March 17, 2025
Last week concluded the second full week of Florida’s 2025 legislative session. While busy, the third and fourth weeks are expected to see bills moving through committees at breakneck speed. Among those to watch are:
- Impact Fees/Art Fees. Designed to stop local government from circumventing fee caps by defining extraordinary circumstances. As bill currently stands, no county/city meets extraordinary circumstances but that strict definition may not hold. The view is getting positive feedback in the House and Senate thus far.
- Contractor Fraud. Designed to punish bad it may accidentally entangle reputable builders. House Bill assigned to four committees of reference so it will not likely pass in time. Senate bill has more traction. FHBA supports the concept and continues to work with appropriate persons to refine language.
- Mitigation Banking. Expands mitigation banking opportunities (including utilizing credits from adjacent basins), offering builders greater flexibility and certainty in meeting environmental requirements. The bill was passed favorably out of its first Senate Committee and will be heard in its first committee of reference in the House this week.
- Distributed Wastewater Treatment System Permits. New technology definitions for DWTS. Allows installation to proceed without further agency action under certain circumstances. The bill was passed favorably out of its first committee of reference.
- Affordable Housing. Requiring local government to adopt an ordinance to allow accessory dwelling units in certain areas and authorizing a density bonus. These bills were passed favorably out of their first committees of reference.
- Building Permits for a Single-family Dwelling. Prohibiting the expiration of certain building permits issued by a county or a local government, respectively, before building code change; specifying that certain permit applications are deemed approved by a local government, etc. The proponents of these bills are incredible supporters of the building industry. FHBA is working closely with them to refine language to achieve the beneficial outcome intended by all.
- Florida Building Code. Prohibiting a local government from adopting a local lookback ordinance for substantial improvements or repairs to a structure which is more stringent than the Florida Building Code; providing that lookback ordinances adopted by local governments before a specified date are void and unenforceable, etc. This may be amended into a bigger package because there is no companion HB. Likely to be included in a natural disaster bill.
For more information on these topics and other bills filed with the legislature, please view the 
Bill Tracker. Your input and engagement is critical. As Vice Chair I am here to serve you, so please view me both as a resource and as an advocacy messenger. Telephone or email me any time.
I look forward to helping and hearing from you.
Justin R. Zinzow, CEO
Zinzow Law, LLC
ZinDocs, LLC
(727) 787-3121
