Read the full stored bill text
CS/CS/HB 979 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb979-02-c2
Page 1 of 9
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 infill redevelopment; creating s. 2
163.2525, F.S.; providing a short title; providing 3
legislative findings; providing definitions; providing 4
applicability; requiring a local government to permit 5
the development of certain qualifying parcels up to a 6
certain density and intensity; requiring a local 7
government to approve an application for the 8
subdivision of a qualifying parcel under certain 9
circumstances; prohibiting a local government from 10
using the subdivision process to restrict development 11
in a certain manner; requiring developers of 12
qualifying parcels to maintain a specified buffer 13
between new developments and single-family homes and 14
townhouses under certain circumstances; providing 15
requirements for such buffer areas; requiring 16
developers of qualifying parcels to establish that 17
certain recreational facilities and areas reserved for 18
recreational use have not been in operation or use for 19
a certain timeframe, to pay double the parks and 20
recreational facilities impact fees for a certain 21
purpose, and to provide certain written notice to 22
certain property owners; requiring property owners who 23
receive such written notice to exercise an option to 24
purchase certain parcels or portions thereof within a 25
CS/CS/HB 979 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb979-02-c2
Page 2 of 9
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
specified timeframe or forfeit the option; limiting 26
the price at which such parcels or portions of parcels 27
may be offered to the property owners for purchase; 28
requiring the administrative approval of certain 29
proposed developments; authorizing local governments 30
to apply certain local regulations under certain 31
circumstances; requiring development on qualifying 32
parcels to meet concurrency requirements; requiring 33
each local government to maintain a certain policy on 34
its website; providing applicability; providing 35
construction; prohibiting a local government from 36
adopting or enforcing certain local laws, ordinances, 37
or regulations; providing a directive to the Division 38
of Law Revision; providing an effective date. 39
40
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 41
42
Section 1. Section 163.2525, Florida Statutes, is created 43
to read: 44
163.2525 Infill Redevelopment Act.— 45
(1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the "Infill 46
Redevelopment Act." 47
(2) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.—The Legislature finds that this 48
state's urban areas lack sufficient land for the development of 49
additional residential uses, which has led to a shortage of 50
CS/CS/HB 979 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb979-02-c2
Page 3 of 9
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
supply; that parcels of land within or near urban areas are 51
difficult to develop or redevelop because of environmental 52
issues and local regulations; and that facilitating the 53
expedited permitting of such parcels, particularly in areas in 54
which multiple local governments have jurisdiction, serves 55
important public interests in remediating environmentally 56
challenged land and increasing the supply of housing. 57
(3) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term: 58
(a) "Adjacent to" means located next to another parcel of 59
land or portion thereof, including where the parcels are 60
separated only by a roadway, railroad, or other public or 61
private right-of-way or easement. 62
(b) "Density" has the same meaning as in s. 163.3164. 63
(c) "Designated agricultural land" means a parcel of land 64
within a zoning district that allows for agricultural uses such 65
as farming, raising livestock, or aquaculture as the main 66
permitted uses and which land is classified as agricultural land 67
under s. 193.461. 68
(d) "Environmentally impacted land" means a parcel of land, 69
any portion of which: 70
1. There is a detection of a containment or pollutant 71
above the applicable local, state, or federal residential clean 72
up levels; 73
2. Is, or, prior to or concurrent with development, would 74
be subject to environmental cleanup or site rehabilitation 75
CS/CS/HB 979 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb979-02-c2
Page 4 of 9
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
requirements pursuant to chapter 376, chapter 403, or local 76
environmental ordinances or regulations, as a result of the 77
presence of environmental containment or pollution present above 78
applicable cleanup target levels; or 79
3. Is located in a brownfield area designated pursuant to 80
s. 376.80. 81
(e) "Local government" means a county, municipality, 82
special district, or political subdivision of the state. 83
(f) "Parcel of land" has the same meaning as in s. 84
163.3164. 85
(g) "Qualifying parcel" means a parcel of land to which 86
this section applies under subsection (4). 87
(h) "Recreational facilities" means one or more parcels of 88
land any portion of which was previously used as a golf course, 89
tennis court, swimming pool, or clubhouse, or another similar 90
use. 91
(i) "Townhouse" means a single-family dwelling unit that 92
is constructed in a series or group of attached units with 93
property lines separating such units. 94
(j) "Urban growth boundary" means a boundary established 95
by a comprehensive plan or land development regulation beyond 96
which the provision of urban services or facilities is limited. 97
The term includes, but is not limited to, urban development 98
boundaries and urban service boundaries. 99
(4) QUALIFYING PARCELS.— 100
CS/CS/HB 979 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb979-02-c2
Page 5 of 9
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) Except as provided in paragraph (b), this section 101
applies to environmentally impacted land consisting of at least 102
5 acres that is adjacent to a zoning district within the same 103
jurisdiction that permits residential uses as of right and is 104
within a county that meets both of the following requirements: 105
1. The county has a population of more than 1.475 million 106
according to the most recent decennial census. 107
2. There are at least 15 municipalities within the county. 108
(b) This section does not apply to any of the following: 109
1. Designated agricultural land. 110
2. Land owned or operated by a local government for public 111
park purposes. 112
3. Land outside an urban growth boundary. 113
4. Land within one-quarter mile of a military installation 114
identified in s. 163.3175(2). 115
5. Land that is owned, or that was owned at any time 116
within the 15 years preceding the effective date of this act, by 117
a public utility as defined in s. 366.02. 118
(5) DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS.—Notwithstanding any local 119
law, ordinance, or regulation to the contrary, a local 120
government must permit a qualifying parcel to be developed with 121
residential uses. The density of development pursuant to this 122
section shall not exceed the average density of all zoning 123
districts within the same jurisdiction that allow residential 124
uses as of right adjacent to the qualifying parcel, and its 125
CS/CS/HB 979 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb979-02-c2
Page 6 of 9
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
intensity must comply with the standards of any adjacent zoning 126
district. 127
(6) SUBDIVISION APPROVAL.—A local government must approve 128
an application for the subdivision of a qualifying parcel if the 129
application satisfies the requirements of chapter 177. A local 130
government may not use the subdivision process to restrict 131
development below the density and intensity authorized under 132
subsection (5). 133
(7) BUFFER FROM RESIDENTIAL USES.—If a qualifying parcel 134
is adjacent to single-family homes or townhomes, or both, on all 135
sides, the developer must provide a buffer of at least 20 feet 136
between the new development and the existing single-family homes 137
or townhomes. The buffer area shall be measured from lot line to 138
lot line and must be maintained as open space or improved with 139
passive recreational facilities accessible to the community. 140
Swales and water retention areas shall be considered open space. 141
(8) RECREATIONAL FACILITIES.— 142
(a) If a qualifying parcel includes recreational 143
facilities or areas reserved for recreational use and such 144
recreational facilities or areas are adjacent to single-family 145
homes on all sides, the developer must do all of the following: 146
1. Establish that such facilities or areas, or portions 147
thereof, located on the qualifying parcel have not been in 148
operation or in use for a period of at least 12 consecutive 149
months. 150
CS/CS/HB 979 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb979-02-c2
Page 7 of 9
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. Pay double the applicable parks or recreational 151
facilities impact fee that would otherwise apply to the proposed 152
development, to compensate for the loss of open or recreational 153
space. 154
3. Provide written notice delivered by certified mail to 155
all owners of property adjacent to the recreational facilities 156
or areas, which notice includes all of the following 157
information: 158
a. That the developer intends to develop the parcel in 159
accordance with this section. 160
b. That the adjacent property owners may elect to purchase 161
the parcel or portion thereof containing recreational facilities 162
or areas for the purpose of maintaining the parcel, or portions 163
thereof, as recreational areas or open space within 90 days 164
after the date the notice is mailed. 165
c. The price at which the adjacent property owners may 166
purchase the property. 167
(b) Property owners who receive the notice required under 168
subparagraph (a)3. and wish to exercise the option to purchase 169
the parcel or portion thereof containing the recreational 170
facilities or areas must exercise the option and close on the 171
property, including requiring the property to be maintained as a 172
recreational area or open space for at least 30 years through 173
acceptance of a deed restriction or recording of a restrictive 174
covenant, within 90 days after the notice is mailed or forfeit 175
CS/CS/HB 979 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb979-02-c2
Page 8 of 9
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
the option. The parcel or portion thereof must be offered to 176
such property owners for purchase at a price that may not exceed 177
the greater of: 178
1. An amount equal to the price paid by the property owner 179
plus 10 percent; or 180
2. An amount equal to a bona fide offer to purchase the 181
property received by the property owner within the last 12 182
months plus 10 percent. 183
(9) DEVELOPMENT APPLICATIONS.— The proposed development of 184
a qualifying parcel which complies with the requirements of this 185
section must be administratively approved, and no further action 186
by the governing body of a local government is required. A local 187
government may administratively require a proposed development 188
to comply with local regulations relating to architectural 189
design, such as required color palettes or architectural style, 190
provided such standards would apply to, and are generally 191
applicable to, comparable residential development within the 192
jurisdiction and do not affect the density or intensity of the 193
proposed development. Developers shall be required to establish 194
consistency with applicable concurrency requirements before the 195
issuance of a building permit for any project developed pursuant 196
to this section. Each local government shall maintain on its 197
website a policy containing procedures and expectations for 198
administrative approval under this subsection. 199
CS/CS/HB 979 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb979-02-c2
Page 9 of 9
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
(10) APPLICATION AND CONSTRUCTION.—This section applies 200
retroactively to any local law, ordinance, or regulation that is 201
contrary to this section or its intent and must be liberally 202
construed to effectuate its intent. 203
(11) PREEMPTION.—A local government may not adopt or 204
enforce a local law, an ordinance, or a regulation that applies 205
or has the effect of applying a more restrictive or burdensome 206
requirement or procedure to the development of a qualifying 207
parcel which is administratively approved pursuant to this 208
section. Any such law, ordinance, or regulation contrary to this 209
section is void. 210
Section 2. The Division of Law Revision is directed to 211
replace the phrase "the effective date of this act" wherever it 212
occurs in this act with the date this act becomes a law. 213
Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. 214