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HB0185 • 2026

Home Hardening Products

Home Hardening Products

Energy Taxes
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Ways & Means Committee ; Dunkley ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Bartleman ; Campbell ; Daniels
Last action
2026-03-13
Official status
House - Died on Second Reading Calendar
Effective date
upon becom

Plain English Breakdown

The official status indicates the bill passed both chambers, but metadata also notes it died on Second Reading Calendar; this contradiction suggests uncertainty about final enactment despite 'Passed Legislature' label.

Sales Tax Refund for Home Hardening Products

This bill provides a sales tax refund of up to $500 for owners who buy and install specific impact-resistant doors, garage doors, or windows on eligible properties between July 2026 and June 2028.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates an exemption from state sales tax for certain home hardening products used on qualifying homes.
  • Requires the Department of Revenue to issue this exemption as a cash refund after an owner submits proof of purchase, installation, and payment of taxes.
  • Limits the total refund amount to $500 per eligible residential property during the specified two-year period.
  • Sets deadlines for when owners can buy products (July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028) and submit applications (by September 30, 2028).
  • Requires the Department of Revenue to review applications within 30 business days and issue approved refunds within another 30 business days.
  • Authorizes the department to create emergency rules needed to start this program.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Owners who hold legal title to a site-built dwelling with a homestead exemption valued at $700,000 or less.
  • The Florida Department of Revenue, which must process applications and issue refunds.

Terms To Know

Eligible residential property
A site-built home with a homestead exemption that has a just value of $700,000 or less. This does not include mobile homes, manufactured homes, trailers, or any home titled under chapters 319 or 320.
Home hardening product
An impact-resistant exterior door, garage door, or window rated to resist wind and debris according to specific safety standards like ASTM E1886/E1996 or Florida Building Code TAS 201-203.
Purchase period
The time frame from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028, during which products must be bought to qualify for the refund.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Owners can only receive one refund per eligible property and cannot apply for more than one home.
  • The program ends on June 30, 2029, meaning no new applications will be accepted after that date.
  • The bill does not specify the exact form owners must use to apply until the Department of Revenue creates it.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-13 House

    • Died on Second Reading Calendar

  2. 2026-02-27 House

    • Reported out of Commerce Committee • Bill released to House Calendar • Added to Second Reading Calendar

  3. 2026-02-26 House

    • Favorable by Commerce Committee

  4. 2026-02-24 House

    • Added to Commerce Committee agenda

  5. 2026-02-11 House

    • Referred to Commerce Committee • Now in Commerce Committee

  6. 2026-02-10 House

    • Favorable with CS by Ways & Means Committee • Reported out of Ways & Means Committee • Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a) • CS Filed • 1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1)

  7. 2026-02-06 House

    • PCS added to Ways & Means Committee agenda

  8. 2026-01-13 House

    • 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)

  9. 2025-10-21 House

    • Referred to Ways & Means Committee • Referred to Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee • Referred to Commerce Committee • Now in Ways & Means Committee

  10. 2025-10-15 House

    • Filed

Official Summary Text

Home Hardening Products; Provides sales tax exemption for certain home hardening products; requires such exemption be in form of specified refund; provides requirements for such refund; provides requirements for Department of Revenue in issuing such refunds.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
CS/HB 185 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb185-01-c1
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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 home hardening products; providing 2
definitions; providing a sales tax exemption for 3
certain home hardening products; requiring such 4
exemption be in the form of a specified refund; 5
providing requirements for such refund; providing 6
requirements for the Department of Revenue in issuing 7
such refunds; authorizing the department to adopt 8
emergency rules; specifying the timeframe such rules 9
are effective; providing for future repeal; providing 10
an effective date. 11
12
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 13
14
Section 1. Subsection (21) is added to section 212.08, 15
Florida Statutes, to read: 16
212.08 Sales, rental, use, consumption, distribution, and 17
storage tax; specified exemptions.—The sale at retail, the 18
rental, the use, the consumption, the distribution, and the 19
storage to be used or consumed in this state of the following 20
are hereby specifically exempt from the tax imposed by this 21
chapter. 22
(21) HOME HARDENING PRODUCTS; SALES TAX REFUND.— 23
(a) As used in this subsection, the term: 24
1. "Eligible residential property" means a residential 25

CS/HB 185 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

property with a site-built dwelling for which a homestead 26
exemption has been granted under s. 196.031 and which has a just 27
value of $700,000 or less. 28
2. "Home hardening product" means an impact-resistant 29
door, an impact-resistant garage door, or an impact-resistant 30
window. 31
3. "Impact-resistant door" means an exterior door system 32
designed to resist wind and wind-borne debris forces which is 33
rated for impact resistance and wind pressure in accordance with 34
any of the following most recent sets of test methods, 35
standards, and specifications: 36
a. ASTM International E1886 and E1996; 37
b. American Architectural Manufacturers Association 506; 38
or 39
c. Florida Building Code Testing Application Standard TAS 40
201, TAS 202, and TAS 203. 41
4. "Impact-resistant garage door" means a garage door 42
system designed to resist wind and wind-borne debris forces 43
which is rated for impact resistance and wind pressure in 44
accordance with any of the following most recent sets of test 45
methods, standards, and specifications: 46
a. ASTM International E1886 and E1996; 47
b. American Architectural Manufacturers Association 506; 48
c. Florida Building Code Testing Application Standard TAS 49
201, TAS 202, TAS 203; or 50

CS/HB 185 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

d. ANSI/DASMA 115. 51
5. "Impact-resistant window" means a window that is 52
laminated or has been treated with a polycarbonate glazing 53
system designed to resist wind and wind-borne debris forces 54
which is rated for impact resistance and wind pressure in 55
accordance with any of the following most recent sets of test 56
methods, standards, and specifications: 57
a. ASTM International E1886 and E1996; 58
b. American Architectural Manufacturers Association 506; 59
or 60
c. Florida Building Code Testing Application Standard TAS 61
201, TAS 202, and TAS 203. 62
6. "Owner" means a person who holds the legal title to an 63
eligible residential property. 64
7. "Purchase period" means retail purchases made during 65
the period of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028. 66
8. "Site-built dwelling" means a dwelling constructed at 67
its permanent location. The term does not include mobile homes, 68
manufactured homes, trailers, or any home or trailer that may be 69
titled or registered in accordance with chapter 319 or chapter 70
320. 71
(b) Home hardening products used on eligible residential 72
property are exempt from the tax imposed by this chapter upon an 73
affirmative showing to the satisfaction of the department that 74
the requirements of this subsection have been met, in an amount 75

CS/HB 185 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

up to $500 per eligible residential property for purchases made 76
during the purchase period. This exemption inures to the owner 77
through a refund of previously paid taxes. To be eligible to 78
receive a refund, an owner must submit an application to the 79
department on a form approved by the department which includes 80
all of the following: 81
1. The name and address of the owner claiming the refund. 82
2. The address of the eligible residential property for 83
which a refund of previously paid taxes is being sought. 84
3. A sworn statement, submitted under penalty of perjury, 85
from the owner which specifies the actual cost of the exempt 86
home hardening products, and the amount of sales tax paid in 87
this state on the exempt home hardening products, and which 88
states that the property is an eligible residential property, 89
and that the home hardening products have been installed in the 90
eligible residential property. Copies of receipts evidencing 91
payment of sales tax must be attached to the form. 92
(c) The owner may submit an application for only one 93
eligible residential property. 94
(d) The owner must submit the refund application to the 95
department between July 1, 2026, and September 30, 2028. Within 96
30 business days after receipt of the refund application, the 97
department must determine if the application meets the 98
requirements of this section. The department must issue a refund 99
within 30 business days after the application is formally 100

CS/HB 185 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

approved. 101
(e) The department is authorized, and all conditions are 102
deemed met, to adopt emergency rules pursuant to s. 120.54(4) to 103
implement the provisions of this subsection. Emergency rules 104
adopted under this subsection are exempt from s. 120.54(4)(c) 105
and shall remain in effect until the expiration or repeal of 106
this subsection, or until repeal of the emergency rule by the 107
Department of Revenue pursuant to s. 120.54(4)(j), whichever 108
occurs first. 109
(f) This subsection is repealed June 30, 2029. 110
Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. 111