HB 789FLORIDA · STATEWIDESession 2026Died in Ways & Means Committee

High Impact

Freedom 2 – The School and Non-school Ad Valorem Elimination Act

Original title: Ad Valorem Tax Levies

December 17, 2025

taxation education school funding property tax local government criminal procedure and corrections k public health public lands and property reclamation, and use relations taxation and finance

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Where This Stands

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Signed

Currently Died in Ways & Means Committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Procedural history

7 actions

Jan 13, 2026HouseIntroduced
1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
Jan 5, 2026House
Now in Ways & Means Committee
Jan 5, 2026HouseCommittee
Referred to State Affairs Committee
Jan 5, 2026HouseCommittee
Referred to Education & Employment Committee
Jan 5, 2026HouseCommittee
Referred to Budget Committee
Jan 5, 2026HouseCommittee
Referred to Ways & Means Committee

Show 1 earlier action

Dec 17, 2025HouseIntroduced
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 fundamentally restructure local government and school district funding by removing their authority to levy property taxes, contingent upon a constitutional amendment.

Who is mentioned in the record

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

Florida School Districts

The bill removes their authority to levy ad valorem taxes and repeals several funding-related statutes.

Florida Counties

The bill removes their authority to levy ad valorem taxes for county purposes and restricts special assessments on agricultural land.

Property Owners

The bill would eliminate the ad valorem tax component of their property tax bills if the contingent constitutional amendment is passed.

Property Appraisers and Tax Collectors

The bill modifies their commission structures and duties regarding the collection of ad valorem taxes.

What changed

Current stage: Died in Ways & Means Committee.

What's next

Floor Vote.

Summary

This bill proposes to eliminate county and school district (property) tax levies in Florida. It removes numerous statutory references to these taxes and repeals several sections of law related to school district elections and surcharges.

Why It Matters

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

Does this bill immediately eliminate my property taxes?

No. The bill's effective date is contingent upon the passage of a constitutional amendment proposed by a separate joint resolution (HJR 787).

What happens to school funding if this bill passes?

The bill repeals the authority for school districts to levy property taxes and removes various school-related provisions, shifting the funding structure for schools.

Does this affect agricultural land?

Yes. It prohibits counties from levying new s on agricultural lands, with exceptions for existing debt service.

News Coverage

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

Discoveries

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

policy shift100% confidence

Total Restructuring of Local Funding

The bill represents a total removal of local property tax authority for schools and counties, which would require a complete replacement of these revenue streams via state-level funding or other mechanisms.

Florida Legislature Florida School Districts Florida Counties

Connected Entities

organizationBudget Committee“Committee to which the bill was referred”Map →

organizationEducation & Employment Committee“Committee to which the bill was referred”Map →

organizationState Affairs Committee“Committee to which the bill was referred”Map →

organizationWays & Means Committee“Committee to which the bill was initially referred”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance95
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy90
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment20
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz50
Current news / social attention level

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