Florida Senate - 2026                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 1434
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì631582,Î631582                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  02/11/2026           .                                
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       The Committee on Judiciary (Calatayud) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Section 163.2525, Florida Statutes, is created
    6  to read:
    7         163.2525 Infill Redevelopment Act.—
    8         (1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the “Infill
    9  Redevelopment Act.”
   10         (2) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.—The Legislature finds that this
   11  state’s urban areas lack sufficient land for the development of
   12  additional residential uses, which has led to a shortage of
   13  supply; that parcels of land within or near urban areas are
   14  difficult to develop or redevelop because of environmental
   15  issues and local regulations; and that facilitating the
   16  expedited permitting of such parcels, particularly in areas in
   17  which multiple local governments have jurisdiction, serves
   18  important public interests in remediating environmentally
   19  challenged land and increasing the supply of housing.
   20         (3) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
   21         (a) “Adjacent to” means located next to another parcel of
   22  land or portion thereof, including where the parcels are
   23  separated only by a roadway, railroad, or other public or
   24  private right-of-way or easement.
   25         (b) “Density” has the same meaning as in s. 163.3164.
   26         (c) “Designated agricultural land” means a parcel of land
   27  within a zoning district that allows for agricultural uses such
   28  as farming, raising livestock, or aquaculture as the main
   29  permitted uses and which land is classified as agricultural land
   30  under s. 193.461.
   31         (d) “Environmentally impacted land” means a parcel of land:
   32         1. Upon any portion of which a contaminant or pollutant has
   33  been detected above the applicable local, state, or federal
   34  residential cleanup target levels from Phase II environmental
   35  site assessment activities; or
   36         2. Any portion of which is located in a brownfield area
   37  designated pursuant to s. 376.80.
   38         (e) “Local government” means a county, municipality,
   39  special district, or political subdivision of the state.
   40         (f) “Parcel of land” has the same meaning as in s.
   41  163.3164.
   42         (g) “Qualifying parcel” means a parcel of land to which
   43  this section applies under subsection (4).
   44         (h) “Recreational facilities” means one or more parcels of
   45  land any portion of which was previously used as a golf course,
   46  tennis court, swimming pool, or clubhouse, or another similar
   47  use.
   48         (i) “Townhouse” means a single-family dwelling unit that is
   49  constructed in a series or group of attached units with property
   50  lines separating such units.
   51         (j) Urban growth boundary” means a boundary established by
   52  a comprehensive plan or land development regulation beyond which
   53  the provision of urban services or facilities is limited. The
   54  term includes, but is not limited to, urban development
   55  boundaries and urban service boundaries.
   56         (4) QUALIFYING PARCELS.—
   57         (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), this section
   58  applies to environmentally impacted land consisting of at least
   59  5 acres adjacent to a parcel of land within the same
   60  jurisdiction which is zoned for residential uses as of right and
   61  which is within a county that meets both of the following
   62  requirements:
   63         1. The county has a population of more than 1.475 million
   64  people according to the most recent decennial census.
   65         2. There are at least 15 municipalities within the county.
   66         (b) This section does not apply to any of the following:
   67         1. Designated agricultural land.
   68         2. Land owned or operated by a local government for public
   69  park purposes.
   70         3. Land outside an urban growth boundary.
   71         4. Land within one-quarter mile of a military installation
   72  identified in s. 163.3175(2).
   73         5. Land that is owned, or that was owned at any time within
   74  the 15 years preceding the effective date of this act, by a
   75  public utility as defined in s. 366.02.
   76         (5) DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS.—Notwithstanding any local law,
   77  ordinance, or regulation, a local government shall permit a
   78  qualifying parcel to be developed with residential uses. To
   79  ensure compatibility with the character of the local community,
   80  the density of development authorized under this section may not
   81  exceed the average density of all zoning districts within the
   82  same jurisdiction which are applicable to parcels adjacent to
   83  the qualifying parcel and which allow residential uses as of
   84  right or 25 dwelling units per acre, whichever is lower. The
   85  intensity of development must comply with the standards
   86  applicable to any parcel adjacent to the qualifying parcel.
   87         (6) SUBDIVISION APPROVAL.—A local government must
   88  administratively approve an application for the subdivision of a
   89  qualifying parcel if the application satisfies the requirements
   90  of chapter 177. A local government may not use the subdivision
   91  process to restrict development below the density and intensity
   92  authorized under subsection (5).
   93         (7) BUFFER FROM RESIDENTIAL USES.—If a qualifying parcel is
   94  adjacent to single-family homes or townhouses on all sides, the
   95  developer must provide a buffer of at least 20 feet between the
   96  new development and the single-family homes or townhouses. The
   97  buffer area must be measured from lot line to lot line and must
   98  be maintained as open space or improved with passive
   99  recreational facilities accessible to the community. For
  100  purposes of this subsection, swales and water retention areas
  101  are considered open space.
  102         (8) RECREATIONAL FACILITIES.—
  103         (a) If a qualifying parcel includes recreational facilities
  104  or areas reserved for recreational use and such recreational
  105  facilities or areas are adjacent to single-family homes on all
  106  sides, the developer must do all of the following:
  107         1. Establish that such facilities or areas, or portions
  108  thereof, located on the qualifying parcel have not been in
  109  operation or in use for a period of at least 12 consecutive
  110  months.
  111         2. Pay double the applicable parks or recreational
  112  facilities impact fee that would otherwise apply to the proposed
  113  development, to compensate for the loss of open or recreational
  114  space.
  115         3. Provide written notice delivered by certified mail to
  116  all owners of property adjacent to the recreational facilities
  117  or areas, which notice includes all of the following
  118  information:
  119         a. That the developer intends to develop the parcel in
  120  accordance with this section.
  121         b. That the adjacent property owners may elect to purchase
  122  the parcel or portion thereof containing recreational facilities
  123  or areas for the purpose of maintaining the parcel, or portions
  124  thereof, as recreational areas or open space within 90 days
  125  after the date the notice is mailed.
  126         c. The price at which the adjacent property owners may
  127  purchase the property.
  128         (b) Property owners who receive the notice required under
  129  subparagraph (a)3. and wish to exercise the option to purchase
  130  the parcel or portion thereof containing the recreational
  131  facilities or areas must exercise the option and close on the
  132  property, and accept a deed restriction or record a restrictive
  133  covenant requiring the property to be maintained as a
  134  recreational area or open space for at least 30 years, within 90
  135  days after the notice is mailed or forfeit the option. The
  136  parcel or portion thereof must be offered to such property
  137  owners for purchase at a price that may not exceed the greater
  138  of:
  139         1. An amount equal to the price paid by the property owner
  140  plus 10 percent; or
  141         2. An amount equal to a bona fide offer to purchase the
  142  property received by the property owner within the last 12
  143  months plus 10 percent.
  144         (9) DEVELOPMENT APPLICATIONS.—The proposed development of a
  145  qualifying parcel which complies with the requirements of this
  146  section must be administratively approved, and no further action
  147  by the governing body of a local government is required.
  148  However, a local government may administratively require a
  149  proposed development to comply with local regulations relating
  150  to architectural design if review by a board is not required and
  151  if such regulations would apply, and are generally applicable,
  152  to comparable residential development within the jurisdiction
  153  and do not limit the density or intensity of development below
  154  that authorized by this section. A developer must establish
  155  consistency with applicable concurrency requirements at such
  156  time as local regulations would require for a comparable
  157  residential development within its jurisdiction. Each local
  158  government shall maintain on its website a policy containing
  159  procedures and expectations for administrative approval under
  160  this subsection.
  161         (10) APPLICATION, PREEMPTION, AND CONSTRUCTION.—This
  162  section applies to development applications submitted pursuant
  163  to this section on or after the effective date of this act. A
  164  local government may not adopt or enforce a local law, an
  165  ordinance, or a regulation that restricts, prohibits, or
  166  otherwise limits the development of a qualifying parcel in
  167  accordance with this section. This section shall be liberally
  168  construed to effectuate its intent.
  169         Section 2. The Division of Law Revision is directed to
  170  replace the phrase “the effective date of this act” wherever it
  171  occurs in this act with the date this act becomes a law.
  172         Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
  173  
  174  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  175  And the title is amended as follows:
  176         Delete everything before the enacting clause
  177  and insert:
  178                        A bill to be entitled                      
  179         An act relating to infill redevelopment; creating s.
  180         163.2525, F.S.; providing a short title; providing
  181         legislative findings; defining terms; providing
  182         applicability; requiring that a local government
  183         permit qualifying parcels to be developed with
  184         residential uses; limiting the density of certain
  185         development for a specified purpose; requiring the
  186         intensity of certain development to comply with
  187         certain standards; requiring a local government to
  188         administratively approve an application for the
  189         subdivision of a qualifying parcel under certain
  190         circumstances; prohibiting a local government from
  191         using the subdivision process to restrict development
  192         in a certain manner; requiring developers of
  193         qualifying parcels to maintain a specified buffer
  194         between new developments and single-family homes and
  195         townhouses under certain circumstances; providing
  196         requirements for such buffer areas; providing
  197         construction; requiring developers of qualifying
  198         parcels to establish that certain recreational
  199         facilities and areas reserved for recreational use
  200         have not been in operation or use for a certain
  201         timeframe; requiring developers of such parcels to pay
  202         double the parks and recreation facilities impact fees
  203         for a certain purpose and provide certain written
  204         notice to property owners; providing requirements for
  205         the written notice; requiring that property owners who
  206         receive such written notice and wish to exercise an
  207         option to purchase certain parcels or portions thereof
  208         meet specified requirements within a specified
  209         timeframe or forfeit the option; limiting the price at
  210         which such parcels or portions of parcels may be
  211         offered to the property owners for purchase; requiring
  212         the administrative approval of certain proposed
  213         developments; authorizing a local government to
  214         administratively require compliance with architectural
  215         design regulations under certain circumstances;
  216         requiring a developer to establish consistency with
  217         applicable concurrency requirements; requiring each
  218         local government to maintain a certain policy on its
  219         website; providing applicability; prohibiting a local
  220         government from adopting or enforcing certain local
  221         laws, ordinances, or regulations; requiring liberal
  222         construction of certain provisions; providing a
  223         directive to the Division of Law Revision; providing
  224         an effective date.