2026 Legislative Items Being Watched

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The regularly scheduled 2026 Legislative Session ended on March 13 without the passage of a state spending plan, with many bills left on the floor and in Committees without action, and with the outcome of property tax reform unsettled.  Lawmaker are to return next month for the purposes of adopting the budget.  What is left to know is whether any additional issues will be added to the call.

Below is a list of bills we have identified on your behalf.  This listing will be regularly updated, and will include any action that you, your agency, your city/county may wish to consider taking.  We encourage you to review the bills below, including reading the text of the proposals which can be found by clicking on the links for each bill.  As proposals make their way through their first committees and have Committee Substitutes filed.  we will provide you the link to the Committee Substitute in the tables which show progress on each of the individual bills.  As always, we suggest that you analyze the language and conduct your own assessment of how the language may impact any local policies, procedures, or practices that you may have within your agency/city/county.

As always we encourage you to bookmark this page and review it on a regular basis as things happen quickly during session.


FRPA contracts for additional legislative representation.  We are currently working with Ramba Consulting Group who assists in monitoring legislation, crafting amendments, and all things legislative.  Weekly reports are received at the FRPA Executive Office, and we are sharing those reports here so you can stay abreast of not only action on bills we are following, but also general information about the political climate during session.

Ramba Report - November 7, 2025
Ramba Report - December 5, 2025
Ramba Report - December 12, 2025
Ramba Report - January 16, 2026
Ramba Report - January 23, 2026
Ramba Report - January 30, 2026
Ramba Report - February 6, 2026
Ramba Report - February 13, 2026
Ramba Report - February 20, 2026
Ramba Report - February 27, 2026
Ramba Report - March 6, 2026
Ramba Report - March 13, 2026

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PROPERTY TAX REFORM

Due to the large volume of legislative proposals relative to Property Tax Reform, we have created a dedicated page for this subject.  The page will have legislative proposals (in the same format as the bill listings below), as well as helpful resources you can utilize for informing your constituents.  
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ASSESSMENTS LEVIED ON RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARKS

SB 118 by Senator Truenow
HB 39 by Representative Nix

Providing that certain special assessments on recreational vehicle parks levied by counties, municipalities, and special districts, respectively, may not be levied against a certain portion of a recreational vehicle parking space or campsite; requiring counties, municipalities, and special districts, respectively, to consider a recreational vehicle park’s occupancy rates for a certain purpose, etc.
FRPA Position:  Monitor only

Status of CS/CS/SB 118

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ATHLETIC COACH BACKGROUND SCREENING

SB 1168 by Senator Grall
HB 1069 by Representative Trabulsy 

Provides that independent sanctioning authority is deemed to be a qualified entity for purpose of participating in Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse; authorizes person who has not undergone certain background screening to act as athletic coach if he or she is under direct supervision of athletic coach who meets certain background screening requirements.

Status of CS/CS/HB 1069

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ELECTRIC BICYCLES, SCOOTERS, MOTORCYCLES

HB 243 by Representatives Benarroch ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Blanco ; Cobb ; Gossett-Seidman ; Spencer ; Tant
SB 382 by Senator Truenow

Requires certain crash reports to include certain information; requires state to maintain certain statistics; prohibits person from operating class 3 electric bicycle without certain license; provides requirements for such operation; prohibits certain persons from operating certain motorcycles; revises requirements for certain learner's driver license education course; requires minimum number of questions in test bank for Class E driver license to cover safe electric bicycle & motorized scooter operation; provides various penalties.

Status of CS/SB 382

 
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ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS MADE TO UNITS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

HB 967 by Representative Buchanan
SB 1612 by Senator DiCeglie

Requires units of local government to accept certain forms of payments; requires such local governments accept payments online.

Status of HB 967

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT SPENDING

SB 1566 by Senator DiCeglie
HB 1329 by Representative Benarroch

Citing this act as the “Local Government Financial Transparency and Accountability Act”; revising the timeframe during which tentative budgets, and the length of time for which final budgets, must be posted on county websites; revising the timeframe during which a public hearing for an amendment to a county budget must be advertised; prohibiting a local government from expending public funds for the purpose of diversity, equity, and inclusion; requiring the Chief Financial Officer to conduct a specified evaluation, etc.

Status of CS/CS/HB 1329

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NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS FOR IMPROVING COASTAL RESILIENCE

CS/CS/SB 302 by Senator Garcia   Approved by Governor on 3/19/2026
HB 1035 by Representative Mooney - substituted Senate Bill

Nature-based Solutions for Improving Coastal Resilience; Requiring the Department of Environmental Protection to adopt rules and guidelines for nature-based solutions for improving coastal resilience; requiring the department, in consultation with the Division of Insurance Agent and Agency Services of the Department of Financial Services, to conduct a statewide feasibility study regarding the value of nature-based solutions being used for a specified purpose, etc. APPROPRIATION: $250,000

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OFFICIAL ACTIONS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

SB 1134 by Senator Yarbrough
HB 1001 by Representative Black

Prohibiting counties and municipalities, respectively, from funding or promoting or taking official action as it relates to diversity, equity, and inclusion; providing that certain ordinances, resolutions, rules, regulations, programs, and policies are void; providing that a county commissioner, a member of the governing body of a municipality, or any other county or municipal official acting in an official capacity who violates certain provisions commits misfeasance or malfeasance in office, etc.

Status of CS/CS/SB 1134

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ONE-CENT PIECE

HB 951 by Representative McFarland
SB 1074 by Senator Gaetz

Authorizes dealers to round to nearest nickel in certain circumstances; provides procedures for such rounding; requires tax due on rounded transactions to be calculated on price before rounding; provides that rounding to nearest nickel is not deceptive & unfair trade practice in certain circumstances.
Note:  There are difference in these two bills, one allows, and one requires.  Read language carefully to assess impact on your operations.

Status of CS/SB 1074

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SEXUAL OFFENDERS AND SEXUAL PREDATORS

SB 212 by Senator McClain
CS/HB 45 by Representatives Plakon; Baker; Barnaby

Revises definitions of terms "public swimming pool" & "public pool"; defines "public bathing place"; revises residency restrictions for persons convicted of certain sexual offenses; revises requirements for search of sexual predator or sexual offender registration information by state agency or governmental subdivision before appointing or employing person to work; revises special conditions for certain sexual offenders subject to conditional release supervision; revises standard conditions of probation or community control for certain sexual offenders.
FRPA Position: Support

Status of CS/CS/CS/SB 212

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SUITS AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT

HB 145 by Representative McFarland
SB 1366 by Senators Brodeur and Rouson

Suits Against the Government; Increases statutory limits on liability for tort claims against state & its agencies & subdivisions; authorizes subdivision of state to settle claim in excess of statutory limit without legislative action regardless of insurance coverage limits; prohibits insurance policy from conditioning benefits on enactment of claim bill; specifies that limitations in effect on date claim accrues apply to that claim; revises period within which certain claims must be presented; revises exceptions relating to instituting tort claims against state or agencies or subdivisions; revises period after which failure of certain entities to make final disposition of claim shall be deemed final denial of claim for certain purposes; revises statute of limitations for tort claims against state or agencies or subdivisions & exceptions thereto.

Increases statutory liability limits for tort claims against governmental entities, streamlines claim procedures, and adjusts statutes of limitation and insurance provisions while creating new exceptions for specific victims.

• Raises sovereign immunity caps in multiple phases, reaching as high as $600,000 per individual claim and $1.2 million per incident after October 1, 2031.
• Empowers local governments to settle claims in excess of these limits without further legislative action and prohibits insurers from requiring enactment of a claim bill as a condition of coverage.
• Shortens from 3 years to 18 months the timeframe for presenting tort claims to an agency and reduces the statute of limitations for negligence suits from 4 years to 2 years.
• Removes the time limit for filing claims arising from sexual battery against a minor under age 16 and updates notice requirements for certain wrongful death or medical malpractice claims.
• Amends and reenacts numerous statutory references to align with the updated liability limits and procedures.
  

FRPA Position:  The portion of this proposal that increases the limits for tort claims is not favorable to local governments.  However, the portion that reduces the statue of limitations on claims and time of claim filing does appear to be better than existing law.

Status of HB 145

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SWIMMING LESSON VOUCHER PROGRAM

HB 85 by Representative Kendall
SB 428 by Senator Yarborough

Revises age requirements for children receiving voucher through Swimming Lesson Voucher Program from 1-4, to 1-7.
FRPA Position:  Support

Status of SB 428

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NO FINAL ACTION TAKEN



ADOPTION AND DISPLAY OF FLAGS BY GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES
SB 426 by Senator Yarborough   Died in committee
HB 347 by Representative Borrero   Died in Government Operations Subcommittee
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BEACH MANAGEMENT

SB 636 by Senator Leek
HB 1297 by Representative Greco   Died in State Affairs Committee

Requiring the Department of Environmental Protection to review certain data when designating certain beaches as critically eroded and in need of restoration and nourishment; requiring that certain beaches, whose local government preserved funds for a certain purpose and which possess specified features, be designated as critically eroded; revising the list of areas that may receive designation as an area of critical state concern, etc.

Status of SB 636

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CARRYING A HANDGUN, WEAPON, OR FIREARM

HB 321 by Representative Hunschofsky   Died in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
SB 406 by Senator Polsky   Died in committee
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DROWNING PREVENTION EDUCATION

SB 606 by Senator Smith
HB 503 by Representatives Eskamani ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Campbell ; Harris

Requiring the Department of Health to develop educational materials on drowning prevention safety measures and safe bathing practices for specified purposes; providing requirements for such materials; requiring hospitals, birth centers, and home birth providers to provide the educational materials to new parents and caregivers as part of their postpartum education and care, etc.

Status of SB 606

Status of HB 503

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GOLF COURSES

SB 544 by Senator Truenow
HB 495 by Representative Albert   Died in Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee

Creating the “Golf Course Best Management Practices Certification Act”; providing legislative findings and intent regarding golf course best management practices certification; providing for a type two transfer of the Golf Course Best Management Practices Certification program in the Department of Environmental Protection to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, etc.

Status of SB 544

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PARKING ON PUBLIC PROPERTY

SB 910 by Senator Mayfield   Died in committee
HB 323 by Representative Steele   Died in Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee

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PROTECTION OF HISTORIC MONUMENTS AND MEMORIALS

SB 496 by Senator McClain   Died in committee
HB 455 by Representative Jacques Died in State Affairs Committee

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PUBLIC WATERS

HB 669 by Representative Gossett-Siedman  Died in State Affairs Committee
SB 1042 by Senator Rodriguez    Died in committee

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SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES

SB 986 by Senator Gruters
HB 389 by Representative Tendrich   Died in Health & Human Services Committee

Revises legislative intent; defines "public place"; revises definition of terms "smoking" & "vape" or "vaping"; prohibits smoking in public places in this state, with exceptions; provides applicability; revises requirements for customs smoking rooms to prohibit smoking & vaping of marijuana products at any time.

Status of SB 986

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TOURIST DEVELOPMENT TAXES

SB 454 by Senator Smith   Died in committee
HB 6007 by Representative  Eskamani   Died in Ways & Means Committee 
SB 456 by Senator Smith   Died in committee
SB 458 by Senator Smith   Died in committee
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