The Florida Legislative session is just days away, and while a comprehensive list of all pending legislation is enormous, here are the top 10 most important bills and topics expected to dominate the discussion this year:
While no bill has been officially filed to completely eliminate property tax in 2026, the movement for massive tax relief is gaining momentum. This topic is expected to be a major priority, especially as Governor DeSantis has proposed his own separate property tax elimination scheme.
This Democratic-filed bill is considered one of the session’s most important. If passed, it would open up the “treasure chest” of tourism development tax money (hotel fees paid by tourists) for other government purposes beyond improving tourism destinations and marketing. Given the Governor’s mention of using these funds to offset losses from property tax reductions, this bill, or something similar, has a very good chance of passing.
Filed by State Senator Don Gaetz, this bill aims to stop local governments from regulating accessory dwelling units, giving property owners the freedom to build and rent out structures like “mother-in-law sheds.” With Florida facing a serious affordability problem and Gaetz being a “power player” in the Senate, this bill is predicted to have a very good chance of passing.
Another significant bill from Senator Gaetz, SB 126 would cap the amount of profit a public utility—like FPL—can make. This sweeping change is intended to make insane rate hikes a thing of the past. While it would negatively affect large businesses with strong lobbying in Tallahassee, the bill is significant enough that it could “shake up the entire state.”
Representative Holcomb’s bill would create 12-year term limits for county commissioners and school board members. With a Republican sponsor and referral to three committees, it’s given a 50-50 shot at passage.
Filed by Fort Lauderdale Democrat Daryl Campbell, this bill would require a pregnancy test for women not released within 72 hours of an arrest. It also includes provisions to allow some sentenced women to delay their incarceration until after their pregnancy ends.
Brand new House member Nathan Boyles filed this bill to increase regulations on solar farms around the state. The move comes after an FPL solar plant near his home allegedly caused runoff that flooded homes. The bill targets FPL, a company that has “made several enemies this session,” suggesting it may have enough support to move forward.
Another bill by Representative Boyles would institute a performance report for local judges based on the number of cases they are able to clear each year. This is expected to be a contentious item that is “likely to piss off a lot of local judges.”
This bill, filed by State House member Juan Carlos Porras, aims to stop seniors from paying all property taxes on homesteaded property, excluding school taxes. It would also prevent local governments from cutting law enforcement budgets to compensate. While only given a 1/10 chance of passing, the bill speaks to the strong momentum for property tax reduction on homesteaded properties.
Sponsored by Republicans and referred to three committees, this bill would require all state of Florida documents to refer to the area now called the West Bank as Judea and Samaria, its biblical names. The bill’s lack of “tangible results” other than government communications leads to doubts about the legislature spending significant time on it, with a predicted 3/10 chance of passing.
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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