SESSION WATCH
Superseded — its companion passed SENATE · SESSION 2026

No. CS/CS/SB 1138

Qualified Contractors
Send via email
SPONSOR
Rules; Judiciary; Massullo
FILED BY
Ralph E. Massullo, Jr. — District 11, Republican
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
COMPANION
CS/CS/CS/HB 927 — CS/CS/SB 1138 was set aside and its companion carried the policy

Filed under Development & Land Use.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Qualified Contractors; Requiring each county and municipality, respectively, of a specified size to create and implement a program for the purpose of making development preapplication consultation services available at an applicant’s request; authorizing a county or municipality to use a qualified contractor or qualified contractor firm to fulfill specified preapplication services requirements; requiring a local government to establish a registry of a specified number of qualified contractors or qualified contractor firms to conduct certain preapplication services; requiring the governing body of certain local governments and counties to include certain developments in a program that expedites the process for issuing building permits for planned unit developments or phases of a community or subdivision, etc.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Mandates preapplication programs and grants developers automatic approval rights.

Large counties and municipalities must now create preapplication consulting programs for development applicants. This shifts the burden of early technical review onto local governments.

Applicants automatically receive deemed approval if local governments miss specific statutory deadlines. This removes local discretion to delay or condition permits during the review process.

Developers gain an unconditional right to use private qualified contractors for technical reviews. This bypasses local government staffing limitations and accelerates the permitting timeline.

Local governments are prohibited from conditioning building permits on the physical completion of subdivision infrastructure. This allows construction to begin before all public works are finished.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Mandatory Preapplication Program majors. 125.022(1)(a)

AICreates a new legal duty for large counties to offer preapplication consulting services.

“each county with a population of 75,000 or greater shall create and implement a program” bill text, line 118 →
§ 2 Deemed Approval Mechanism majors. 125.022(1)(d)

AIGrants applicants automatic approval if the county misses the 45-day final action deadline.

“the application is deemed approved by operation of law without conditions” bill text, line 167 →
§ 3 Deemed Complete Mechanism majors. 125.022(1)(c)

AIGrants applicants automatic completeness status if the county misses the 5-day notification deadline.

“the application is deemed complete by operation of law without conditions” bill text, line 155 →
§ 4 Mandatory Preapplication Consulting Program majors. 166.033(1)(a)

AIMandates that municipalities with 10,000+ residents create a preapplication consulting program by January 1, 2027.

“each municipality with a population of 10,000 or greater shall create and implement a program” bill text, line 523 →
§ 5 Qualified Contractor Registry majors. 163.3169(2)(a)

AIRequires local governments to maintain a registry of at least four qualified contractors or two firms.

“a local government shall establish a registry of at least four qualified contractors” bill text, line 450 →
§ 6 Mandatory Expedited Permit Program majors. 177.073(2)(a)

AIRequires large local governments to create a program allowing developers to receive up to 50% of building permits before final plat recording.

“shall create a program to expedite the process for issuing building permits for residential subdivisions or one or more phases in a multiphased planned community, subdivision, or” bill text, line 783 →
§ 7 Self-Executing Qualified Contractor Right majors. 177.073(2)(d)

AIGrants developers an unconditional right to use a private qualified contractor for technical review if the local government fails to adopt the required program by the deadline.

“The applicant has an unconditional, self-executing right to use a qualified contractor of the applicant's choosing, within the scope of the contractor's professional licensure” bill text, line 819 →
§ 8 Prohibition on Infrastructure Completion Conditions majors. 177.073(6)(b)

AIForbids local governments from conditioning building permit issuance on the physical completion of subdivision infrastructure or the submission of completion certifications.

“A local government may not condition, delay, withhold, or deny the issuance of any building permit authorized under this section on: a. The actual completion, substantial” bill text, line 935 →
TIMELINE
3/5/2026
Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/CS/CS/HB 927 (Ch....
3/5/2026
Substituted CS/CS/CS/HB 927 -SJ 620
3/5/2026
Read 2nd time -SJ 620
3/4/2026
Retained on Special Order Calendar -SJ 565
3/2/2026
Placed on Special Order Calendar, 03/04/26
2/26/2026
CS/CS by Rules read 1st time
2/26/2026
Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
2/26/2026
Pending reference review -under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute)
2/24/2026
CS/CS by- Rules; YEAS 23 NAYS 0
2/19/2026
On Committee agenda-- Rules, 02/24/26, 12:00 pm, 412 Knott Building
2/18/2026
CS by Judiciary read 1st time
2/12/2026
Now in Rules
2/12/2026
Pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute)
2/10/2026
CS by Judiciary; YEAS 11 NAYS 0
2/5/2026
On Committee agenda-- Judiciary, 02/10/26, 12:00 pm, 110 Senate Building
1/20/2026
Now in Judiciary
1/20/2026
Favorable by Community Affairs; YEAS 6 NAYS 2
1/15/2026
On Committee agenda-- Community Affairs, 01/20/26, 1:00 pm, 37...
1/13/2026
Introduced
1/12/2026
Referred to Community Affairs; Judiciary; Rules
1/5/2026
Filed
15 EARLIER →
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 125.022
+577 / −33
s. 163.3169
+1606 / −0
s. 166.033
+572 / −31
s. 177.071
+219 / −0
s. 177.073
+1154 / −76
STAFF ANALYSES
2 MORE →