Environment (Natural Disasters)

Coastal Resiliency; Prohibiting the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund from approving the dredging or filling of the submerged lands of the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve unless such dredging and filling occurs for certain reasons; authorizing certain dredging and filling of submerged lands and placement of certain shorelines and seawalls within the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve; authorizing the erection of certain structures within aquatic preserves; requiring the Department of Environmental Protection, by a specified date, to develop guidelines and standards for nature-based methods to address coastal resiliency and to adopt rules, subject to legislative ratification, for a statewide permitting process for such coastal resiliency, etc.

SB 218 prohibits counties and municipalities in areas affected by Hurricanes Debby, Helene, or Milton (as designated in federal disaster declarations) from imposing construction moratoriums or stricter land use rules for properties damaged by those storms. It specifically blocks local governments from adopting more restrictive land development regulations, site plan approvals, or comprehensive plan amendments related to hurricane-damaged properties until October 1, 2027. The law applies retroactively to August 1, 2024, and allows affected residents or business owners to sue to halt violations, with potential recovery of legal fees. The bill expires June 30, 2028, and directly affects rebuilding efforts in designated disaster zones.