Weekly Legislative Update from March 6, 2026
Week 8 of the 2026 Legislative Session was focused on mostly Floor activities as committee meetings came to an end. Data center legislation remained a major focus for AIF, with HB 1007 on the House 2nd Reading Calendar and SB 484 passing the Senate and generating significant discussion among lawmakers and stakeholders. Meanwhile, budget negotiations continued to take shape as the House and Senate worked through differences on tax relief proposals, infrastructure funding, and economic development priorities while preparing for the upcoming budget conference period.
AIF 2026 Session Week 8 Legislative Priority Issues
Data Centers: This week, HB 1007 was placed on the House 2nd Reading Calendar, but was never placed on the Special Order Calendar to be considered. Its companion bill, SB 484 passed the Senate and is in House Messages. AIF continues to educate lawmakers that Florida should remain open to compete for large-scale investments, instead of practically prohibiting them in the state by eliminating the use of non-disclosure agreements. AIF remains actively engaged on this issue, emphasizing that data centers represent critical digital infrastructure and a significant opportunity for long-term economic growth. While thoughtful guardrails are appropriate, policies that overly restrict development risk slowing investment, limiting job creation, and weakening Florida’s competitive position in the national technology landscape.
Artificial Intelligence: This week, the Senate passed SB 482, the Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights, but a similar bill was never considered in a House committee. House leadership has indicated they will not take up the bill.
The House did pass HB 527, a bill that seeks to establish new requirements governing the use of AI in areas such as consumer interactions and automated claims determinations, including provisions related to transparency, documentation, and human oversight of automated decision-making systems. The companion bill SB 202, has not been heard in the Senate.
As policymakers work through these issues, AIF remains engaged to ensure Florida’s approach protects consumers while maintaining the flexibility businesses need to responsibly deploy emerging technologies. While reasonable safeguards are important, overly rigid regulatory standards could increase compliance costs, slow innovation, and limit the productivity gains that make AI such a powerful tool for economic growth.
Growth Management: Growth management remained a key focus this week as lawmakers continued advancing measures aimed at improving predictability and efficiency in Florida’s development and permitting processes. Several proposals were passed this week reflecting efforts to reduce delays, limit inconsistent local requirements, and provide greater certainty for businesses and developers operating in the state. AIF remains actively engaged, advocating for policies that reduce unnecessary regulatory barriers and create a more stable and predictable environment for investment, job creation, and responsible economic growth.
Finance & Tax: This week saw continued movement on major finance and tax packages, with lawmakers advancing proposals that adjust local government revenue authority, refine corporate income tax conformity, and expand targeted sales tax relief. The discussions reflect an effort to balance tax reductions and regulatory certainty with long-term fiscal stability. For Florida’s business community, these measures directly impact operating costs and investment decisions. AIF remains engaged to ensure the final product strengthens Florida’s competitive, pro-business tax climate.
News AIF is Reading
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Week in Review
SB 1178/ HB 905 – Foreign Influence
On Monday, March 2, SB 1178 by Senator Erin Grall (R-Vero Beach) was heard by the Senate Appropriations Committee and was reported favorably. AIF spoke in opposition to this legislation.
On Tuesday, March 3, HB 905 by Representative Jenna Persons-Mulicka (R-Fort Myers) was heard on the House Floor and was reported favorably. AIF opposes this legislation.
These bills create new rules for agents of foreign countries of concern and foreign-supported political organizations. It requires such entities to register with the Division of Elections and regularly update the state about their activities. They also clearly define what counts as a “foreign country of concern” and a “foreign terrorist organization.” In addition, it stops state and local governments from signing certain contracts with businesses that are owned, partly owned, or closely connected to those foreign countries.
SB 1178 will now go to the Senate Floor for consideration. HB 905 will now go to the Senate for consideration.
AIF opposes this bill as it creates uncertainty and adds compliance burdens for businesses operating in the global economy. Companies with even minor or indirect foreign investment could face restrictions on public contracts, increasing costs, slowing projects, and making it harder for Florida businesses to compete and grow.
HB 527 – Mandatory Human Reviews of Insurance Claim Denials
On Thursday, March 5, HB 527 by Representative Hillary Cassel (R-Dania Beach) was heard on the House Floor and was reported favorably. AIF opposes this legislation.
This bill makes clear that insurers, workers’ comp carriers, and HMOs can’t deny or reduce a claim based solely on AI. A qualified human professional must independently review the claim, apply the policy terms, and confirm any AI-generated recommendations before a final decision is made. It also requires stronger documentation, clear contact information in denial letters, a statement confirming AI wasn’t the only factor, and gives regulators authority to examine compliance and adopt rules.
HB 527 will now go to the Senate Rules Committee for consideration.
AIF opposes this legislation because it adds significant new compliance requirements for insurers and employers. By layering additional documentation, disclosure, and manual review mandates on top of existing regulations, the bill reduces the efficiency benefits AI is intended to provide. These added requirements could slow claims processing and ultimately raise costs for Florida businesses.
SB 482 – Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights
On Wednesday, March 4, SB 482 by Senator Tom Leek (R-Ormond Beach) was heard on the Senate Floor and was reported favorably. AIF opposes this legislation.
This bill creates the “Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights” to protect consumers, especially minors, when using AI chatbots and similar platforms. It requires chatbot companies to get parental consent before allowing minors to create or keep accounts, gives parents control over those accounts, and mandates that companies permanently delete a child’s personal data if the account is closed. Platforms must also clearly tell users they are interacting with artificial intelligence, not human, and remind them regularly, including through pop-up messages during conversations. Companies must also take reasonable steps to prevent chatbots from sharing harmful content with minors. Additionally, AI companies are prohibited from selling or sharing users’ personal information, unless it has been stripped of identifying information.
SB 482 will now head to the House Floor for consideration.
AIF appreciates the sponsor for initiating the discussion on AI policy but opposes SB 482 as drafted. In its current form, the bill presents concerns related to overbroad scope, privacy risks from age-verification mandates, duplicative compliance requirements, and expanded litigation exposure that could create uncertainty for Florida businesses. AIF does appreciate the progress reflected in the amendment and looks forward to continuing to address remaining concerns.
SB 1566 - Local Government Spending
On Friday, March 6, SB 1566 by Senator Nick DiCeglie (R-St. Pete) was read on the Senate Floor and voted to be substituted for its House companion bill HB 1329 and was amended to include the impact fee language. AIF supports this legislation.
This bill makes comprehensive changes to local government budgeting transparency, transportation concurrency, and Florida’s impact fee framework. The recent amendment strengthens requirements for adopting or increasing impact fees by adding additional safeguards before exceeding phase-in limits. These updates provide greater predictability and protection against excessive or duplicative local fees, supporting more stable long-term capital planning and investment decisions.
HB 1329 will now go to the House for consideration.
AIF supports legislation that brings greater transparency, consistency, and predictability to local government fees and budgeting practices. Clear standards for impact fee calculations and safeguards against duplicative or excessive charges help ensure businesses can plan, invest, and grow in Florida with confidence.
HB 1139 – Impact Fees
On Wednesday, March 4, HB 1139 by Representative Richard Gentry (R-DeBary) was heard on the House Floor and was reported favorably. AIF stood in support of this legislation.
The bill creates clear requirements for local governments that impose impact fee increases under extraordinary circumstances. Specifically, the bill mandates local governments specifically justify each increase through a plan-based method. The bill also creates clear statutes for companies that litigate against local government impact fee increases or those who recover overpaid fees.
HB 1139 will now go to the Senate Floor for consideration.
AIF supports legislation that creates clear and reasonable pathways for landowners to develop their land responsibly. Ensuring local governments are using collected impact fees correctly is important in lowering home costs and creating housing throughout the state.
HB 433/ SB 290 – Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
On Tuesday, March 3, both HB 433 by Representative Danny Alvarez (R-Fish Hawk) and SB 290 by Senator Keith Truenow (R-Tavares) were heard on the House Floor and reported favorably. AIF supports this legislation.
These bills enhance Florida’s approach to regulating the agriculture industry. They also create the Farmers Feeding Florida Program to ensure native, local ingredients are broadly available around the state. They also preempt local governments from passing ordinances that prohibit or restrict gas-powered equipment used on lawns or agricultural lands.
HB 433 was substituted for its identical Senate Companion Bill, SB 290, and will now go to the Governor for consideration.
AIF supports promoting Florida’s agricultural community and protecting those who choose to work on agricultural lands from unfair local ordinances that can change business practices and make working lands unaffordable.
SB 7046 – Taxation
On Monday, March 2, SB 7046 was heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee and was reported favorably. AIF continues to gather feedback from members on the tax packages.
This bill makes several tax and regulatory changes that affect how local governments raise revenue and how businesses are taxed. It limits how counties, cities, and special districts calculate special assessments on RV parks by capping the square footage per site and requiring they be treated as commercial properties instead of residential units. The measure also revises parts of the affordable housing property tax exemption process, updates millage rules, and restructures how certain communications services tax and sales tax revenues are distributed, including expanded support for fiscally constrained counties. In addition, it prohibits state and local governments from adopting or funding net-zero mandates, carbon taxes, or cap-and-trade style programs. The latest amendment further expands homestead property tax exemptions for certain totally and permanently disabled individuals and adds a sales tax exemption for small portable propane tanks, along with broader outdoor-related exemptions, providing targeted tax relief for consumers and related industries.
SB 7046 will now head to the Senate for further consideration.
AIF continues to be involved in promoting policies that provide tax predictability, protect energy reliability, strengthen fiscally constrained counties, and prevent additional regulatory costs that could negatively impact Florida’s businesses and consumers.
AIF Past Endorsements
