Committee Week Recaps

Workforce housing discussions during Committee Weeks were closely tied to broader affordability concerns and the ongoing property tax debate. However, there was meaningful interim movement on targeted housing stability measures.

Legislation advancing through House committees addresses local housing assistance plans under the SHIP program, with a particular focus on mobile home park closures and escalating lot rents. These issues continue to be recognized as a growing source of displacement for workforce households, seniors, and lower-income residents.

More comprehensive housing policy proposals are anticipated once Session begins.

Workforce development activity during Committee Weeks focused primarily on governance, coordination, and accountability, rather than major new funding initiatives.

Proposals seek to refine statewide workforce and education coordination structures to better align postsecondary education, training programs, and employer needs. This continues a multi-year legislative effort to strengthen career pathways, apprenticeships, and employer-driven workforce strategies.

Resilience emerged as one of the clearer policy areas during Committee Weeks, with legislation already advancing through the committee process.

Measures addressing nature-based and coastal resilience strategies, administered through the Department of Environmental Protection, progressed beyond their initial committee stop and are now positioned in an appropriations committee. This signals sustained legislative interest in environmentally grounded resilience solutions, particularly for coastal and flood-prone communities.

Further discussion is expected regarding implementation timelines and funding mechanisms during Session.

House Property Tax Proposals and Committee Status

Property tax reform dominated Committee Weeks discourse in the House, where leadership advanced a package of eight proposals—seven proposed constitutional amendments and one implementing bill. These proposals were framed as individual options rather than a single comprehensive reform package.

Status of the Eight House Proposals

1. HJR 201 – Elimination of Non-School Property Taxes
   Committee Status: Referred to Ways & Means
   Eliminates property taxes levied by counties, municipalities, and special districts, while preserving school district millage.
2. HJR 203 – Ten-Year Phase-Out of Non-School Property Taxes
   Committee Status: Referred to State Affairs
   Gradually phases out non-school property taxes over a ten-year period.
3. HJR 205 – Additional Homestead Exemption for Seniors (65+)
   Committee Status: Referred to Ways & Means
   Creates an additional homestead exemption for qualifying seniors based on income thresholds.
4. HJR 207 – New Homestead Exemption Equal to 25% of Assessed Value
   Committee Status: Referred to State Affairs
   Establishes a homestead exemption based on a percentage of assessed value rather than a flat dollar amount.
5. HJR 209 – Homestead Exemption Linked to Insurance Costs
   Committee Status: Reported favorably out of Ways & Means; referred to House Calendar
   Authorizes an additional homestead exemption when property insurance costs exceed a defined threshold.
6. HJR 211 – Modification of Save Our Homes Portability Limits
   Committee Status: Referred to Ways & Means
   Adjusts or removes caps on Save Our Homes assessment differential portability.
7. HJR 213 – Changes to Assessment Increase Limitations
   Committee Status: Referred to State Affairs
   Revises constitutional limits on annual increases in assessed value.
8. HB 215 – Implementing Legislation: Supermajority Requirement for Millage Increases
   Committee Status: Referred to State Affairs
   Requires a two-thirds vote of a local governing body to increase property tax millage rates and includes technical changes to Save Our Homes portability.

Committee Weeks Takeaways:
Local governments, school districts, and fiscal analysts expressed concern regarding potential impacts on public services, infrastructure investment, and bond ratings. As of the conclusion of Committee Weeks, no parallel Senate property tax package has been advanced, highlighting a significant inter-chamber policy gap.

Redistricting reemerged as a major political issue during Committee Weeks.

The House formally established a Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting and signaled an interest in advancing the issue during the interim rather than waiting for further court developments. This approach has created visible tension with the Governor and raised questions about timing and legislative priorities.

Media coverage suggests that redistricting could become a Session-dominating issue if hearings and map proposals accelerate.

House leadership designated the final week of Committee Weeks as Artificial Intelligence Week, elevating AI-related policy discussions across multiple committees.

Key policy areas under discussion included:

• Insurance and consumer protections, particularly prohibiting claims decisions based solely on automated or AI-generated outputs.
• State government AI governance, including studies and oversight by the Florida Digital Service regarding agency use of AI technologies.
• Executive branch initiatives, including the Governor’s promotion of an “AI Bill of Rights” framework focused on privacy, consumer protections, and safeguards related to deepfakes and personal likenesses.

These discussions reflect a broader legislative shift from exploratory AI conversations toward sector-specific regulatory frameworks.

Committee Weeks underscored that property taxes and redistricting are currently consuming significant political attention, with the potential to shape legislative dynamics throughout Session. Transportation, workforce development, and housing initiatives are advancing more quietly through technical and governance-focused legislation, while resilience and artificial intelligence continue to gain structured policy momentum.

Additional clarity is expected once the Legislative Session convenes and budget negotiations begin.