Ninety-eight people died when Champlain Towers South fell in Surfside, Florida in the early hours of June 24, 2021. A federal investigation completed five years later has confirmed what many feared: the building was structurally inadequate from the day it was built, it never met required building codes, and visible warning signs appeared weeks before the collapse. "In some locations, the design provided less than half of the code-required strength," said Judith Mitrani-Reiser, who co-led the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) investigation.

Florida lawmakers responded in 2022 with a law requiring condo associations to maintain sufficient reserve funds to cover major repairs. It was a meaningful step. Then a second law walked it back, giving associations and residents more "flexibility" in how they handle the costs. We're asking the Florida Legislature and Governor to restore strong, enforceable condo safety standards, because the NIST findings make clear that flexibility without accountability gets people killed.

The Surfside collapse was not a sudden disaster. Water was leaking from a ceiling in the parking garage in the week before the tower fell. Residents photographed cracks in the pool deck planter wall weeks in advance. Less than a day before the building came down, that planter had already detached from the pool deck. A witness described the water leak as a "water faucet" just hours before 98 people died. Florida law must require condo associations to disclose structural red flags to residents within a defined window and prohibit the deferral of critical structural repairs once a warning has been identified.

The NIST report also raises a question that goes beyond Florida. Aging condominiums across the United States share the same vulnerabilities: corroded steel, inadequate reserves, deferred maintenance, and construction that predates stronger building codes. Congress should follow Florida's lead by establishing a national framework for mandatory structural inspections of residential buildings over a certain age. Surfside should not remain a Florida story. It is a warning for every community that has been trading safety for lower fees.

The families who lost people in Surfside deserve more than a final report. They deserve a legal system that makes sure this cannot happen again, here or anywhere. Sign this petition to demand that Florida restore the full strength of its condo safety law and call on federal lawmakers to act before the next building shows the same warning signs.