March 18, 2026Updated March 19, 2026, 3:33 p.m. ET
- HJR 203 would have asked voters in November whether they approve eliminating all non-school taxes for properties with a homestead exemption.
- The bill passed the House, but failed to get through the Senate.
(This story was updated with new information, removing outdated language from HJR 203.)
If you were hoping Florida would cut property taxes for some residents, better go get some more coins to toss into the fountain for better luck.
While HJR 203 passed the Florida House in February, it bogged down in the Senate.
The bill would have asked voters in the 2026 general election whether they approve eliminating all non-school taxes for properties with a homestead exemption.
It’s not the only item the Legislature failed to act on during the 2026 session, which ended March 13. It also failed to approve a budget and will have to return in April.
Will lawmakers also tackle property taxes at a special session? That’s unknown at this time.
Here’s what happened.
What is HJR 203, elimination of non-school property for Florida homesteads?
HRJ 203 proposed an “amendment to Florida Constitution to make homestead property exempt from all ad valorem taxation other than school district levies beginning in a specified year.”
“I filed HJR 203 to give meaningful property tax relief to Floridians,” said Rep. Monique Miller, R-Palm Bay.
The bill had originally proposed “an amendment to the Florida Constitution that gradually increases the homestead exemption from all ad valorem taxes — except school district levies — by $100,000 each year for 10 years, beginning in 2027.”
However, that language is no longer part of the proposal.
HJR 203 approved by Florida House
The bill was approved by the Florida House Feb. 19 by a vote of 80-30.
HJR 203 would turn local governments into ‘welfare beggars’
“Property taxes make our services work,” said Rep. Daryl Campbell, D-Fort Lauderdale, who was among the legislators who voted against the bill.
“Through them, cities and counties, services like police, fire rescue, libraries, and sewers, and hospital and water management districts are funded.
“Eliminating property taxes removes the core independent revenue source of local government, forcing them to rely on annual state aid. This turns local governments into welfare beggars, dependent on Tallahassee for survival.”
The proposed amended would “defund local governments and shift the cost of local government onto non-homesteaders, including renters,” said Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando.
“This would shift local government costs onto those who can least afford it. This isn’t about creating a ‘free state.’ It moves us closer to a fee state, where everyday people end up paying more out-of-pocket for basic government services while local communities lose critical funding for infrastructure, public safety, and quality of life.
“This will actually make basic necessities more expensive, not less.”
Senate version of homestead exemption bill never got to floor for a vote
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ed Hooper, R-Trinity, said the Senate cared about “doing what’s right,” which he said is assisting small, fiscally constrained counties that would be hardest hit by reducing the revenue from homesteaded properties.
➤ Florida House passes bill to eliminate most property taxes; Senate inaction looms
Bill would have needed voter approval
Both the House and Senate needed to approve the proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution for it to be sent to Florida voters in November’s general election.
Sixty percent of voters would have needed to approve the measure, which would have taken effect for the 2027 tax year.
Contributor: News Service of Florida
Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://tallahassee.com/newsletters.
