FloridaFlorida limits petroleum work near coastal research reserves
Public owners may excuse bonds for certain Habitat for Humanity projects, while Florida Forever funds support Keys land purchases and petroleum work faces distance limits near reserves.
What it does
A public owner may excuse a contractor from providing a bond for eligible Habitat for Humanity work on a long-term public land lease. Workers and suppliers may still make lien claims against the leasehold, but not the public land itself.
At least $5 million from a Florida Forever allocation is directed to buying land in the Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern, subject to the cited authorization rules.
The text bars petroleum drilling, exploration, and production near national estuarine research reserves in rural opportunity counties. The distance is 30 miles if the county also contains an area of critical state concern; otherwise it is 10 miles.
Argument forEligible Habitat for Humanity projects could avoid the cost of a bond while workers and suppliers keep lien claims against the leasehold.
Argument againstA wider drilling ban in counties with a state concern area could limit where energy companies can explore or produce petroleum.
More detail
A public owner may excuse a contractor from providing a payment and performance bond. This applies to covered public construction projects on the leased property. The public owner must own the underlying property and decides whether to grant the exemption. The project must be on property in an area of critical state concern under a 99-year-or-longer ground lease to Habitat for Humanity International or a local affiliate. Lien claims may attach to the leasehold, but not to the government-owned underlying land. The bond rule applies to covered work; the text gives no separate start or end date.
The Department of Environmental Protection must spend at least $5 million from the specified Florida Forever allocation on Florida Keys land purchases. This applies to funds allocated for land acquisition and capital projects under the Florida Forever Act. The purchases must be within the Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern and authorized under section 259.045. The passage shows a starting point of fiscal year 2017–2018, but its ending year is unclear because it contains both 2035–2036 and 2026–2027.
Oil, gas, and other petroleum drilling, exploration, and production are prohibited within specified distances of a national estuarine research reserve. The rule applies in counties designated as rural areas of opportunity under section 288.0656. In a county designated as a rural area of opportunity, the prohibition applies within 10 miles of a reserve. If that county also contains an area of critical state concern, the prohibition applies within 30 miles. The act states an effective date of July 1, 2026.
Where do you stand?
Choose your position
Tell your reps
Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.
Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Jul 1Chapter No. 2026-181Latest
- Jun 30Approved by Governor Ron DeSantisBecame Law
- Jun 15Signed by Officers and presented to GovernorTo Governor
- Mar 12Ordered engrossed, then enrolledMinor
- Vote recorded Passage. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 12CS passed as amended; YEAS 109, NAYS 0Major
- Mar 12Amendment 408242 Concur
- Mar 12Added to Senate Message List
- Mar 10In Messages
- Vote recorded Third Reading. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 10CS passed as amended; YEAS 38 NAYS 0Passed Senate
- Mar 10Read 3rd timeMinor
- Mar 10Amendment(s) adopted (408242)
- Mar 10Read 2nd timeMinor
- Mar 10Substituted for CS/SB 934
- Mar 10Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
- Mar 10Withdrawn from RulesMajor
- Feb 26ReceivedMinor
- Feb 26Referred to RulesMinor
- Feb 25In Messages
- Vote recorded Passage, Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 25CS passed; YEAS 113, NAYS 0Passed House
- Feb 25Read 3rd timeMinor
- Feb 25Added to Third Reading Calendar
- Feb 25Read 2nd timeMinor
- Feb 19Bill added to Special Order Calendar (2/25/2026)
- Feb 17Added to Second Reading Calendar
- Vote recorded Favorable (State Affairs Committee). Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 17Bill released to House Calendar
- Feb 17Reported out of State Affairs Committee
- Feb 17Favorable by State Affairs CommitteeMinor
- Feb 13Added to State Affairs Committee agenda
- Feb 4Now in State Affairs Committee
- Vote recorded Favorable (Agriculture & Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee). Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 4Reported out of Agriculture & Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee
- Feb 4Favorable by Agriculture & Natural Resources Budget SubcommitteeMinor
- Feb 2Added to Agriculture & Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee agenda
- Jan 211st Reading (Committee Substitute 1)Minor
- Jan 21Now in Agriculture & Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee
- Jan 21Referred to State Affairs CommitteeMinor
- Jan 21Referred to Agriculture & Natural Resources Budget SubcommitteeMinor
- Jan 20CS FiledMinor
- Vote recorded Favorable With Committee Substitute (Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee). Result: pass.Lower
- Jan 20Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)Minor
- Jan 20Reported out of Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee
- Jan 20Favorable with CS by Natural Resources & Disasters SubcommitteeMinor
- Jan 15Added to Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee agenda
- Jan 131st Reading (Original Filed Version)Minor
- Jan 5Now in Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee
- Jan 5Referred to State Affairs CommitteeMinor
- Jan 5Referred to Agriculture & Natural Resources Budget SubcommitteeMinor
- Jan 5Referred to Ways & Means CommitteeMinor
- Jan 5Referred to Natural Resources & Disasters SubcommitteeMinor
- 2025
- Dec 12FiledIntroduced
Environment & EnergyEconomy & JobsConsumer Protection