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SB 948FLORIDA · STATEWIDESession 2026Died in Judiciary
High Impact

The Florida Starter Homes Act (SB 948)

Original title: Local Government Land Development Regulations and Orders

December 17, 2025

Companion · HB 1143same policy, House version
housingland usezoninglocal governmentproperty rightsconstructionmunicipalities

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Where This Stands

Currently Died in Judiciary. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Introduced.

Procedural history

8 actions
  1. Feb 4, 2026Senate
    CS by Community Affairs read 1st time
  2. Jan 29, 2026Senate
    Now in Judiciary
  3. Jan 29, 2026Senate
    Pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute)
  4. Jan 27, 2026Senate
    CS by Community Affairs; YEAS 7 NAYS 1
  5. Jan 22, 2026Senate
    On Committee agenda-- Community Affairs, 01/27/26, 3:30 pm, 37 Senate Building
  6. Jan 13, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Introduced
Show 2 earlier actions
  1. Jan 5, 2026SenateCommittee
    Referred to Community Affairs; Judiciary; Rules
  2. Dec 17, 2025SenateIntroduced
    Filed

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

If enacted, this legislation would have limited local control over residential development standards and created a legal pathway for developers and property owners to challenge local zoning ordinances in court, potentially accelerating the construction of smaller, higher-density housing units.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Local governments

They would have been prohibited from enforcing certain zoning and land-use regulations and would have been subject to strict application processing timelines and potential lawsuits.

Property owners

They would have gained the ability to develop smaller lots and starter homes with fewer local restrictions and the right to sue for damages if regulations violated the Act.

Housing organizations

They would have been granted legal standing to sue local governments for regulations that violate the Act.

What changed

Last recorded activity December 17, 2025.

What's next

Introduced.

Summary

This bill would have restricted the ability of local governments to regulate residential lot sizes, setbacks, and parking requirements for starter homes. It also established strict, time-bound application processes for development permits and allowed property owners to sue local governments for non-compliance.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a 'starter home' under this bill?
A dwelling with one, two, three, or four units, including single-family detached homes, townhouses, duplexes, triplexes, and quadruplexes.
Could a local government still require parking for new homes?
The bill would have limited parking requirements to no more than one space per unit for lots 4,000 square feet or less, and prohibited parking requirements entirely for lots within a half-mile of a public transit stop.
What happens if a local government takes too long to review a permit?
If the local government fails to meet specified review and approval deadlines, the application would be automatically 'deemed approved ' and the applicant would receive a full refund of their application fee.

Why It Matters

If enacted, this legislation would have limited local control over residential development standards and created a legal pathway for developers and property owners to challenge local zoning ordinances in court, potentially accelerating the construction of smaller, higher-density housing units.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Voting Record

Motion succeededsenate1/27/2026Official roll call ↗

Favorable with Committee Substitute

Total

10

Yes

8

No

2

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Full roll-call analysis →

Sponsors

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Preemption of Local Zoning

The bill represents a significant attempt to shift land-use control from local municipalities to state-level standards, specifically targeting lot sizes and parking requirements.

Florida LegislatureLocal governments

Connected Entities

dollar_amount37“Cost associated with the bill”Map →
organizationRules“Committee reviewing the bill”Map →
locationSenate Building“Location of a committee meeting”Map →
organizationJudiciary“Committee reviewing the bill”Map →
organizationCommunity Affairs“Committee reviewing the bill”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy80
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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