2026 Florida Legislative Agenda

This summer, Defending Rural Florida will work closely with legislative partners to file

bold, commonsense reforms for the 2026 session. These priorities are aimed at

protecting Florida’s rural lands, restoring local control, and preserving the integrity of our

natural and agricultural heritage.

Florida taxpayers have invested billions to protect conservation land "in perpetuity", yet

current law allows easements to be released at any time, for any reason, with no

oversight or compensation. This glaring loophole allows land supposedly protected from

development to be handed back to landowners and opened up for roads, subdivisions,

or commercial sprawl.

It’s time to fix the law and ensure true, lasting protection for our conservation

lands.

In 2021, Florida passed a law stripping local governments of their ability to regulate

industrial solar farms on agricultural lands. The result? A wave of rural land loss as solar

developers convert farms, pastures, and forests into sprawling utility projects, often

without local input.

We support repealing this law and giving rural communities the right to decide

what’s best for their land.

The Bert J. Harris Act was designed to protect landowners from unfair government

action. Today, it’s being weaponized by developers to force approval of irresponsible

growth. Lawsuits under the Harris Act are being used to intimidate local governments

and override sound planning decisions.

We seek to restore the original intent of the law and protect local decision-making

from exploitation.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is tasked with protecting the

state’s wildlife and natural resources. But with the board increasingly populated by

individuals with ties to development interests, conservation is taking a back seat.

We propose reforms to ensure the commission is guided by science,

stewardship, and a genuine commitment to preservation.