Where property tax cuts, other bills stand in the Florida Legislature
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We're nearing the halfway mark of this year's legislative session.
Why it matters: Everything from funding our local governments to AI regulation will be decided in the coming weeks, and a clearer picture is emerging on which bills are gaining traction and which aren't.
- Here's where the bills we're monitoring stand.
🏃 On the move
💰 Property taxes galore: Three of seven proposed constitutional amendments aimed at slashing property taxes have sailed through committees and now head to the state House floor for a vote.
- HJR 203 would phase out non-school property taxes on primary residences between 2027 and 2037, adding $100,000 in exemptions each year until they're gone.
- HJR 209 would increase the existing homestead exemption of $25,000 by $200,000 for homeowners with "comprehensive homeowners property insurance."
- HJR 213 would shift property tax assessments by counties and cities from annual to every three years, with increases capped at 3% for primary residences and 15% for other properties.
Friction point: None of these proposals has a counterpart in the upper chamber — but if either passes the House, it would go to the Senate, which could take it up and assign it to committees, or let it die.
👀 Ballot referenda to elect Hillsborough County's superintendent and to expand the county commission have cleared their final committee stops and now head to the full House floor Feb. 11.
🪪 Isaiah's law: HB 35, which is named after an 18-year-old killed in a hit-and-run in Hillsborough County, would designate those with three convictions of driving without a license as habitual traffic offenders.
- The bill has passed all its committee stops and is now headed to the House floor for a vote. Its counterpart in the Senate has cleared its first committee stop and has two more to go.
🤖 AI regulation: Florida's "AI Bill of Rights" has passed its first committee with bipartisan support.
- The legislation would, in part, require AI platforms like OpenAI or Claude to bar minors from creating an account or maintaining an account without consent from a parent or guardian.
- The Computer and Communications Industry Association, which represents Apple, Google and Meta, is opposed to the bill.
🧍 Trailing behind
🛑 Among the bills that have stalled: A bill to bar insurers from relying on AI alone when denying claims, and one to rename campus roadways in Tampa Bay after slain political activist Charlie Kirk.