House Bill 1459 amends the My Safe Florida Home Program to shift its focus from hurricane mitigation to wind and flood mitigation. The bill introduces new provisions for conducting wind and flood mitigation inspections, projects, and grants, while eliminating references to hurricane mitigation. The Department of Financial Services will contract with flood certification entities to perform these inspections and establish eligibility criteria for homeowners. The legislation sets maximum state contributions for mitigation grants at $10,000 for wind mitigation and $20,000 for flood mitigation, with the latter being a lifetime cap for each home and homeowner. Homeowners must meet specific requirements, including being owner-occupied and having certain insurance coverage, to qualify for inspections and grants.

Additionally, the bill outlines a structured timeline for accepting applications, prioritizing low-income homeowners and those with prior flood insurance claims. It allows homeowners to certify their eligibility through a signed statement and requires grant recipients to complete construction and request inspections within one year. The bill allocates $200 million in nonrecurring funds for mitigation grants and $5 million for public outreach efforts for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. It mandates the Department of Financial Services to maintain a list of authorized inspectors and implement quality assurance measures, while also classifying these grants as disaster-relief assistance under federal tax law. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
H 1459 Filed: 215.5586