As the 2026 Florida Legislative session passes the halfway point, several of the bad bills we’ve been following have slowed — but others are picking up steam.

The most controversial bills of the session — the “farm bills,” Senate Bill 290 and House Bill 433 — are being fine-tuned as they near passage. Both initially contained a “muzzle clause” amending the state’s existing food libel law to allow producers of non-perishable products (like sugar) to sue over disparagement of its crop or farming methods. This could shield practices such as Big Sugar’s pre-harvest field burning.  

After pushback from many conservation groups, including Friends of the Everglades, as well as “MAHA Moms,” this provision was removed from SB 290, but the language remains in HB 433.

Another bad provision in these bills would require the state to determine if any publicly owned conservation lands are suitable for “bona fide agriculture.” If so, the lands could be sold for agricultural use.

Senate Bill 290 is now in the Senate Rules Committee, while HB 433 is in the House State Affairs Committee. 

One pair of bills we initially dubbed the worst of the session thankfully isn’t moving. Initially, House Bill 479 and Senate Bill 718, “Land and Water Management,” would have prohibited local governments from enacting their own rules regarding water quality, water quantity, wetlands and pollution reduction — preempting all such authority to the state. But HB 479, mired in the House Intergovernmental Affairs Committee since mid-January, was overhauled with an amendment that removed most of the bad provisions. Senate Bill 718 hasn’t had a hearing.

Another terrible bill is gaining ground. Senate Bill 354, “Blue Ribbon Projects,” would create a framework for huge developments of at least 10,000 acres that devote 60 percent of the land to a “reserve area.” If the bill satisfies a list of requirements, local governments would be compelled to approve it — regardless of existing zoning or the future land use restrictions in a county or municipality’s comprehensive plan — and the approval would be given “administratively,” meaning no public hearings would take place.

These bills are more than just an attack on home rule; they’re a declaration that local government comprehensive plans are null and void.

Senate Bill 354 is now in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development. The House companion bill, House Bill 299, was amended to narrow the type of uses that could be incorporated into the “reserve area,” and added a public hearing process — although regardless of the public’s input, county officials will be required to approve any “Blue Ribbon Project” that checks all the boxes. House Bill 299 passed the House Commerce Committee on Feb  18.

Among other legislative proposals that would let development run wild:

  • House Bill 691 and Senate Bill 686, “Agricultural Enclaves,” could allow for administrative approval — with no public input — of residential development on any parcel deemed an “agricultural enclave,” so long as it matched the use, density and intensity of adjacent parcels. Any “enclave” next to an interstate highway may be developed for commercial, industrial, or single-family residential purposes if one or more adjacent parcels is the same density or intensity as the proposed development. House Bill 691 has cleared its final committee stop before the House floor; SB 686 is in the Rules Committee.
  • House Bill 399 and Senate Bill 208, “Land Use and Development Regulations,” would require the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) to conduct a study to identify the effect of removing the Urban Development Boundary or similar boundaries in Miami-Dade County and other counties. It also stipulates that the adoption of an amendment to the future land use element of a comprehensive plan is by a majority vote of the members of the governing body present at the hearing, notwithstanding any county charter provision to the contrary. House Bill 399 is now in the State Affairs Committee, while SB 208 is in the Rules Committee.
  • House Bill 105 and Senate Bill 588, “Local Government Enforcement Actions,” would prohibit local governments from taking enforcement actions deemed “arbitrary or unreasonable” violators could face up to $50,000 in damages, along with court costs and attorney fees. HB 105 is now on the House floor; SB 588 has not yet been heard.

Some clean-water legislation was filed this session but it isn’t moving. House Bill 669 and Senate Bill 1042, would require the state to post signs identifying polluted waterways sooner and more prominently; HB 699 was amended with most of the beneficial language removed and SB 1042 hasn’t moved.

Senate Bill 840 and House Bill 1465 are a proposed fix to last year’s Senate Bill 180, allowing temporary land use limitations tied to Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton to expire June 30 instead of remaining in effect through late 2027, narrowing the geographic scope of post-storm restrictions from 100 miles to 50 miles and limiting the application to areas included in a FEMA disaster declaration. While HB 1465 hasn’t moved, SB 840 is on the Senate floor and is expected to pass.

Lastly, the Senate and House budget proposals were recently released — and are far apart. On Everglades funding, the Senate proposes to spend $738.6 million on Everglades restoration; the House proposes to spend $350 million. Both chambers underfund the Florida Forever land acquisition program; the Senate is allocating $35 million, well short of the $100 million required by statute. The House budget allocates nothing.

But there’s a bright spot: A budget conforming bill filed by the House, PCB TED 26-02, would restrict the use of funds in the state’s Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund to natural disasters, not immigration enforcement. Since 2023, the state has spent more than $573 million on immigration enforcement, including the construction and operation of the Everglades detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”

Florida’s annual 60-day legislative session lasts through March 13. Please visit our 2026 Bill Tracker and view our 2026 Legislative Priorities for more information.