Florida SB 354: State Lottery

Bill Text

354 
Blue Ribbon Projects 
2026-03-05T12:33:48Z 
Requiring that a development project meet certain requirements to qualify as a blue ribbon project; providing maximum residential density and nonresidential intensity permitted within the development area of a blue ribbon project; requiring a blue ribbon project to have a blue ribbon plan; requiring a project to receive dollar-for-dollar credits from a local government under certain circumstances, etc. 
Engrossed 1 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
e1 

 CS for CS for CS for SB 354 First Engrossed (ntc) 

 2026354e1 

 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to blue ribbon projects; creating s. 
 3 163.3249, F.S.; providing a purpose and legislative 
 4 intent; defining terms; requiring that a development 
 5 project meet certain requirements to qualify as a blue 
 6 ribbon project; providing maximum residential density 
 7 and nonresidential intensity permitted within the 
 8 development area of a blue ribbon project; requiring 
 9 that a specified percentage of the project’s 
 10 residential units meet certain requirements; requiring 
 11 the development area to be developed in phases; 
 12 requiring certain development rights and mitigation of 
 13 project impacts to be vested for a specified period; 
 14 requiring a blue ribbon project to have a blue ribbon 
 15 plan; requiring such plan to contain certain 
 16 documents; requiring such plan to be based on a 
 17 specified period and specify certain information 
 18 during such period; providing that a plan is not 
 19 required to demonstrate certain need; requiring a 
 20 project to receive dollar-for-dollar credits from a 
 21 local government under certain circumstances; 
 22 providing that certain easements or property must be 
 23 granted without charge; prohibiting a plan from 
 24 contemplating the use of a certain district; requiring 
 25 a landowner to apply to the local government for 
 26 approval of a plan, including certain amendments; 
 27 providing that a plan that meets certain requirements 
 28 is presumed, subject to rebuttal, to be consistent 
 29 with the local government’s comprehensive plan and in 
 30 compliance with specified provisions; specifying that 
 31 an applicant has a right to request that the 
 32 application be reviewed at any time; prohibiting such 
 33 a request from being made sooner than a specified time 
 34 period; providing local government review 
 35 requirements; providing notice requirements if the 
 36 local government denies an application; providing that 
 37 the blue ribbon plan governs the use of the property 
 38 upon approval of the plan application by the local 
 39 government; providing that a project may be located on 
 40 land with any future land use designation or zoning 
 41 designation; requiring the local government to record 
 42 the plan following approval in the public records of 
 43 the county in which the project property is located; 
 44 requiring the local government to insert the text 
 45 amendment into the comprehensive plan’s future land 
 46 use element and denote the site-specific amendment on 
 47 the comprehensive plan’s future land use map; 
 48 prohibiting an applicant from amending a recorded plan 
 49 or text amendment without undergoing a specified, 
 50 limited review; authorizing an applicant to hire a 
 51 private company to conduct plan reviews and building 
 52 inspections; providing appeal procedures for the 
 53 denial and approval of a blue ribbon plan application, 
 54 including certain amendments; providing environmental 
 55 review requirements; providing an effective date. 
 56 
 57 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 58 
 59 Section 1. Section 163.3249, Florida Statutes, is created 
 60 to read: 
 61 163.3249 Blue ribbon projects.— 
 62 (1) PURPOSE AND INTENT.—The purpose of this section is to 
 63 balance the protection of important state resources, such as the 
 64 natural environment and existing agricultural and silvicultural 
 65 uses, with the need to provide longer-term, well-planned 
 66 communities and job opportunities for the state’s future. It is 
 67 the intent of the Legislature to accomplish this goal by 
 68 incentivizing large landowners in this state to be good stewards 
 69 of the natural environment and existing agricultural and 
 70 silvicultural land while at the same time promoting a more 
 71 sustainable pattern of development. The Legislature intends to 
 72 create blue ribbon projects, and to provide a mechanism by which 
 73 local governments shall implement those projects within their 
 74 boundaries, in order to promote the goals of preserving natural 
 75 areas, encouraging agricultural land uses and rural land 
 76 stewardship, protecting critical ecological systems, expanding 
 77 wildlife corridors, and providing more compact mixed-use 
 78 developments designed for long-term viability. 
 79 (2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, th