SESSION WATCH
Superseded — its companion passed SENATE · SESSION 2026

No. SB 1020

Regulation of Chickees
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SPONSOR
Truenow
FILED BY
Keith L. Truenow — District 13, Republican [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
COMPANION
HB 929 — SB 1020 was set aside and its companion carried the policy

Filed under Local Government.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Regulation of Chickees; Defining the term “chickee”; prohibiting counties and municipalities, respectively, from enacting ordinances, regulations, or policies that prevent construction of chickees under certain circumstances or that are more restrictive than federal floodplain management regulations; providing that later incorporation of certain features into an existing chickee requires a permit; providing criminal penalties for persons who are not members of specific tribes and who construct chickees in an attempt to circumvent the Florida Building Code, etc.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Bars local governments from blocking or over-regulating chickee construction.

Counties and municipalities can no longer block a chickee from being built in a side yard or near another structure, as long as it sits at least 10 feet away, nor apply floodplain rules to chickees stricter than the federal standard.

The Building Code exemption for tribal-built chickees now explicitly allows a wooden deck and metal fasteners like nails and hurricane straps, and adding electrical or plumbing later needs a permit without voiding that exemption.

A non-tribal member who builds a chickee specifically to dodge the Building Code commits a first-degree misdemeanor.

A chickee at least 20 feet from another building-code structure, or one with contractor-approved fireproofing, is now exempt from the Florida Fire Prevention Code as well.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Bars counties and cities from blocking side-yard or near-structure chickees majors. 125.573

AIA county or municipality may not enact an ordinance, regulation, or policy that prevents, or has the effect of preventing, a chickee from being built in a side yard at least 10 feet from any property line, or near another structure at least 10 feet away.

“That prevents or has the effect of preventing a chickee from being constructed in a side yard, provided the chickee is at least 10 feet” bill text, line 30 →
§ 2 Bars local floodplain rules for chickees stricter than federal ones majors. 125.573

AIA county or municipality may not enact any ordinance, regulation, or policy concerning chickees that is more restrictive than federal floodplain management regulations.

“That concerns chickees and is more restrictive than federal floodplain management regulations.” bill text, line 35 →
§ 3 New misdemeanor for using a chickee to dodge the Building Code majors. 553.73

AIA person who is not a member of the Miccosukee or Seminole tribe and builds a chickee specifically to get around the Florida Building Code now commits a first-degree misdemeanor.

“who constructs a chickee in an attempt to circumvent the Florida Building Code commits a misdemeanor of the first degree” bill text, line 73 →
§ 4 Confirms a deck and metal fasteners don't void the building-code exemption moderates. 553.73

AIThe tribal-chickee building-code exemption now expressly allows a wooden deck and nonwood fasteners like nails, screws, bolts, and hurricane straps, without that hardware disqualifying the structure from the exemption.

“may include a wooden deck and may incorporate nonwood fasteners, including, but not limited to, nails, screws, bolts, nuts, washers, staples, and hurricane straps.” bill text, line 65 →
§ 5 Adding electrical or plumbing later needs a permit, but doesn't void the exemption moderates. 553.73

AIIf electrical, plumbing, or another nonwood feature is added to an existing tribal chickee later, that addition needs its own permit, but it does not strip the chickee's building-code-exempt status or require a permit for the chickee itself.

“may not be construed to affect the exempt status of or require a permit for the chickee.” bill text, line 70 →
§ 6 Exempts qualifying chickees from the Florida Fire Prevention Code moderates. 633.202

AIA chickee at least 20 feet from any other Building-Code-covered structure, or one with contractor-approved fireproofing, is exempt from the Florida Fire Prevention Code, regardless of any other law.

“Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a chickee that is at least 20 feet from any other structure subject to the Florida Building Code” bill text, line 103 →
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in Regulated Industries, companion bill(s) passed, see HB 929...
1/28/2026
Now in Regulated Industries
1/27/2026
Favorable by Community Affairs; YEAS 8 NAYS 0
1/22/2026
On Committee agenda-- Community Affairs, 01/27/26, 3:30 pm, 37...
1/13/2026
Introduced
1/7/2026
Referred to Community Affairs; Regulated Industries; Rules
12/29/2025
Filed
1 EARLIER →
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 125.573
+97 / −0
s. 166.0487
+97 / −0
s. 553.73
+116 / −0
s. 633.202
+64 / −0
STAFF ANALYSES