Florida SB 286: Florida Slavery Memorial

Bill Text

286 
Assessment of Changes, Additions, or Improvements to Homestead Properties 
2025-10-23T12:24:43Z 
Revising the manner of assessing the value of changes, additions, or improvements to homestead property, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 286 

 By Senator Bernard 

 24-00661-26 2026286__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to the assessment of changes, 
 3 additions, or improvements to homestead properties; 
 4 amending s. 193.155, F.S.; revising the manner of 
 5 assessing the value of changes, additions, or 
 6 improvements to homestead property; providing an 
 7 effective date. 
 8 
 9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 10 
 11 Section 1. Paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of subsection (4) 
 12 of section 193.155, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 
 13 193.155 Homestead assessments.—Homestead property shall be 
 14 assessed at just value as of January 1, 1994. Property receiving 
 15 the homestead exemption after January 1, 1994, shall be assessed 
 16 at just value as of January 1 of the year in which the property 
 17 receives the exemption unless the provisions of subsection (8) 
 18 apply. 
 19 (4)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) and s. 193.624, 
 20 changes, additions, or improvements to homestead property shall 
 21 be assessed at just value as of the first January 1 after the 
 22 changes, additions, or improvements are substantially completed. 
 23 (b) If the total just value of changes, additions, or 
 24 improvements to a homestead property is less than $100,000, the 
 25 assessment of the added value must be calculated by multiplying: 
 26 1. The percentage obtained by dividing the property’s 
 27 assessed value as of January 1 immediately before the change, 
 28 addition, or improvement, by the property’s just value as of 
 29 that same date; and 
 30 2. The just value of the change, addition, or improvement. 
 31 (c) Paragraph (b) does not apply to changes, additions, or 
 32 improvements that replace all or a substantial portion of the 
 33 property or that increase the total square footage of the 
 34 property by more than 25 percent. 
 35 1. Changes, additions, or improvements that replace all or 
 36 a portion of homestead property, including ancillary 
 37 improvements, damaged or destroyed by misfortune or calamity 
 38 shall be assessed upon substantial completion as provided in 
 39 this paragraph. Such assessment must be calculated using the 
 40 homestead property’s assessed value as of the January 1 
 41 immediately before the date on which the damage or destruction 
 42 was sustained, subject to the assessment limitations in 
 43 subsections (1) and (2), when: 
 44 a. The square footage of the homestead property as changed 
 45 or improved does not exceed 130 percent of the square footage of 
 46 the homestead property before the damage or destruction; or 
 47 b. The total square footage of the homestead property as 
 48 changed or improved does not exceed 2,000 square feet. 
 49 2. The homestead property’s assessed value must be 
 50 increased by the just value of that portion of the changed or 
 51 improved homestead property which is in excess of 130 percent of 
 52 the square footage of the homestead property before the damage 
 53 or destruction or of that portion exceeding 2,000 square feet. 
 54 3. Homestead property damaged or destroyed by misfortune or 
 55 calamity which, after being changed or improved, has a square 
 56 footage of less than 100 percent of the homestead property’s 
 57 total square footage before the damage or destruction shall be 
 58 assessed pursuant to subsection (5). 
 59 4. Changes, additions, or improvements assessed pursuant to 
 60 this paragraph must be reassessed pursuant to subsection (1) in 
 61 subsequent years. This paragraph applies to changes, additions, 
 62 or improvements commenced within 5 years after the January 1 
 63 following the damage or destruction of the homestead. 
 64 (c) Changes, additions, or improvements that replace all or 
 65 a portion of real property that was damaged or destroyed by 
 66 misfortune or calamity shall be assessed upon substantial 
 67 completion as if such damage or destruction had not occurred and 
 68 in accordance with paragraph (b) if the owner of such property: 
 69 1. Was permanently residing on such property when the 
 70 damage or destruction occurred; 
 71 2. Was not entitled to receive homestead exemption on such 
 72 property as of January 1 of that year; and 
 73 3. Applies for and receives homestead exemption on such 
 74 property the following year. 
 75 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.