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Studio 67Florida Tightens Rules for E-Bikes and Micromobility Devices Near Pedestrians
SB 382 – Sen. Keith Truenow (HB 243 – Rep. Yvette Benarroch)
SB 290 updates Florida agricultural policy by preempting local restrictions on gasoline-powered farm and landscape equipment, expanding oversight of biosolids processing, and revising how surplus state lands are evaluated for agricultural use. The bill may affect county wastewater operations, environmental regulations, and rural land use planning.
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Historic Cemeteries Could Gain Development Flexibility for Adjacent Land
HB 425 – Rep. Wallce Aristide (SB 34 – Sen. Barbara Sharief)
The bill requires local governments to approve certain land use and zoning changes for excess vacant land owned by historic African-American cemeteries when the land is sold to fund cemetery maintenance, potentially limiting local land-use discretion.
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Modernizing Florida Motor Carrier Licensing, Fuel Tax Administration, and Crash Reporting Requirements
SB 488 – Sen. Blaise Ingoglia Massullo Jr. (HB 937 – Rep. Taylor Yarkosky)
SB 488 updates several transportation statutes administered by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The bill requires certain motor carriers operating qualified commercial vehicles to obtain licensure under the International Fuel Tax Agreement instead of state registration, revises motor fuel tax reporting and enforcement provisions, authorizes additional DHSMV record inspection authority, allows electronic notification for certain licensing actions, updates vehicle registration documentation requirements, and modifies crash reporting thresholds. The changes primarily modernize state administrative processes with limited operational impacts for counties.
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Counties Must Add Mobile Home Strategies to Local Housing Plans
SB 594 – Sen. Colleen Burton (HB 267 – Rep. Hillary Cassel Stark)
SB 594 requires counties and eligible municipalities participating in the SHIP program to include strategies in their local housing assistance plans addressing mobile homeowners, including potential lot rental assistance for up to six months. The bill also expands eligibility for mobile home rehabilitation and repair assistance. Effective July 1, 2026.
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Farmland Surrounded by Growth Could Move Faster Into Development Review
SB 686 – Sen. Stan McClain (HB 691 – Rep. Adam Botana)
SB 686 by Sen. McClain (HB 691 by Rep. Botana) passed both chambers and creates a new county certification process for agricultural enclaves, potentially limiting county land-use discretion, accelerating review timelines, and increasing administrative and infrastructure coordination demands.
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New State Rules Standardize Building Permits and Expand Private Inspection Options
HB 803 – Rep. Dana Trabulsy (SB 1234 – Sen. Nick DiCeglie)
CS/CS/HB 803 updates Florida’s building permit and inspection laws, creates a uniform statewide permit application, expands the use of private provider inspections, and requires local governments to allow certain offsite-constructed homes in single-family zoning districts. The bill may require counties to update permitting processes and zoning regulations.
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Faster Development Approvals Required for Larger Counties Through Pre-Application Reviews and Private Contractors
HB 927 – Rep. Judson Sapp (SB 1138 – Sen. Ralph Massullo Jr.)
The bill requires larger counties and municipalities to establish development preapplication consultation programs, expands the use of private contractors in development review, and imposes strict deadlines for permit decisions. Applications may be deemed approved if local governments fail to act within statutory timelines. Effective July 1, 2026.
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Tribal Chickee Structures Protected from Local Regulation
HB 929 – Rep. Nan Cobb (SB 1020 – Sen. Keith Truenow)
HB 929 restricts counties and municipalities from prohibiting Seminole or Miccosukee tribal members from constructing traditional chickees under specified spacing standards. The bill also limits local regulations beyond federal floodplain standards, expands the statutory chickee definition, and provides exemptions from certain building and fire codes.
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Farms Excluded from Live Local Zoning Loophole for Affordable Housing Projects
SB 962 – Sen. Jennifer Bradley (HB 837 – Rep. Vicki Lopez)
Florida lawmakers clarified that farms and agricultural operations cannot be treated as commercial or mixed-use land under the Live Local Act. The change prevents affordable housing developers from using agricultural zoning categories to trigger the Act’s provisions requiring local approval of certain affordable housing developments.
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Counties Face Broader Affordable Housing Preemption and New Tax-Exemption Rules
HB 1389 – Rep. Mike Redondo (SB 1548 – Sen. Alexis Calatayud)
The bill expands affordable housing preemption, limits county zoning discretion, revises local opt-out rules for property-tax exemptions, preserves airport-zoning authority, and increases potential county legal and administrative exposure related to housing development approvals.
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Brownfield Infill Housing Allowed on Certain Contaminated Urban Parcels
SB 1434 – Sen. Alexis Calatayud (HB 979 – Rep. David Borrero)
CS/CS/SB 1434 creates the Infill Redevelopment Act requiring local governments in certain large counties to administratively approve residential development on qualifying brownfield or previously developed parcels. The bill preempts conflicting local zoning regulations, establishes density limits, and shifts review authority from governing boards to administrative approval processes.
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Building Code Fee Surpluses: Counties Lose Ability to Fund Department Facilities
SB 1614 – Sen. Tom Leek (HB 1169 – Rep. Chase Tramont)
SB 1614 removes local governments’ authority to use excess Florida Building Code enforcement funds to construct facilities for building departments. Counties may still use surplus funds for fee rebates, technology upgrades, and training. Effective July 1, 2026.
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Presented by the Florida Association of Counties, this initiative helps Floridians understand what’s at stake when it comes to local decision-making, public services, and the everyday systems that keep our communities strong. It’s about protecting what works, preserving what matters, and ensuring Florida remains a place where freedom and local decision-making go hand in hand.