Florida Senate - 2024                              CS for SB 600
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Regulated Industries; and Senator Ingoglia
       
       
       
       
       
       580-02608-24                                           2024600c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to hurricane protections for
    3         homeowners’ associations; amending s. 720.3035, F.S.;
    4         providing applicability; requiring the board or a
    5         committee of a homeowners’ association to adopt
    6         hurricane protection specifications; requiring that
    7         such specifications conform to applicable building
    8         codes; prohibiting the board or a committee of an
    9         association from denying an application for the
   10         installation, enhancement, or replacement of certain
   11         hurricane protection; authorizing the requirement to
   12         adhere to certain guidelines regarding the external
   13         appearance of a structure or an improvement on a
   14         parcel; defining the term “hurricane protection”;
   15         providing an effective date.
   16          
   17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   18  
   19         Section 1. Subsection (6) is added to section 720.3035,
   20  Florida Statutes, to read:
   21         720.3035 Architectural control covenants; parcel owner
   22  improvements; rights and privileges.—
   23         (6)(a) To protect the health, safety, and welfare of the
   24  people of the state and to ensure uniformity and consistency in
   25  the hurricane protection installed by parcel owners, this
   26  subsection applies to all homeowners’ associations in the state,
   27  regardless of when the community was created. The board or any
   28  architectural, construction improvement, or other such similar
   29  committee of an association shall adopt hurricane protection
   30  specifications for each structure or other improvement on a
   31  parcel governed by the association. The specifications may
   32  include the color and style of hurricane protection products and
   33  any other factor deemed relevant by the board. All
   34  specifications adopted by the board must comply with the
   35  applicable building code.
   36         (b) Notwithstanding any other provision in the governing
   37  documents of the association, the board or any architectural,
   38  construction improvement, or other such similar committee may
   39  not deny an application for the installation, enhancement, or
   40  replacement of hurricane protection by a parcel owner which
   41  conforms to the specifications adopted by the board or
   42  committee. The board or committee may require a parcel owner to
   43  adhere to an existing unified building scheme regarding the
   44  external appearance of the structure or other improvement on the
   45  parcel.
   46         (c) For purposes of this subsection, the term “hurricane
   47  protection” includes, but is not limited to, roof systems
   48  recognized by the Florida Building Code that meet ASCE 7-22
   49  standards, permanent fixed storm shutters, roll-down track storm
   50  shutters, impact-resistant windows and doors, polycarbonate
   51  panels, reinforced garage doors, erosion controls, exterior
   52  fixed generators, fuel storage tanks, and other hurricane
   53  protection products used to preserve and protect the structures
   54  or improvements on a parcel governed by the association.
   55         Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.