SB0034 • 2026

Historic Cemeteries Program

Land

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Sharief
Last action: 2026-03-13
Official status: Senate - Died in Governmental Oversight and Accountability
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide details on what happens if local governments do not approve applications or how much money can be raised from selling excess land.

Historic Cemeteries Program

This bill requires local governments to approve applications from historic African-American cemeteries to change the land use and zoning of excess vacant land under certain conditions.

What This Bill Does

Requires local governments to approve changes in land use and zoning for excess vacant land owned by historic African-American cemeteries if it is sold or contracted for sale to fund maintenance and upkeep.

Who It Names or Affects

Historic African-American cemeteries in Florida
Local governments responsible for approving changes to land use and zoning

Terms To Know

Excess vacant land: Land owned by a cemetery that is not being used for burials or other cemetery activities.
Land use category: The type of activity allowed on the land, such as residential, commercial, or industrial.

Limits and Unknowns

Does not specify what happens if local governments do not approve applications.
Does not provide details about how much money can be raised from selling excess land.
The bill only applies to historic African-American cemeteries and does not cover other types of cemeteries.

Bill History

2026-03-13 Senate
• Died in Governmental Oversight and Accountability
2026-01-13 Senate
• Introduced
2025-11-04 Senate
• Favorable by Community Affairs; YEAS 7 NAYS 0 • Now in Governmental Oversight and Accountability
2025-10-27 Senate
• On Committee agenda-- Community Affairs, 11/04/25, 3:30 pm, 37 Senate Building
2025-10-06 Senate
• Referred to Community Affairs; Governmental Oversight and Accountability; Rules
2025-09-08 Senate
• Filed

Official Summary Text

Historic Cemeteries Program; Requiring local governments to approve applications from historic African-American cemeteries to change the land use category and zoning district of excess vacant land under certain conditions, etc.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Florida Senate
-
2026

SB 34

By
Senator Sharief

35-00005-26 202634__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Historic Cemeteries Program;
3 amending s. 267.21, F.S.; requiring local governments
4 to approve applications from historic African-American
5 cemeteries to change the land use category and zoning
6 district of excess vacant land under certain
7 conditions; providing an effective date.
8
9 WHEREAS, the State of Florida recognizes the work done by
10 the University of South Florida’s Black Cemetery Network to
11 reclaim black histories that have been underrepresented, to
12 redress the exploitation and erasure of these African-American
13 cemeteries due to urban redevelopment and land use practices,
14 and to restore dignity to these cemeteries and honor the
15 deceased, and
16 WHEREAS, the Black Cemetery Network has identified and
17 registered 35 sites in Florida, and
18 WHEREAS, the Legislature passed House Bill 49 during the
19 2023 Regular Session, and it was signed into law by the Governor
20 on May 25, 2023, creating the Historic Cemeteries Program, and
21 WHEREAS, the Historic Cemeteries Program provides grants to
22 eligible cemeteries for preservation efforts; however, some of
23 these cemeteries have vacant land that could be sold to help
24 fund the long-term maintenance and upkeep of such cemeteries,
25 ensuring that the grants are used for the initial preservation
26 efforts of these cemeteries, NOW, THEREFORE,
27
28 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
29
30 Section 1. Present subsection (3) of section 267.21,
31 Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (4), and a new
32 subsection (3) is added to that section, to read:
33 267.21 Historic Cemeteries Program.—
34
(3)
If a historic African-American cemetery with excess

35
vacant land sells or enters into a contract to sell such land

36
for the express purpose of funding the cemetery’s long-term

37
maintenance and upkeep, the local government where such cemetery

38
is located must approve an application to change the land use

39
designation and zoning of such land to match the most permissive

40
land use category and zoning district adjacent to the excess

41
property.

42 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.