Property Tax Relief for Florida Homesteads Won't Come This Session, DeSantis Says

WHAT HAPPENED: Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida's effort to put homestead property tax relief on the November 2026 ballot will not be resolved before the regular legislative session ends March 13.

WHAT IT MEANS: Florida homeowners hoping for a ballot measure that could eliminate non-school taxes on homesteaded properties will have to wait. The House passed HJR 203 on Feb. 19 by an 80-30 party-line vote, but the Senate has not acted, and DeSantis said he expected lawmakers to return after the regular session to get it done.

"We're going to be coming back. There's going to be opportunities to be doing it. I think you have to do it right," DeSantis said Wednesday in St. Augustine.

WHO IS AFFECTED: All Florida homestead property owners, and the smaller, fiscally constrained counties — including those on the Treasure Coast — that the Senate says would be hardest hit by reduced property tax revenue. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ed Hooper said last week the Senate's own proposal would not be as "generous" as the House version, citing concern for counties that rely heavily on homestead property tax revenue.

Senate President Ben Albritton added that, in concert with the governor, "getting it right is more important than doing it quickly or having that particular timeline set in stone."

WHAT WE DON'T KNOW: No date has been set for a special session on property taxes. Hooper would not provide a timeline for releasing the Senate's competing proposal.

WHAT TO WATCH: The regular session closes March 13. Any special session date or Senate property tax proposal release would be the next major milestone.

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