Lazaro Aleman
editor@riverbendnews.org
Opponents of the controversial Senate Bill 180, which became law in June 2025 and essentially restricts counties and municipalities from amending their comprehensive plans or land-development regulations until late 2027, are feeling encouraged by a new bill filed by the sponsor of the original bill.
Senate Bill 840, which Senator Nick DeCeglie of Pinellas filed on Dec. 10, seeks to correct some of what critics decry as the overreach of SB 180. Titled “Land Use Regulations for Local Governments Affected by Natural Disasters,” SB 840, which consists of seven pages, aims to narrow the scope of SB 180 going forward. Boiled down to its essence, SB 840 would make it so that the restrictions of SB 180 would apply only to those properties actually damaged by a storm, according to 1,000 Friends of Florida, a nonprofit advocacy group focused on creating smart growth and sustainable, livable communities in the state and a vocal critic of SB 180.
SB 840 would furthermore reduce the threat of lawsuits against local governments by removing much of the automatic litigation exposure created under SB 180, according to the group. SB 840 would, furthermore, shorten the freeze period on the adoption of “more restrictive or burdensome” planning policies, moving the end date from Oct. 1, 2027, to June 30, 2027, according to 1,000 Friends of Florida.
What the bill doesn't do, however, is remove the other restrictive provisions of SB 180, which would remain in effect and reportedly pose a major hurdle for communities still dealing with the aftermath of previous storms, critics say. Those restrictions, which are retroactive to Aug. 1, 2024, invalidate more restrictive local land-use rules enacted since the passage of SB 180 if a city or county were included in a federal disaster declaration for hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton in 2024.
“This bill is an encouraging first step … But there is still more work to do to fully restore local planning authority and protect Florida’s communities from the sweeping effects of SB 180,” 1,000 Friends of Florida said in its press release.
SB 180 is being challenged in court by multiple cities and counties across the state, as well as by organizations and individuals, on the grounds that it violates local home rule and subverts long-range community planning to benefit developers.