TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida lawmakers are busy preparing for the next Legislative session, with hundreds of new bills already being filed.
Of those, though, over a dozen are proposed amendments to the state Constitution, which puts a few more obstacles in the way of them becoming law.
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Even if lawmakers approve these amendments, residents will still have to consider them during the next general election in 2026.
To become law, these amendments will require at least 60% approval from voters, meaning they wouldn’t be implemented until Jan. 1, 2027.
That being said, nearly every proposed amendment thus far tackles the issue of property taxes — an issue that Gov. Ron DeSantis hammered away at earlier this year.
DeSantis has argued that property taxes across the state are too high, pushing lawmakers to put forth feasible proposals to mitigate these costs for homeowners.
However, these concerns have also caused the governor to butt heads with some members of his party, who claimed that lowering property taxes would be too costly for local governments that rely on them.
Regardless, House Republicans and even a Senate Democrat have put forth their own proposals for property tax reform.
News4JAX sister station WKMG in Orlando put together a list of amendment proposals as of Nov. 4. Here’s the list:
HJR 27 — Local Term Limits
House Joint Resolution 27 would set up term limits of 12 consecutive years for county commissioners and school board members.
After that 12-year limit, prospective candidates would have to wait four more years before running again.
HJR 67 — Assessed Value Limits
House Joint Resolution 67 would reduce the maximum amount that a homestead property’s assessed value can be raised annually from 3% to 1.5%.
HJR 201 — Eliminating Property Taxes
House Joint Resolution 201 would establish a homestead exemption for all non-school property taxes.
In addition, the amendment would prohibit local governments from reducing their law enforcement funding.
HJR 203 — Phased-Out Property Taxes
House Joint Resolution 203 would increase the homestead exemption for non-school property taxes by $100,000 per year for 10 years.
Afterward, the amendment would make all homestead properties exempt from non-school property taxes beginning on Jan. 1, 2037.
In addition, the amendment would prohibit local governments from reducing their law enforcement funding.
HJR 205 — Property Tax Exemptions (65+)
House Joint Resolution 205 would exempt residents ages 65 and over from paying non-school taxes on their homes.
In addition, the amendment would prohibit local governments from reducing their law enforcement funding.
HJR 207 — Property Tax Exemptions (25%)
House Joint Resolution 207 would apply a homestead exemption for non-school property taxes equal to 25% of the remaining assessed value after applying existing exemptions.
In addition, the amendment would prohibit local governments from reducing their law enforcement funding.
HJR 209 — Property Insurance Relief
House Joint Resolution 209 increases homestead exemptions for non-school property taxes by $100,000.
However, this only applies if the property is subject to a comprehensive multiperil insurance policy.
In addition, the amendment would prohibit local governments from reducing their law enforcement funding.
HJR 211 — Accrued Tax Benefits
House Joint Resolution 211 would allow the full value of the accrued benefit from special limitations on homestead property tax assessments to be transferred to a new homestead for non-school levies.
In addition, the amendment would prohibit local governments from reducing their law enforcement funding.
HJR 213 — Assessment Limits
House Joint Resolution 213 would limit homestead assessment increases for non-school property taxes to once every three years.
The proposal also limits assessment increases for non-homestead properties to 15% once every three years.
In addition, the amendment would prohibit local governments from reducing their law enforcement funding.
SJR 270 — Property Tax Exemptions (65+)
Senate Joint Resolution 270 would exempt residents ages 65 and over from paying non-school taxes on their homes.
This exemption applies to homes owned and maintained as a permanent residence for at least five years, with a household income of $350,000 or less (adjusted annually for inflation).
SJR 274 — Property Tax Exemptions (Long-Term)
Senate Joint Resolution 274 would prevent the assessed value of properties from going up.
This prohibition would apply to properties that have been owned and lived in for at least 20 years.
The proposal would also grant properties an extra homestead tax exemption equal to 50% of their assessed values (not including school district levies) if they’ve been owned and lived in as a primary residence for at least 30 years.
SJR 278 — Assessed Value Limits (Homes)
Senate Joint Resolution 278 would limit the assessed values of certain homes in the state.
More specifically, the proposal would apply to new homestead properties established after a change of ownership that had an assessed value of under $500,000 in the preceding year.
Under this amendment, the assessed value of such a property could not be raised by over 150% in a given year for property taxes.
SJR 282 — Assessed Value Limits (Businesses)
Senate Joint Resolution 282 would limit the assessed value of real property used for commercial purposes by small businesses.
More specifically, the proposal would prevent the assessed value from rising by over 3% or the CPI percentage change — whichever is lower.