Petition to Repeal Sections 18 & 28 of Florida Senate Bill 180: Protect Home Rule

To the Members of the Florida Legislature,

We, the undersigned residents and concerned citizens of Florida, urge you to repeal Sections 18 and 28 of Senate Bill 180, which became law on July 1, 2025. While we acknowledge that some provisions of this bill are beneficial for emergency response and disaster recovery, these specific sections represent a severe overreach of state authority and are in direct conflict with our constitutional home rule rights.

A Direct Attack on Home Rule and Flood Resilience

Florida's constitutional home rule provision empowers local communities to make decisions that best serve their residents. It is the foundation of local self-governance and ensures that decisions affecting our neighborhoods are made by the officials we elect, not by a one-size-fits-all approach from the state.

This past year, Florida has experienced record-breaking flooding that has devastated communities and caused millions of dollars in damage. Many of these areas are looking for ways to protect their residents from future events. Yet, Sections 18 and 28 of SB 180 undermine this fundamental right and directly prevent our cities and counties from taking essential measures to reduce flooding risks.

This Law

Imposes a Statewide Planning Freeze: It imposes a mandatory three-year freeze on community planning for every local government in Florida, with the potential for an additional year of freeze after any future hurricane. This arbitrary prohibition on local regulation prevents communities from addressing new challenges like environmental protection and sustainable growth.

Bans Crucial Flood-Mitigation Regulations: The bill bans any new local regulations that could be deemed "more restrictive or burdensome" than those in place before August 1, 2024. This directly prohibits local governments from updating stormwater and floodplain protections, even in areas that have been uniquely harmed by recent floods. Communities that want to build back stronger and safer are now legally prevented from doing so.

Invites Frivolous Lawsuits: The law allows any person, regardless of whether they are a property owner or a resident of the community, to sue local governments over planning decisions. This provision puts local governments at immense legal risk and discourages them from adopting necessary measures to protect public health and safety from flooding and other climate-related threats.

The Growing Opposition

There has been a strong and vocal outpouring of opposition to SB 180. A growing number of cities and counties, recognizing the threat to their ability to govern and protect their residents, have authorized a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of this law. This widespread legal action demonstrates the serious and harmful nature of Sections 18 and 28.

By weakening the ability of our local governments to plan for the future and protect against devastating floods, SB 180 puts our communities at greater risk of environmental degradation and uncontrolled sprawl.

Call to Action 📣

We ask you to support the repeal of Sections 18 and 28 of SB 180 during the 2026 legislative session. By doing so, you will restore local authority, allow our communities to responsibly plan for the future, and uphold the constitutional right of home rule.

For more information contact Suzanne Scheiber at Dream Green Volusia: dreamgreenvolusia@gmail.com.

Thank you for your attention to this critical issue.

Sincerely, The Residents and Concerned Citizens of Florida