Read the full stored bill text
Florida Senate
-
2026
SB 284
By
Senator Bernard
24-00666-26 2026284__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the assessment of property owned
3 and used by small businesses; creating s. 193.1553,
4 F.S.; defining the term “small business”; providing
5 that real property owned and used for commercial
6 purposes by small businesses will be assessed at just
7 value after a certain date; prohibiting the annual
8 change in assessed value from exceeding a specified
9 amount; requiring that the assessed value of the
10 property be lowered to the just value of the property
11 under certain circumstances; providing that a change
12 in ownership or control of the property will cause the
13 property to be assessed at just value; requiring and
14 authorizing the Department of Revenue to adopt rules;
15 providing criminal and civil penalties; providing a
16 contingent effective date.
17
18 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
19
20 Section 1. Section 193.1553, Florida Statutes, is created
21 to read:
22
193.1553 Assessment of
p
roperty owned and used by small
23
businesses
.—
24
(1)
As used in this section, the term “small business” has
25
the same meaning as in s. 288.703.
26
(2)
R
eal property owned and used for commercial purposes by
27
a small business
will
be assessed at just value as of January 1
28
of the year following the year in which the property first
29
qualifies
as property owned and used by a qualifying small
30
business
. Thereafter, the annual change in assessed value may
31
not exceed the
lesser
of:
32
(a)
Three percent of the assessment for the prior year; or
33
(b)
The percent change in the Consumer Price Index for All
34
Urban Consumers, U.S. City Average, all items 1967=100, or a
35
successor index, for the preceding calendar year as initially
36
reported by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of
37
Labor Statistics.
38
(3)
If the assessed value of the property as calculated
39
under subsection (2) exceeds the just value, the assessed value
40
of the property
must
be lowered to the just value of the
41
property.
42
(4)
A change in ownership or control
of the property
, as
43
provided in s. 193.1554
(5)
, which results in the property no
44
longer qualifying as owned and used by a small business,
will
45
cause the property to be assessed at just value as of January 1
46
of the following year.
47
(5)
The
department
shall prescribe by rule the application
48
and certification process for
receiving an assessment limitation
49
under this section. The department
may
also adopt rules for
50
procedures for audit
ing
small businesses receiving the
51
assessment limitation
and revocation of improperly granted
52
assessment limitations.
53
(
6
)
A person
who knowingly files false information to
54
obtain or retain the limitation provided by this section commits
55
a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s.
56
775.082 or s. 775.083, and is subject to payment of back taxes,
57
penalties, and interest as provided by general law.
58 Section 2. This act shall take effect on the effective date
59 of the amendment to the State Constitution proposed by SJR 282
60 or a similar joint resolution having substantially the same
61 specific intent and purpose, if such amendment is approved at
62 the next general election or at an earlier special election
63 specifically authorized by law for that purpose.