Florida HB 299: Elevator Accessibility Requirements

Bill Text

CS/CS/CS/HB 299 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb299-03-c3
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to blue ribbon projects; creating s. 2
163.3249, F.S.; providing a purpose and legislative 3
intent; defining terms; requiring that a development 4
project meet certain requirements to qualify as a blue 5
ribbon project; providing maximum residential density 6
and nonresidential intensity permitted within the 7
development area of a blue ribbon project; requiring 8
that a specified percentage of the project's 9
residential units meet certain requirements; requiring 10
the development area to be developed in phases; 11
requiring certain development rights and mitigation of 12
project impacts to be vested for a specified period; 13
requiring a blue ribbon project to have a blue ribbon 14
plan; requiring such plan to contain certain 15
documents; requiring such plan to be based on a 16
specified period and specify certain information 17
during such period; providing that a plan is not 18
required to demonstrate certain need; requiring a 19
project to receive dollar-for-dollar credits from a 20
local government under certain circumstances; 21
providing that certain easements or property must be 22
granted without charge; prohibiting a plan from 23
contemplating the use of a certain district; requiring 24
a landowner to apply to the local government for 25

CS/CS/CS/HB 299 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

approval of a plan, including certain amendments; 26
providing that a plan that meets certain requirements 27
is presumed, subject to rebuttal, to be consistent 28
with the local government's comprehensive plan and in 29
compliance with specified provisions; specifying an 30
applicant has a right to request that the application 31
be reviewed at any time; prohibiting such a request 32
from being made sooner than a specified time period; 33
providing local government review requirements; 34
providing notice requirements if the local government 35
denies an application; providing that the blue ribbon 36
plan governs the use of the property upon approval of 37
the plan application by the local government; 38
providing that a project may be located on land with 39
any future land use designation or zoning designation; 40
requiring the local government to record the plan 41
following approval in the public records of the county 42
in which the project property is located; requiring 43
the local government to insert the text amendment into 44
the comprehensive plan's future land use element and 45
denote the site-specific amendment on the 46
comprehensive plan's future land use map; prohibiting 47
an applicant from amending a recorded plan or text 48
amendment without undergoing a specified, limited 49
review; authorizing an applicant to hire a private 50

CS/CS/CS/HB 299 2026

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company to conduct plan reviews and building 51
inspections; providing appeal procedures for the 52
denial and approval of a blue ribbon plan application, 53
including certain amendments; providing environmental 54
review requirements; providing an effective date. 55
56
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 57
58
Section 1. Section 163.3249, Florida Statutes, is created 59
to read: 60
163.3249 Blue ribbon projects.— 61
(1) PURPOSE AND INTENT.—The purpose of this section is to 62
balance the protection of important state resources, such as the 63
natural environment and existing agricultural and silvicultural 64
uses, with the need to provide longer-term, well-planned 65
communities and job opportunities for the state's future. It is 66
the intent of the Legislature to accomplish this goal by 67
incentivizing large landowners in this state to be good stewards 68
of the natural environment and existing agricultural and 69
silvicultural land while at the same time promoting a more 70
sustainable pattern of development. The Legislature intends to 71
create blue ribbon projects, and to provide a mechanism by which 72
local governments shall implement those projects within their 73
boundaries, in order to promote the goals of preserving natural 74
areas, encouraging agricultural land uses and rural land 75

CS/CS/CS/HB 299 2026

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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

stewardship, protecting critical ecological systems, expanding 76
wildlife corridors, and providing more compact mixed-use 77
developments designed for long-term viability. 78
(2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term: 79
(a) "Applicant" means the owner of l