Florida SB 968: Public Records/Economic Development Agency

Bill Text

968 
Home Backup Power Systems 
2025-12-18T09:56:48Z 
Prohibiting a local government from adopting a technical amendment to the Florida Building Code which requires a permit or any functionally equivalent local review or approval for certain backup power systems; prohibiting a local government that issues building permits from requiring an owner of a single-family dwelling or such owner’s contractor to obtain a building permit to perform work on the single-family lot valued at less than a specified sum; prohibiting a local enforcement agency from requiring a permit or any functionally equivalent local review or approval for the installation, relocation, replacement, or repair of an eligible residential backup power system; defining the term “backup power system”, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 968 

 By Senator McClain 

 9-01118-26 2026968__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to home backup power systems; amending 
 3 s. 553.73, F.S.; prohibiting a local government from 
 4 adopting a technical amendment to the Florida Building 
 5 Code which requires a permit or any functionally 
 6 equivalent local review or approval for certain backup 
 7 power systems; amending s. 553.79, F.S.; prohibiting a 
 8 local government that issues building permits from 
 9 requiring an owner of a single-family dwelling or such 
 10 owner’s contractor to obtain a building permit to 
 11 perform work on the single-family lot valued at less 
 12 than a specified sum; providing exceptions; requiring 
 13 a contractor who performs work that does not require a 
 14 permit to keep a written record of certain 
 15 information; creating s. 553.7923, F.S.; prohibiting a 
 16 local enforcement agency from requiring a permit or 
 17 any functionally equivalent local review or approval 
 18 for the installation, relocation, replacement, or 
 19 repair of an eligible residential backup power system; 
 20 defining the term “backup power system”; providing 
 21 applicability; prohibiting a county, municipality, or 
 22 special district from adopting or enforcing any 
 23 ordinance, rule, or measure that regulates the 
 24 installation of backup power systems beyond the 
 25 standards of the Florida Building Code or the Florida 
 26 Fire Prevention Code; authorizing a local enforcement 
 27 agency to conduct inspections of a backup power system 
 28 to verify compliance with the Florida Building Code or 
 29 the Florida Fire Prevention Code; providing 
 30 construction; authorizing the owner or installing 
 31 contractor to hire a private provider to perform such 
 32 inspections; authorizing such inspections to be 
 33 conducted in person or virtually; requiring the local 
 34 enforcement agency to issue a written correction 
 35 notice for noncompliance; authorizing the local 
 36 enforcement agency to issue a stop-work order to 
 37 address certain hazards; requiring the local 
 38 enforcement agency to offer a reinspection date within 
 39 a specified timeframe; authorizing the owner or 
 40 installing contractor to submit a completed private 
 41 provider inspection report if the local enforcement 
 42 agency fails to reinspect the property within such 
 43 timeframe; providing that such a private provider 
 44 inspection report submission constitutes acceptance of 
 45 the inspection report by the local enforcement agency; 
 46 providing that the failed inspection of a backup power 
 47 system may not be the sole basis for withholding or 
 48 revoking a certificate of occupancy for existing 
 49 occupied dwellings; providing a remedy for such failed 
 50 inspections; authorizing a private provider to 
 51 complete the inspection and complete a certificate of 
 52 compliance; providing construction; providing an 
 53 effective date. 
 54 
 55 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 56 
 57 Section 1. Paragraph (f) is added to subsection (1) of 
 58 section 553.73, Florida Statutes, to read: 
 59 553.73 Florida Building Code.— 
 60 (1) 
 61 (f) A local government may not adopt a technical amendment 
 62 to the Florida Building Code which requires a permit or any 
 63 functionally equivalent local review or approval for a backup 
 64 power system exempt under s. 553.7923. 
 65 Section 2. Paragraph (g) is added to subsection (1) of 
 66 section 553.79, Florida Statutes, to read: 
 67 553.79 Permits; applications; issuance; inspections.— 
 68 (1) 
 69 (g)1. A local government that issues building permits may 
 70 not require an owner of a single-family dwelling or the owner’s 
 71 contractor to obtain a building permit to perform any work 
 72 valued at less than $7,500 on the single-family dwelling’s lot. 
 73 However, a local government may require a building permit for 
 74 any electrical, plumbing, or structural work, not including the 
 75 repair or replacement of exterior doors or windows, performed on 
 76 a lot containing a s