SESSION WATCH
Died HOUSE · SESSION 2026

No. CS/HB 479

Land and Water Management
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SPONSOR
Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee; Maggard
FILED BY
Randall Maggard — District 54, Republican [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
DIED IN
Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee

Filed under Environment & Water.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Land and Water Management; Prohibits counties & municipalities from adopting laws, regulations, rules, policies, or ordinances that prohibit adjacent upland activities that are outside certain wetland buffers; repeals provisions relating to land management review teams.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Caps how far local wetland buffers can restrict upland land.

Counties and cities can no longer ban land uses on upland property once that property sits outside a wetland buffer of at least 15 feet, averaging 25 feet, from the wetland's edge.

Two things survive the preemption: existing interlocal or interagency water-resource agreements with the state, and a local government's own authority over its water, wastewater, or stormwater systems.

Separately, the bill repeals the entire statute setting up land management review teams; its substantive text is not part of this bill's changed language, so it is not detailed here.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Local governments barred from restricting upland activity beyond a 15-25 ft buffer majors. 373.027

AIA county or municipality may not adopt any law, rule, policy, or ordinance that prohibits an upland activity located outside a wetland buffer of at least 15 feet, averaging 25 feet, from the wetland's edge.

“A county or municipality may not adopt a law, regulation, rule, policy, or ordinance that prohibits adjacent upland activities” bill text, line 18 →
§ 2 Water-resource agreements and local utility authority preserved moderates. 373.027

AIThe preemption does not override an existing interlocal or interagency agreement between the department and another agency, a water management district, or a local government on state water-resource programs, and it leaves untouched a county or municipality's authority over its own water, wastewater, or stormwater system.

“Affect the authority of a county or municipality to regulate and operate its own water system, wastewater system, or stormwater system” bill text, line 28 →
§ 3 Land management review team statute repealed moderates. 373.591

AIRepeals section 373.591 in its entirety. That section's own substantive text is not reproduced in this bill's changed language, so the specific function or authority being eliminated cannot be verified beyond the fact of the repeal itself.

“Section 373.591, Florida Statutes, is repealed.” bill text, line 31 →
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee
1/16/2026
Now in Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee
1/16/2026
Referred to State Affairs Committee
1/16/2026
Referred to Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee
1/15/2026
1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1)
1/14/2026
CS Filed
1/14/2026
Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)
1/13/2026
Reported out of Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee
1/13/2026
1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
1/13/2026
Favorable with CS by Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee
1/9/2026
PCS added to Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee agenda
11/24/2025
Now in Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee
11/24/2025
Referred to State Affairs Committee
11/24/2025
Referred to Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee
11/24/2025
Referred to Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee
11/19/2025
Filed
10 EARLIER →
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 373.027
+122 / −0
s. 373.591
+6 / −0
STAFF ANALYSES