Florida HB 1359: Women's Suffrage Centennial Commemoration Committee

Bill Text

HB 1359 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1359-00
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A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to My Safe Florida Home Program; 2
amending s. 215.5586, F.S.; defining the term "class A 3
opening protection"; providing additional requirements 4
for inspections provided through the program; 5
providing additional requirements to receive a grant 6
through a specified program; revising what such grants 7
may be used for; revising requirements of a certain 8
report; requiring the Department of Financial Services 9
to maintain a website that includes certain 10
information; requiring the department to establish 11
performance standards and audit protocols for certain 12
inspectors; providing an effective date. 13
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 15
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Section 1. Subsections (1) through (10) of section 17
215.5586, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (2) 18
through (11), respectively, present subsections (1), (2), and 19
(10) are amended, and a new subsection (1) is added to that 20
section, to read: 21
215.5586 My Safe Florida Home Program.—There is 22
established within the Department of Financial Services the My 23
Safe Florida Home Program. The department shall provide fiscal 24
accountability, contract management, and strategic leadership 25

HB 1359 2026

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for the program, consistent with this section. This section does 26
not create an entitlement for property owners or obligate the 27
state in any way to fund the inspection or retrofitting of 28
residential property in this state. Implementation of this 29
program is subject to annual legislative appropriations. It is 30
the intent of the Legislature that, subject to the availability 31
of funds, the My Safe Florida Home Program provide licensed 32
inspectors to perform hurricane mitigation inspections of 33
eligible homes and grants to fund hurricane mitigation projects 34
on those homes. The department shall implement the program in 35
such a manner that the total amount of funding requested by 36
accepted applications, whether for inspections, grants, or other 37
services or assistance, does not exceed the total amount of 38
available funds. If, after applications are processed and 39
approved, funds remain available, the department may accept 40
applications up to the available amount. The program shall 41
develop and implement a comprehensive and coordinated approach 42
for hurricane damage mitigation pursuant to the requirements 43
provided in this section. 44
(1) DEFINITION.—As used in this section, the term "class A 45
opening protection" means: 46
(a) Glazed openings that are large missile impact-rated, 47
or protected by products that qualify as such. 48
(b) All openings that are protected at the highest 49
applicable wind-borne debris region standard. 50

HB 1359 2026

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(c) Solid entry doors and garage doors that are verified 51
to be wind and pressure rated, unless such wind and pressure 52
ratings are unable to be identified. 53
(2)(1) HURRICANE MITIGATION INSPECTIONS.— 54
(a) To be eligible for a hurricane mitigation inspection 55
under the program: 56
1. A home must be a single-family, detached residential 57
property or a townhouse as defined in s. 481.203; 58
2. A home must be site-built and owner-occupied; and 59
3. The homeowner must have been granted a homestead 60
exemption on the home under chapter 196. 61
(b)1. An application for a hurricane mitigation inspection 62
must contain a signed or electronically verified statement made 63
under penalty of perjury that the applicant has submitted only 64
one inspection application on the home or that the application 65
is allowed under subparagraph 2., and the application must have 66
documents attached which demonstrate that the applicant meets 67
the requirements of paragraph (a). 68
2. An applicant may submit a subsequent hurricane 69
mitigation inspection application for the same home only if: 70
a. The original hurricane mitigation inspection 71
application has been denied or withdrawn because of errors or 72
omissions in the application; 73
b. The original hurricane mitigation inspection 74
application was denied or withdrawn because the home did not 75

HB 1359 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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meet the eligibility criteria for an inspection at the time of 76
the previous application, and the homeowner reasonably believes 77
the home now is eligible for an inspection; or 78
c. The program's eligibility requirements for