THE BILL ITSELF
SB 1502
My Safe Florida Home Program
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1502 By Senator Truenow 13-01349-26 20261502__
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A bill to be entitled
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An act relating to My Safe Florida Home Program;
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amending s. 215.5586, F.S.; defining the term “class A
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opening protection”; providing additional requirements
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for inspections provided through the program;
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providing additional requirements to receive a grant
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through a specified program; revising the list of
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improvements such grants may be used for; revising
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requirements of a certain report; requiring the
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Department of Financial Services to maintain an online
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dashboard that includes certain information; requiring
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the department to establish performance standards and
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audit protocols for certain inspectors; providing an
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effective date.
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Section 1. Present subsections (1) through (10) of section
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215.5586, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsection (2)
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through (11), respectively, a new subsection (1) is added to
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that section, and present subsections (1), (2), and (10) of that
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section are amended, to read:
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215.5586 My Safe Florida Home Program.—There is established
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within the Department of Financial Services the My Safe Florida
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Home Program. The department shall provide fiscal
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accountability, contract management, and strategic leadership
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for the program, consistent with this section. This section does
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not create an entitlement for property owners or obligate the
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state in any way to fund the inspection or retrofitting of
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residential property in this state. Implementation of this
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program is subject to annual legislative appropriations. It is
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the intent of the Legislature that, subject to the availability
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of funds, the My Safe Florida Home Program provide licensed
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inspectors to perform hurricane mitigation inspections of
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eligible homes and grants to fund hurricane mitigation projects
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on those homes. The department shall implement the program in
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such a manner that the total amount of funding requested by
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accepted applications, whether for inspections, grants, or other
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services or assistance, does not exceed the total amount of
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available funds. If, after applications are processed and
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approved, funds remain available, the department may accept
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applications up to the available amount. The program shall
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develop and implement a comprehensive and coordinated approach
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for hurricane damage mitigation pursuant to the requirements
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provided in this section.
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(1) DEFINITION.—As used in this section, the term “class A
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opening protection” means all glazed openings are large missile
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impact-rated, or protected by products that qualify as such,
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and:
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(a) All openings are protected at the highest applicable
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level;
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(b) Solid entry doors and garage doors are verified to be
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wind and pressure rated; or
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(c) Solid entry doors and garage doors cannot be identified
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to be wind and pressure rated.
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(2) (1) HURRICANE MITIGATION INSPECTIONS.—
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(a) To be eligible for a hurricane mitigation inspection
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under the program:
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1. A home must be a single-family, detached residential
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property or a townhouse as defined in s. 481.203;
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2. A home must be site-built and owner-occupied; and
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3. The homeowner must have been granted a homestead
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exemption on the home under chapter 196.
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(b)1. An application for a hurricane mitigation inspection
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must contain a signed or electronically verified statement made
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under penalty of perjury that the applicant has submitted only
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one inspection application on the home or that the application
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is allowed under subparagraph 2., and the application must have
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documents attached which demonstrate that the applicant meets
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the requirements of paragraph (a).
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2. An applicant may submit a subsequent hurricane
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mitigation inspection application for the same home only if:
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a. The original hurricane mitigation inspection application
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has been denied or withdrawn because of errors or omissions in
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the application;
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b. The original hurricane mitigation inspection application
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was denied or withdrawn because the home did not meet the
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eligibility criteria for an inspection at the time of the
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previous application, and the homeowner reasonably believes the
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home now is eligible for an inspection; or
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c. The program’s eligibility requirements for an inspection
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have changed since the original application date, and the
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applicant reasonably believes the home is eligible under the new
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requirements.
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(c) An applicant meeting the requirements of paragraph (a)
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may receive an inspection of a home under the program without
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being eligible for a grant under subsection (3) (2) or applying
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for such grant.
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(d) Licensed inspectors are to provide home inspections of
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eligible homes to determine what mitigation measures are needed,
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what insurance premium discounts may be available, and what
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improvements to an existing residential property properties are
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needed to reduce the property’s vulnerability to hurricane
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damage. An inspector may inspect a townhouse as defined in s.
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481.203 to determine whether if opening protection mitigation as
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listed in subparagraph (3)(e)1. or subparagraph (3)(e)3.
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(2)(e)1. would provide improvements to mitigate hurricane
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damage.
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(e) The department shall contract with wind certification
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entities to provide hurricane mitigation inspections and verify
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all current mitigation features . The inspections provided to
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homeowners, at a minimum, must include:
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1. A home inspection and report that :
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a. Summarizes the results and identifies recommended
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improvements a homeowner may take to mitigate hurricane damage.
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b. Completes a uniform mitigation verification inspection
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form, created by the department by rule.
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c. Certifies, under penalty of perjury, that the
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recommended improvements materially increase the wind resistance
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level of the home.
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2. A range of cost estimates regarding the recommended
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mitigation improvements.
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3. Information regarding estimated premium discounts,
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correlated to the current mitigation features and the
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recommended mitigation improvements identified by the
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inspection.
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(f) To qualify for selection by the department as a wind
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certification entity to provide hurricane mitigation
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inspections, the entity must, at a minimum, meet the following
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requirements:
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1. Use hurricane mitigation inspectors who are licensed or
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certified as:
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a. A building inspector under s. 468.607;
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b. A general, building, or residential contractor under s.
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489.111;
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c. A professional engineer under s. 471.015;
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d. A professional architect under s. 481.213; or
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e. A home inspector under s. 468.8314 and who have
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completed at least 3 hours of hurricane mitigation training
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approved by the Construction Industry Licensing Board, which
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training must include hurricane mitigation techniques,
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compliance with the uniform mitigation verification form, and
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completion of a proficiency exam.
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2. Use hurricane mitigation inspectors who also have
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undergone drug testing and a background screening. The
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department may conduct criminal record checks of inspectors used
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by wind certification entities. Inspectors must submit a set of
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fingerprints to the department for state and national criminal
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history checks and must pay the fingerprint processing fee set
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forth in s. 624.501. The fingerprints must be sent by the
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department to the Department of Law Enforcement and forwarded to
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the Federal Bureau of Investigation for processing. The results
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must be returned to the department for screening. The
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fingerprints must be taken by a law enforcement agency,
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designated examination center, or other department-approved
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entity.
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3. Provide a quality assurance program including a
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reinspection component.
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(3) (2) HURRICANE MITIGATION GRANTS.—Financial grants must
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shall be used by homeowners to make improvements recommended by
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an inspection which increase resistance to hurricane damage.
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(a) A homeowner is eligible for a hurricane mitigation
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grant if all of the following criteria are met:
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1. The home must be eligible for an inspection under
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subsection (2) (1) .
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2. The home must be a dwelling with an insured value of
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$700,000 or less. Homeowners who are low-income persons, as
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defined in s. 420.0004(11), are exempt from this requirement.
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3. The home must undergo an acceptable hurricane mitigation
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inspection as provided in subsection (2) (1) .
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4. The building permit application for initial construction
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of the home must have been made before January 1, 2008.
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5. The homeowner must agree to make his or her home
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available for inspection once a mitigation project is completed.
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6. The homeowner must agree to provide to the department
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information received from the homeowner’s insurer identifying
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the discounts realized by the homeowner because of the
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mitigation improvements funded through the program.
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7.a. The homeowner must be a low-income person or moderate
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income person as defined in s. 420.0004.
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b. The hurricane mitigation inspection must have occurred
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within the previous 24 months from the date of application.
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c. Notwithstanding subparagraph 2., homeowners who are low
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income persons, as defined in s. 420.0004(11), are not exempt
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from the requirement that the home must be a dwelling with an
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insured value of $700,000 or less.
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d. This subparagraph expires July 1, 2026.
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8. The home does not have class A opening protection or
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equivalent mitigation features.
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9. The grant must result in all exterior openings and roof
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to-wall connections meeting the highest applicable wind-borne
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debris region standards, except that a solid exterior door
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without glass located in a county other than Monroe County,
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Miami-Dade County, or Broward County does not need to be impact
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rated.
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10. The grant will not be used to replace opening
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protections that currently meet the highest applicable wind
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protection rating.
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(b)1. An application for a grant must contain a signed or
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electronically verified statement made under penalty of perjury
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that the applicant has submitted only one grant application or
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that the application is allowed under subparagraph 2., and the
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application must have documents attached demonstrating that the
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applicant meets the requirements of paragraph (a).
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2. An applicant may submit a subsequent grant application
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if:
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a. The original grant application was denied or withdrawn
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because the application contained errors or omissions;
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b. The original grant application was denied or withdrawn
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because the home did not meet the eligibility criteria for a
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grant at the time of the previous application, and the homeowner
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reasonably believes that the home now is eligible for a grant;
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or
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c. The program’s eligibility requirements for a grant have
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changed since the original application date, and the applicant
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reasonably believes that he or she is an eligible homeowner
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under the new requirements.
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3. A grant application must include a statement from the
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homeowner which contains the name and state license number of
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the contractor that the homeowner acknowledges as the intended
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contractor for the mitigation work. The program must
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electronically verify that the contractor’s state license number
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is accurate and up to date before grant approval.
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(c) All grants must be matched on the basis of $1 provided
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by the applicant for $2 provided by the state up to a maximum
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state contribution of $10,000 toward the actual cost of the
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mitigation project, except as provided in paragraph (g) (h) .
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(d) All hurricane mitigation performed under the program
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must be based upon the securing of all required local permits
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and inspections and must be performed by properly licensed
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contractors.
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(e) When recommended by a hurricane mitigation inspection,
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grants for eligible homes may be used for the following
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improvements:
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1. Impact-rated opening protection, including exterior
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doors, garage doors, windows , and doors skylights .
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2. Approved Reinforcing roof-to-wall connections.
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3. Hurricane shutters that meet Florida Building Code
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Standards
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3. Improving the strength of roof-deck attachments .
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4. Roof replacement, if the current Secondary water
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resistance for roof does not meet the standards of the Florida
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Building Code .
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(f) When recommended by a hurricane mitigation inspection,
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grants for townhouses, as defined in s. 481.203, may only be
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used for opening protection.
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(f) (g) The department may require that improvements be made
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to all openings, including exterior doors, garage doors,
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windows, and skylights, as a condition of reimbursing a
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homeowner approved for a grant. The department may adopt, by
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rule, the maximum grant allowances for any improvement allowable
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under paragraph (e) or paragraph (f) .
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(g) (h) Low-income homeowners, as defined in s.
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420.0004(11), who otherwise meet the applicable requirements of
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this subsection are eligible for a grant of up to $10,000 and
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are not required to provide a matching amount to receive the
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grant.
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(h) (i) 1. The department shall develop a process that
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ensures the most efficient means to collect and verify
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inspection applications and grant applications to determine
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eligibility. The department may direct hurricane mitigation
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inspectors to collect and verify grant application information
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or use the Internet or other electronic means to collect
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information and determine eligibility.
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2. The department shall prioritize the review and approval
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of such inspection applications and grant applications in the
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following order:
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a. First, applications from low-income persons, as defined
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in s. 420.0004, who are at least 60 years old;
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b. Second, applications from all other low-income persons,
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as defined in s. 420.0004;
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c. Third, applications from moderate-income persons, as
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defined in s. 420.0004, who are at least 60 years old;
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d. Fourth, applications from all other moderate-income
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persons, as defined in s. 420.0004; and
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e. Last, all other applications.
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3. The department shall start accepting inspection
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applications and grant applications no earlier than the
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effective date of a legislative appropriation funding
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inspections and grants, as follows:
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a. Initially, from applicants prioritized under sub
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subparagraph 2.a.;
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b. From applicants prioritized under sub-subparagraph 2.b.,
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beginning 15 days after the program initially starts accepting
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applications;
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c. From applicants prioritized under sub-subparagraph 2.c.,
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beginning 30 days after the program initially starts accepting
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applications;
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d. From applicants described in sub-subparagraph 2.d.,
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beginning 45 days after the program initially starts accepting
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applications; and
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e. From all other applicants, beginning 60 days after the
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program initially starts accepting applications.
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4. The program may accept a certification directly from a
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low-income homeowner or moderate-income homeowner who meets the
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requirements of s. 420.0004(11) or (12), respectively, if the
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homeowner provides such certification in a signed or
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electronically verified statement made under penalty of perjury.
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(i) (j) A homeowner who receives a grant shall finalize
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construction and request a final inspection, or request an
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extension for an additional 6 months, within 1 year after grant
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approval. If a homeowner fails to comply with this paragraph,
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his or her application is deemed abandoned and the grant money
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reverts to the department.
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(11) (10) REPORTS AND ACCOUNTABILITY .—
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(a) The department shall make an annual report on the
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activities of the program that shall account for the use of
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state funds and indicate the number of inspections requested,
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the number of inspections performed, the number of grant
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applications received, the number and value of grants approved,
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and the estimated average annual amount of insurance premium
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discounts and total estimated annual amount of insurance premium
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discounts homeowners received from insurers as a result of
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mitigation funded through the program. The report must detail
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the percentage of grants used for each type of improvement
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listed under paragraph (2)(e) and the corresponding average
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premium reduction from such improvements. The report must be
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delivered to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the
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House of Representatives by February 1 of each year.
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(b) The department shall maintain a publicly accessible
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online dashboard that shows the total funds awarded by the
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program, categorized by the type of improvement the funds were
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used for, and the percentage of homes achieving reductions in
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insurance premiums.
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(c) The department shall establish performance standards
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and audit protocols for inspectors under paragraph (2)(d) which
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ensure accuracy and compliance with this section.
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Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.