Florida SB 934: Education

Bill Text

934 
Areas of Critical State Concern 
2026-02-11T11:27:07Z 
Providing an exemption from specified payment and performance bond requirements for specified entities under specified conditions; extending the time period specific Florida Forever appropriations must be spent on land acquisition in the Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern, etc. 
Committee Substitute 1 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
c1 

 Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 934 

 By the Committee on Community Affairs; and Senator Rodriguez 

 578-02728-26 2026934c1 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to areas of critical state concern; 
 3 amending s. 255.05, F.S.; providing an exemption from 
 4 specified payment and performance bond requirements 
 5 for specified entities under specified conditions; 
 6 amending s. 259.105, F.S.; extending the time period 
 7 specific Florida Forever appropriations must be spent 
 8 on land acquisition in the Florida Keys Area of 
 9 Critical State Concern; providing an effective date. 
 10 
 11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 12 
 13 Section 1. Paragraph (h) is added to subsection (1) of 
 14 section 255.05, Florida Statutes, to read: 
 15 255.05 Bond of contractor constructing public buildings; 
 16 form; action by claimants.— 
 17 (1) A person entering into a formal contract with the state 
 18 or any county, city, or political subdivision thereof, or other 
 19 public authority or private entity, for the construction of a 
 20 public building, for the prosecution and completion of a public 
 21 work, or for repairs upon a public building or public work shall 
 22 be required, before commencing the work or before recommencing 
 23 the work after a default or abandonment, to execute and record 
 24 in the public records of the county where the improvement is 
 25 located, a payment and performance bond with a surety insurer 
 26 authorized to do business in this state as surety. A public 
 27 entity may not require a contractor to secure a surety bond 
 28 under this section from a specific agent or bonding company. 
 29 (h) A person may be exempted from executing the payment and 
 30 performance bond required under this subsection if the following 
 31 conditions are met: 
 32 1. The work is done on property located within an area of 
 33 critical state concern which is subject to a long-term ground 
 34 lease of 99 years or more with Habitat for Humanity 
 35 International, Inc., or any of its local affiliates, at the 
 36 discretion of the official or board that owns the subject 
 37 underlying property in fee simple. 
 38 2. The leasehold interest created by the ground lease of 99 
 39 years or more is subject to any claims by claimants who are 
 40 lienors as defined in s. 713.01 and applicable lien provisions 
 41 in chapter 713. The underlying real property owned by the state, 
 42 or any county, city, or political subdivision thereof, or other 
 43 public authority is not subject to any lien rights created under 
 44 chapter 713. 
 45 Section 2. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section 
 46 259.105, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 
 47 259.105 The Florida Forever Act.— 
 48 (3) Less the costs of issuing and the costs of funding 
 49 reserve accounts and other costs associated with bonds, the 
 50 proceeds of cash payments or bonds issued pursuant to this 
 51 section shall be deposited into the Florida Forever Trust Fund 
 52 created by s. 259.1051. The proceeds shall be distributed by the 
 53 Department of Environmental Protection in the following manner: 
 54 (b) Thirty-five percent to the Department of Environmental 
 55 Protection for the acquisition of lands and capital project 
 56 expenditures described in this section. Of the proceeds 
 57 distributed pursuant to this paragraph, it is the intent of the 
 58 Legislature that an increased priority be given to those 
 59 acquisitions which achieve a combination of conservation goals, 
 60 including protecting Florida’s water resources and natural 
 61 groundwater recharge. At a minimum, 3 percent, and no more than 
 62 10 percent, of the funds allocated pursuant to this paragraph 
 63 shall be spent on capital project expenditures identified during 
 64 the time of acquisition which meet land management planning 
 65 activities necessary for public access. Beginning in the 2017 
 66 2018 fiscal year and continuing through the 2035-2036 2026-2027 
 67 fiscal year, at least $5 million of the funds allocated pursuant 
 68 to this paragraph shall be spent on land acquisition within the 
 69 Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern as authorized 
 70 pursuant to s. 259.045. 
 71 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.