The House and Senate budget conferees were assigned two weeks ago. While both sides are optimistic that discussions are going well, no formal budget conference meeting schedules had been posted as of Feb. 27.<\/p>\n
Both chambers have released their tax packages (i.e. sales tax holidays) revealing significant differences that have yet to be reconciled. Property tax relief proposals are likely to be debated in a special session.<\/p>\n
The $113.6 billion House spending plan is close to $1 billion below last year\u2019s final state budget of $114.8 billion. The Senate\u2019s budget proposal is $115 billion, while Gov. Ron DeSantis\u2019 current proposed budget is $117.4 billion.<\/p>\n
With just over one week to go before the planned end of session on March 13, the need for an extension becomes more likely every day.<\/p>\n
BILL UPDATES<\/p>\n
\u2013 Blue Ribbon Projects \u2014 SB 354\/HB 299: The Senate version allows administrative approval of developments on 10,000 or more acres as long as it meets certain parameters. The House version was substantially amended and passed by a vote of 21-5 in its last committee stop last week. The amended bill increases the required Blue Ribbon project to be 15,000 acres, rather than the original 10,000, and restores the eliminated public hearing process to add two public hearings to the requirements of the bill. The House version also grants the ability of a local government to reject the Blue Ribbon project if there were \u201csubstantial inconsistencies\u201d with the local comprehensive plan. However, when asked for a definition of such an inconsistency, no examples were provided. The bill was presented as a smart growth opportunity by its supporters, while its opponents characterized it as damaging and incentivizes sprawl. The unamended Senate version was set to be heard in the Senate Rules Committee on March 3.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Agricultural Enclaves \u2014 SB 686\/HB 691: Local government preemption bill that encourages sprawl in rural areas. SB 686 passed its final committee and the full Senate last week with only two votes of opposition. HB 691 passed its final committee the prior week with an amendment that made the bill worse by allowing maximum density (industrial\/commercial) if the land is adjacent to an interstate highway. The premise of the bill will allow lands adjacent to those newly zoned commercial lands to also be considered for increased density (domino effect), hastening sprawl. The House bill was waiting to be voted on by the full House as of Feb. 27.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Nature-based Coastal Resiliency \u2014 SB 302\/HB1035: Develops guidelines and promotes nature-based solutions for coastal resiliency. SB 302 passed the full Senate two weeks ago by a vote of 38-0 and was \u201cin messages\u201d on its way to the House as of Feb. 27. There was a surprising local coastal protection amendment tacked on to the bill that would block future dredging around the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve in Manatee County, where there is a controversial effort to build a large cruise ship port at the mouth of Tampa Bay. Project proponents say the construction of a new port would cause irreversible damage to one of the most environmentally sensitive areas on Florida\u2019s west coast. HB 1035 has also passed its two assigned committees and was scheduled to be heard on the House floor next as of Feb. 27, though no date had been posted.<\/p>\n
\u2013 FL Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FL Farm bill) \u2014 SB 290\/HB 433: The worst element of the Senate version \u2014 the disparagement (a.k.a. muzzle) clause \u2014 has been stripped from the bill. It was passed by the full Senate and sent to the House for its consideration. HB 433 still contains this damaging section and still had to be heard in one more committee as of Feb. 27. Another bad element of both bills \u2014 the language to surplus \u201csuitable\u201d state conservation lands for agricultural uses \u2014 was amended on the Senate floor to exempt state parks\/forests, wildlife management areas, and lands approved for Everglades restoration. The House adopted the Senate changes in its last committee stop, State Affairs, and passed 22-3 with some concerns still expressed about the section that requires certain state conservation land be sold as surplus for agricultural purposes.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Conservation Lands \u2014 SB 546\/HB 441: Adds transparency to any proposed sale of conservation land. HB 441 passed unanimously in the House and was sent to the Senate, where it adopted the House version and also passed it unanimously last week.<\/p>\n
Check out our 2026 Legislative Tracker at https:\/\/sccf.org\/what-we-do\/2026-legislative-session\/<\/a> to see a table of the bills that the SCCF is following, updated daily during session.<\/p>\n Holly Schwartz is policy associate for the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF). Founded in 1967, the SCCF\u2019s mission is to protect and care for Southwest Florida\u2019s coastal ecosystems. For more information, visit sccf.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n