SESSION WATCH
Superseded — its companion passed HOUSE · SESSION 2026

No. CS/HB 1109

Services During a State of Emergency
Send via email
SPONSOR
Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee; Cross
FILED BY
Lindsay Cross — District 60, Democrat [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
COMPANION
CS/CS/HB 803 — CS/HB 1109 was set aside and its companion carried the policy

Filed under Occupational.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Services During a State of Emergency; Authorizes DMS to enter into state term contracts for specified services; authorizes individuals to work in specified positions if they meet certain requirements.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Waives Florida license requirements for building inspectors during declared emergencies.

The Department of Management Services may keep standing state term contracts with multiple vendors for building code inspection and debris removal, ready to activate and make available to local governments once the Governor declares a natural-disaster emergency.

For one year after that declaration, a person may work as a building, electrical, mechanical, or plumbing inspector or plans examiner under a local building official, bypassing Florida's normal certification, if they meet one of three alternate qualifications.

Qualifying paths are: being part of a vendor's state term contract, being qualified for the work in a state with a mutual aid agreement with Florida, or having held a valid out-of-state license for five years before the declaration.

The one-year window runs from the declaration date itself, not from when the emergency ends, and only applies to emergencies from natural events such as hurricanes, floods, droughts, or earthquakes.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Standing multi-vendor contracts for disaster inspection and debris removal majors. 287.056

AIThe Department of Management Services may enter into and maintain state term contracts with multiple vendors to perform building code inspection and debris removal services, and make these services available to local governments during a declared state of emergency.

“the department may enter into and maintain state term contracts with multiple vendors for the purpose of performing building code inspection services” bill text, line 20 →
§ 2 New certification-by-endorsement for emergency inspectors and plans examiners majors. 468.634

AINotwithstanding any other law, a qualifying person may work in any of 14 listed inspector and plans-examiner positions under a local building official's direction for one year after a natural-emergency declaration, without going through Florida's normal certification process.

“Notwithstanding any other law, a person may act in any of the following positions under the direction of the local building official” bill text, line 29 →
§ 3 Mutual-aid-state qualification is one accepted path to certification majors. 468.634

AIA person can meet this certification's requirements by being qualified to do the work in any state that has a mutual aid agreement with Florida, as one of three alternate ways to qualify.

“is qualified for such work in any state that has a mutual aid agreement pursuant to s. 252.40(2)” bill text, line 34 →
§ 4 Certification limited to a defined "natural emergency" moderates. 468.634

AIThe one-year certification-by-endorsement window applies only to a "natural emergency," defined as an emergency caused by a natural event such as a hurricane, storm, flood, severe wave action, or drought, not to emergencies declared for other reasons.

“an emergency caused by a natural event, including, but not limited to, a hurricane, a storm, a flood, a severe wave action, a drought” bill text, line 54 →
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in State Affairs Committee; Companion bill(s) passed, see...
2/16/2026
Now in State Affairs Committee
2/16/2026
Referred to State Affairs Committee
2/13/2026
1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1)
2/13/2026
CS Filed
2/13/2026
Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)
2/13/2026
Reported out of Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee
2/12/2026
Favorable with CS by Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee
2/10/2026
PCS added to Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee agenda
1/13/2026
1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
1/12/2026
Now in Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee
1/12/2026
Referred to Commerce Committee
1/12/2026
Referred to Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee
1/12/2026
Referred to Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee
1/7/2026
Filed
9 EARLIER →
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 287.056
+66 / −0
s. 468.634
+199 / −0
s. 287.056
+0 / −0
STAFF ANALYSES