Areas of Critical State Concern

The summary of the bill was updated to reflect that the Florida Forever Act is being amended to allow land purchases in the Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern.

A new prohibition was added banning the drilling, exploration, or production of oil, gas, or other petroleum products within 10 miles of a national estuarine research reserve in rural counties.

An additional, stricter prohibition was added banning drilling within 30 miles of a national estuarine research reserve if the county also contains an Area of Critical State Concern.

The effective date for the new drilling prohibitions was established as July 1, 2026.

Deleted the section that allowed local governments to grant ad valorem tax exemptions for portions of property used in multifamily affordable housing projects.

Reorganized the bill to place the exemption from payment and performance bond requirements for Habitat for Humanity ground leases in Section 1, replacing the previous affordable housing tax exemption section.

Added specific language mandating that at least $5 million annually be spent on land acquisition within the Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern.

Removed the amendment to section 196.1978 regarding affordable housing tax exemptions and consolidated the remaining legislative intent into a shorter, more focused document.