THE BILL ITSELF

HB 71

Distribution of Funds to Homestead Property Owners

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

1 A bill to be entitled

2 An act relating to distribution of funds to homestead

3 property owners; creating s. 192.1321, F.S.; creating

4 the Homestead Property Tax Relief Program within the

5 Department of Financial Services; defining the term

6 "eligible homesteader"; requiring the Chief Financial

7 Officer to annually issue warrants of a specified

8 amount to certain homestead property owners beginning

9 and ending on specified dates; requiring the Chief

10 Financial Officer to work with county property

11 appraisers for a specified purpose; requiring the

12 department to develop rules; providing for future

13 repeal; providing an effective date.

15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

17 Section 1. Section 192.1231, Florida Statutes, is created

18 to read:

19 192.1231 Homestead Property Tax Relief Program.—

20 (1) The Homestead Property Tax Relief Program is created

21 within the Department of Financial Services. The Department of

22 Financial Services shall provide funding and oversight for the

23 program consistent with this section. The purpose of the program

24 is to distribute funds annually to eligible homestead property

25 owners.

26 (2) As used in this section, the term "eligible

27 homesteader" means the person who receives a homestead exemption

28 pursuant to s. 196.031 on homestead property owned on or before

29 September 30, 2024, with a current taxable value of at least

30 $100,000 but no more than $450,000.

31 (3) Each September 30, beginning in 2026 and ending in

32 2030, the Chief Financial Officer shall issue a warrant in the

33 amount of $1,000 to each eligible homesteader.

34 (4) The Chief Financial Officer shall work with county

35 property appraisers to identify all eligible homesteaders.

36 (5) The Department of Financial Services shall develop

37 rules to administer the Homestead Property Tax Relief Program.

38 (6) This section is repealed January 1, 2031.

39 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.