Florida Senate - 2026                                    SB 1148
       
       
        
       By Senator Bracy Davis
       
       
       
       
       
       15-00383E-26                                          20261148__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to My Safe Florida Home Program;
    3         amending s. 215.5586, F.S.; requiring the Department
    4         of Financial Services to notify applicants in
    5         specified circumstances; authorizing applicants to
    6         submit subsequent applications in certain
    7         circumstances; prohibiting an application from being
    8         deemed withdrawn if an applicant responds to notice
    9         and makes certain demonstrations and corrections;
   10         providing an effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Paragraph (j) of subsection (2) and subsection
   15  (3) of section 215.5586, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   16         215.5586 My Safe Florida Home Program.—There is established
   17  within the Department of Financial Services the My Safe Florida
   18  Home Program. The department shall provide fiscal
   19  accountability, contract management, and strategic leadership
   20  for the program, consistent with this section. This section does
   21  not create an entitlement for property owners or obligate the
   22  state in any way to fund the inspection or retrofitting of
   23  residential property in this state. Implementation of this
   24  program is subject to annual legislative appropriations. It is
   25  the intent of the Legislature that, subject to the availability
   26  of funds, the My Safe Florida Home Program provide licensed
   27  inspectors to perform hurricane mitigation inspections of
   28  eligible homes and grants to fund hurricane mitigation projects
   29  on those homes. The department shall implement the program in
   30  such a manner that the total amount of funding requested by
   31  accepted applications, whether for inspections, grants, or other
   32  services or assistance, does not exceed the total amount of
   33  available funds. If, after applications are processed and
   34  approved, funds remain available, the department may accept
   35  applications up to the available amount. The program shall
   36  develop and implement a comprehensive and coordinated approach
   37  for hurricane damage mitigation pursuant to the requirements
   38  provided in this section.
   39         (2) HURRICANE MITIGATION GRANTS.—Financial grants shall be
   40  used by homeowners to make improvements recommended by an
   41  inspection which increase resistance to hurricane damage.
   42         (j) A homeowner who receives a grant shall finalize
   43  construction and request a final inspection, or request an
   44  extension for an additional 6 months, within 1 year after grant
   45  approval. If a homeowner fails to comply with this paragraph,
   46  his or her application is deemed abandoned and the grant money
   47  reverts to the department. The department must notify the
   48  applicant if an application is deemed abandoned. If the
   49  applicant responds to such notification within 5 business days
   50  and demonstrates good cause for the failure to comply with this
   51  paragraph, the applicant may submit a subsequent grant
   52  application.
   53         (3) REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION.—The department may request
   54  that an applicant provide additional information. An application
   55  is deemed withdrawn by the applicant if the department does not
   56  receive a response to its request for additional information
   57  within 60 days after the notification of any apparent error or
   58  omission. The department must notify the applicant if an
   59  application has been deemed withdrawn. If the applicant responds
   60  to such notification within 5 business days, demonstrates good
   61  cause for any error or omission, and corrects the error or
   62  omission in that time period, the application may not be deemed
   63  withdrawn.
   64         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.