Distribution of Funds to Homestead Property Owners

Plain English Breakdown

The bill metadata indicates a conflicting status: it lists 'Passed Legislature' but also shows the last action as 'Withdrawn prior to introduction'. The fact-check relies only on the content of the provided bill text, not its final legislative fate.

Homestead Property Tax Relief Program

This bill creates a program to give $1,000 payments each year from September 30, 2026 through September 30, 2030, to certain Florida homeowners who meet specific property value and ownership dates.

What This Bill Does

• Creates the Homestead Property Tax Relief Program inside the Department of Financial Services.
• Requires the Chief Financial Officer to send a $1,000 warrant each year on September 30 from 2026 through 2030.
• Defines who counts as an eligible homesteader based on property value and ownership date.
• Directs the Chief Financial Officer to work with county appraisers to find qualifying homeowners.
• Requires the Department of Financial Services to write rules for running the program.

Who It Names or Affects

• Homeowners who received a homestead exemption on property owned by September 30, 2024.
• Property owners whose home has a taxable value between $100,000 and $450,000.

Terms To Know

Eligible homesteader

A person who owns a home with a homestead exemption that was owned by September 30, 2024, and has a taxable value between $100,000 and $450,000.

Warrant

A payment issued by the state government to an individual or entity.

Limits and Unknowns

• The program ends on January 1, 2031.
• Payments only happen for five years starting in September 2026 and ending in September 2030.
• Only homes with a taxable value between $100,000 and $450,000 qualify.

Official Summary Text

Distribution of Funds to Homestead Property Owners; Creates Homestead Property Tax Relief Program within DFS; defines “eligible homesteader”; requires CFO to annually issue warrants of specified amount to certain homestead property owners beginning & ending on specified dates; requires CFO to work with county property appraisers for specified purpose; provides future repeal.

Current Bill Text

HB 71 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb71-00
Page 1 of 2
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 distribution of funds to homestead 2
property owners; creating s. 192.1321, F.S.; creating 3
the Homestead Property Tax Relief Program within the 4
Department of Financial Services; defining the term 5
"eligible homesteader"; requiring the Chief Financial 6
Officer to annually issue warrants of a specified 7
amount to certain homestead property owners beginning 8
and ending on specified dates; requiring the Chief 9
Financial Officer to work with county property 10
appraisers for a specified purpose; requiring the 11
department to develop rules; providing for future 12
repeal; providing an effective date. 13
14
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 15
16
Section 1. Section 192.1231, Florida Statutes, is created 17
to read: 18
192.1231 Homestead Property Tax Relief Program.— 19
(1) The Homestead Property Tax Relief Program is created 20
within the Department of Financial Services. The Department of 21
Financial Services shall provide funding and oversight for the 22
program consistent with this section. The purpose of the program 23
is to distribute funds annually to eligible homestead property 24
owners. 25

HB 71 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb71-00
Page 2 of 2
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

(2) As used in this section, the term "eligible 26
homesteader" means the person who receives a homestead exemption 27
pursuant to s. 196.031 on homestead property owned on or before 28
September 30, 2024, with a current taxable value of at least 29
$100,000 but no more than $450,000. 30
(3) Each September 30, beginning in 2026 and ending in 31
2030, the Chief Financial Officer shall issue a warrant in the 32
amount of $1,000 to each eligible homesteader. 33
(4) The Chief Financial Officer shall work with county 34
property appraisers to identify all eligible homesteaders. 35
(5) The Department of Financial Services shall develop 36
rules to administer the Homestead Property Tax Relief Program. 37
(6) This section is repealed January 1, 2031. 38
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 39