Florida Legislative Issues July 2024
The Florida Legislature typically meets in a regular session annually. The regular session usually begins on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March. Therefore, in 2025, the Florida Legislature's regular session will likely start on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. The session typically lasts for 60 calendar days.
In 2025, the Florida Legislature is expected to address several significant issues:
1. **Homeowners' Insurance**: The ongoing homeowners' insurance crisis in Florida remains a critical concern. Legislation aims to lower insurance premiums through programs like PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy), which helps finance home improvements that can reduce insurance costs and improve property resilience against storms.
2. **Education Reform**: There is a continued focus on K-12 and higher education reforms, including potential adjustments to school choice programs, funding for public schools, and higher education policies.
3. **Health Care**: Health care access and affordability, including Medicaid expansion and addressing the state's mental health crisis, are high on the agenda.
4. **Environmental Issues**: Legislation to address climate change, water quality, and land conservation will be crucial. This includes efforts to mitigate the impact of red tide and other environmental hazards.
5. **Affordable Housing**: Addressing the eviction crisis and increasing the availability of affordable housing will be key topics. This includes potential reforms to tenant protections and housing development incentives
6. **Economic Development**: Policies to boost economic growth, support small businesses, and create jobs will be discussed, alongside measures to regulate corporate buyouts and protect local economies.
7. **Public Safety and Gun Control**: Debates on public safety measures, including gun control and law enforcement reforms, will continue to be prominent.
These issues reflect ongoing challenges and priorities within the state, aiming to address both immediate and long-term needs of Florida's residents.
In 2025, Florida is considering a state Historic Tax Credit (HTC) program aimed at promoting the rehabilitation of historic properties. Senate Bill 1166 proposes a state HTC of 20% for qualified rehabilitation expenditures (QREs). Properties in active Main Street program areas can receive an additional 10% bonus. The bill includes caps of $200,000 per project annually and $1 million for multiyear projects, with a total statewide annual cap of $25 million. If enacted, the bill would take effect on July 1, 2025, continuing the state's efforts to support historic preservation.