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THE BILL ITSELF

SB 280

Assessment of Homestead Property

VERSION S 280 Filed · BACK TO THE SUMMARY · OFFICIAL RECORD

underlined language is being added; struck language is being deleted. Line numbers are the Legislature's own — the same ones amendments cite.

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 280 By Senator Bernard 24-00444C-26 2026280__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to assessment of homestead property;
3 amending s. 193.155, F.S.; limiting the assessed value
4 upon change of ownership of homestead property having
5 a prior assessed value below a certain amount when the
6 person acquiring the property is entitled to a
7 homestead exemption; providing a contingent effective
8 date.
10 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section
13 193.155, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
14 193.155 Homestead assessments.—Homestead property shall be
15 assessed at just value as of January 1, 1994. Property receiving
16 the homestead exemption after January 1, 1994, shall be assessed
17 at just value as of January 1 of the year in which the property
18 receives the exemption unless the provisions of subsection (8)
19 apply.
20 (3)(a) Except as provided in this subsection or subsection
21 (8), property assessed under this section shall be assessed at
22 just value as of January 1 of the year following a change of
23 ownership ; however, if ownership is acquired by a person
24 entitled to a homestead exemption and the acquired property had
25 an assessed value of less than $500,000 in the preceding year,
26 the property’s assessed value may not exceed 150 percent of its
27 assessed value in the preceding year . Thereafter, the annual
28 changes in the assessed value of the property are subject to the
29 limitations in subsections (1) and (2). For the purpose of this
30 section, a change of ownership means any sale, foreclosure, or
31 transfer of legal title or beneficial title in equity to any
32 person, except if any of the following apply:
33 1. Subsequent to the change or transfer, the same person is
34 entitled to the homestead exemption as was previously entitled
35 and:
36 a. The transfer of title is to correct an error;
37 b. The transfer is between legal and equitable title or
38 equitable and equitable title and no additional person applies
39 for a homestead exemption on the property;
40 c. The change or transfer is by means of an instrument in
41 which the owner is listed as both grantor and grantee of the
42 real property and one or more other individuals are additionally
43 named as grantee. However, if any individual who is additionally
44 named as a grantee applies for a homestead exemption on the
45 property, the application is considered a change of ownership;
46 d. The change or transfer is by means of an instrument in
47 which the owner entitled to the homestead exemption is listed as
48 both grantor and grantee of the real property and one or more
49 other individuals, all of whom held title as joint tenants with
50 rights of survivorship with the owner, are named only as
51 grantors and are removed from the title; or
52 e. The person is a lessee entitled to the homestead
53 exemption under s. 196.041(1);
54 2. Legal or equitable title is changed or transferred
55 between husband and wife, including a change or transfer to a
56 surviving spouse or a transfer due to a dissolution of marriage;
57 3. The transfer occurs by operation of law to the surviving
58 spouse or minor child or children under s. 732.401;
59 4. Upon the death of the owner, the transfer is between the
60 owner and another who is a permanent resident and who is legally
61 or naturally dependent upon the owner; or
62 5. The transfer occurs with respect to a property where all
63 of the following apply:
64 a. Multiple owners hold title as joint tenants with rights
65 of survivorship;
66 b. One or more owners were entitled to and received the
67 homestead exemption on the property;
68 c. The death of one or more owners occurs; and
69 d. Subsequent to the transfer, the surviving owner or
70 owners previously entitled to and receiving the homestead
71 exemption continue to be entitled to and receive the homestead
72 exemption.
73 Section 2. This act shall take effect on the effective date
74 of the amendment to the State Constitution proposed by SJR 278
75 or a similar joint resolution having substantially the same
76 specific intent and purpose, if such amendment is approved at
77 the next general election or at an earlier special election
78 specifically authorized by law for that purpose.