Yesterday, 3/25 the Florida House Housing, Agriculture, and Tourism subcommittee passed HB 943 with only one nay vote from Rep. Joe Casello .
- Given we are currently in week 4 of the Florida Legislative Session and the bill has 2 more subcommittees to navigate, we have time to continue to express our opposition to Representative Vicki Lopez's HB 943 - Real Property and Land Use Development.
- HB 943 will be considered at the Intergovernmental Affairs subcommittee and as of today it has not been added to their agenda. We should reach out by email and phone to Chair, Alex Rizo.
If that wasn't enough, we have another (very) bad bill to consider.
Last night, Our City Attorney Ralf Brookes mentioned HB 1535 passed first committee. HB 1535 is now referred to the Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development (often abbreviated as TED) for budget review.
In part, HB 1535 aims to streamline Florida’s response to hurricanes, addressing debris management costs, recovery delays, and local preparedness gaps.
In reality, Section 22 specifies that for two years after a hurricane makes landfall, an impacted local government may not propose or adopt:
(a) A moratorium on construction, reconstruction, or redevelopment of any property.
(b) A more restrictive or burdensome amendment to its comprehensive plan or land development regulations.
(c) A more restrictive or burdensome procedure concerning review, approval, or issuance of a site plan, development permit, or development order, to the extent that those terms are defined in s.163.3164
Ultimately, this dangerous legislation further erodes home rule, forcing St. Pete Beach to prioritize speed over stability, amplifying risks from December 2024’s infrastructure failings.
Residents will foot the bill when sewers, drainage, or roads can’t handle rebuilding —facing repair costs, tax hikes, and lost value or income. Without local control over our rebuilding to fix what’s broken, passing this bill sets a financial trap and further overburdens our unstable foundation.
SPB Call to Action
Email or Call:
- HB 1535 Sponsor, Representative Fiona McFarland
- Representative Kimberly Berfield, District 58 from Clearwater, serves on the Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development. Her committee is set to hear HB 1535 in the next week.