch (R-Naples) and CS/SB 382 by Sen. Keith Truenow (R-Tavares) provide that a person operating an electric bicycle on certain shared pathways must adhere to certain protocols and that a person operating an electric bicycle on a sidewalk or other area designated for pedestrians may not operate the electric bicycle at a speed greater than 10 miles per hour if a pedestrian is within 50 foot of the electric bicycle. The bills create the Electric Bicycle Safety Task Force that must submit a report by October 1, 2026, with recommendations to improve state law and the regulatory framework and requires e-bike crash data collection and reporting. The proposed effective date is July 1, 2027. (House Staff Analysis / Senate Staff Analysis)
HB 243 passed the House Government Operations Subcommittee on Jan. 21 by a vote of 18-0.
SB 382 passed the Senate Transportation Committee on Jan. 20 by a vote of 8-0.
Legal Notices – CS/SB 380 by Sen. Jay Trumbull (R-Panama City) and HB 1009 by Rep. Griff Griffitts (R-Panama City) give a municipality, the office of the clerk of the circuit court, and the office of the tax collector more control over where it may publish advertisements and legal notices by giving them the option to publish advertisements and legal notices on their own official websites, a private website they designate, their county’s website, a private website designated by the county, or in a local newspaper. An entity referred to as an “other unit of local government or political subdivision” will still be required to publish legal notices and advertisements on a county or county designated website. The proposed effective date is July 1, 2026. (Senate Staff Analysis / House Staff Analysis)
HB 1009 passed the House Civil Justice and Claims Subcommittee on Jan. 21 by a vote of 12-3.
Local Business Taxes – SB 122 by Sen. Keith Truenow (R-Tavares) and HB 103 by Rep. Adam Botana (R-Bonita Springs) repeal provisions relating to local business taxes, authorize certain municipalities to continue to impose a business tax, and authorize such municipalities to revise the definition of the term “merchant.” The proposed effective date is July 1, 2026. (House Staff Analysis)
HB 103 passed the Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee on Jan. 20 by a vote of 10-6.
Local Government Enforcement Actions – CS/HB 105 by Rep. Robert Brackett (R-Vero Beach) and SB 588 by Sen. Stan McClain (R-Ocala) prohibit local governments from initiating or threatening enforcement actions deemed arbitrary or unreasonable by a court and not authorized by an ordinance, define “enforcement action,” and establish procedures, legal remedies, and whistle-blower protections in response to a prohibited action. The proposed effective date is Oct. 1, 2026. (House Staff Analysis)
HB 105 passed the House Civil Justice and Claims Subcommittee on Jan. 21 by a vote of 16-0.
Public Nuisances – SB 168 by Sen. Keith Truenow (R-Tavares) and CS/HB 481 Rep. Erika Booth (R-Orlando) expand public nuisance laws to include gambling houses, remove limitations on fines, and provide clearer penalties and foreclosure processes. The proposed effective date is July 1, 2026. (Senate Staff Analysis / House Staff Analysis)
SB 168 passed the Senate Community Affairs Committee on Jan. 20 by a vote of 8-0.
HB 481 passed the House Civil Justice and Claims Subcommittee on Jan. 21 by a vote of 15-0.
Public Records – CS/HB 437 by Rep. Alex Andrade (R-Pensacola) and SB 770 by Sen. Darryl Rouson (D-St. Petersburg) revise the definition of “actual cost of duplication”, require custodians of public records to acknowledge and respond in good faith within three business days and bar fees if they fail to do so, eliminate fees for remote electronic access and prohibit charges for requests taking under 30 minutes. The bills prohibit charging of actual cost of duplication of records when the record has been previously disclosed under another public records request made to that agency, require agencies to offer electronic payment options, and expand penalty provisions to treat violations of public-records access laws. The proposed effective date is July 1, 2026. (House Staff Analysis)
HB 437 passed the House Government Operations Subcommittee on Jan. 21 by a vote of 18-0.
Regulation of Chickees – HB 929 by Rep. Nan Cobb and SB 1020 by Sen. Keith Truenow (R-Tavares) prohibit local governments from restricting the construction of chickees by a Miccosukee or Seminole tribal member. The bills prohibit local regulations of chickees that exceed federal floodplain management regulations, exempt chickees from the Florida Fire Prevention Code if they are built at least 20 feet from another structure or feature approved fire-proofing measures, redefine “chickee” to allow certain materials, nonwood fasteners, and optional electrical or plumbing features with a building permit, and establish penalties for non-tribal individuals who construct a chickee to evade the Florida Building Code. The proposed effective date is July 1, 2026. (House Staff Analysis)
HB 929 passed the House Industries and Professional Activities Subcommittee on Jan. 21 by a vote of 14-0.
Spaceport Operations – CS/HB 335 by Rep. Kim Kendall (R-St. Johns) and SB 916 by Senator Debbie Mayfield (RMelbourne) provide that authority over operational oversight, management, and day-to-day administration of each spaceport in Florida is vested in the spaceport’s director or commander, require each spaceport to develop and maintain an operational governance plan, require each spaceport to maintain an updated list of spaceport site readiness development project, define the term “quintimodal transportation hub”, and require Space Florida to enhance and promote development and use of such hubs in Florida. The proposed effective date is July 1, 2026. (House Staff Analysis)
HB 335 passed the House Industries and Professional Activities Subcommittee on Jan. 21 by a vote of 14-0.
Special District Funding – SB 214 by Sen. Stan McClain (R-Ocala) and HB 273 by Rep. Chad Johnson (R-Newberry) expand invoice payment provisions for rural communities to include certain special districts and broaden the definition of “rural community” to encompass those districts. The proposed effective date is July 1, 2026. (Senate Staff Analysis / House Analysis)
SB 214 passed the Senate Commerce and Tourism on Jan. 21 by a vote of 10-0.
HB 273 passed the House Housing, Agriculture and Tourism Subcommittee on Jan. 21 by a vote of 15-0.
Transportation – CS/HB 543 by Rep. Fiona McFarland (R-Sarasota) and SB 1274 by Sen. Nick DiCeglie (R-St. Petersburg) make a number of changes to laws related to transportation, including increasing the minimum perception reaction time of all steady yellow signals, requiring certain seaports to submit annual report describing measures taken to support commercial space launch, prohibiting certain seaports from converting planned or existing land, facilities, or infrastructure that supports cargo purposes unless specified conditions are met, requiring the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to implement a Next-generation Traffic Signal Modernization Grant Program, and providing counties and municipalities the flexibility to set lower speed limits for local streets and highways in a residence district. The proposed effective date is July 1, 2026. (House Staff Analysis)
HB 543 passed the House Commerce Committee on Jan. 21 by a vote of 21-0.
Tributaries of St. Johns River – CS/HB 981 by Rep. Wyman Duggan (R-Jacksonville) and CS/SB 1066 by Sen. Jason Brodeur (R-Lake Mary) require the Department of Environmental Protection to hire a project lead by Aug. 31, 2026, with expertise in conservation and recreation planning. The bills require the development of a project plan for Ocklawaha River
restoration by July 1, 2027, establish the Northeast Florida River and Springs Recreation and Economic Development Advisory Council to recommend outdoor recreation, require the department to create a grant program for river communities to implement the outdoor recreation plan, and instruct the Department of Commerce to develop and implement an aligning economic development program for Marion and Putnam Counties. The bill takes effect upon becoming law. (House Staff Analysis / Senate Staff Analysis)
HB 981 passed the House Natural Resources and Disasters Subcommittee on Jan. 20 by a vote of 16-0. SB 1066 passed the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee on Jan. 20 by a vote of 8-0.
Bills on the Agenda Next Week
Note: Short committee notice period during session. House Committees notice by 5 pm two days before. Senate Committees notice by 2:30 pm three days before.
Senate Rules Committee – Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 9 am
• SB 48 – Housing by Sen. Gaetz
• SB 168 – Public Nuisances by Sen. Truenow
• SB 290 – Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services by Sen. Truenow
Senate Judiciary Committee – Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 1 pm
• SB 332 – Public Meetings by Sen. Bradley
Senate Community Affairs Committee – Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 3:30 pm
• SB 218 –Land Use Regulations by Sen. Gaetz
• SB 380 – Legal Notices by Sen. Trumbull
• SB 948 – Local Government Land Development Regulations and Orders by Sen. McClain
• SB 1020 – Regulation of Chickees by Sen. Truenow
• SB 1180 – Community Development District Recall Elections by Sen. Arrington
• SB 1434 – Infill Redevelopment by Sen. Calatayud
• SB 1444 – Preemption to the State by Sen. Martin
Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee – Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 3:30 pm
• SB 558 – Standards for Storm Water Systems by Sen. Burgess
• SB 1628 – Net-zero Policies by Governmental Entities by Sen. Avila