Florida's legislative session begins this week. Here are some of the key bills filed in Tallahassee

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - This week, Florida lawmakers will gather in Tallahassee for their annual legislative session, with several key issues on the table.

Here's a look at some of the high-profile measures the Florida Legislature will consider this year.

Changes to gun laws

There are multiple bills aimed at changing Florida's gun laws, including open carry, something that Gov. Ron DeSantis has publicly supported. Florida currently allows permitless concealed carry, but not open carry.

State Sen. Randy Fine (R-Melbourne Beach) filed a separate bill that would open the door to "campus carry," meaning people could carry guns on college and university campuses.

Another measure would roll back the age requirement to purchase a gun, which lawmakers increased to 21 following the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Banning fluoride from drinking water

A measure that's been dubbed the "Florida Farm Bill" would ban local governments from using "water additives," including fluoride, in drinking water.

PREVIOUS: 'Florida Farm Bill' would eliminate fluoride from public water supplies statewide

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson is among the leaders who have signaled support for the bill, which comes months after Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo issued guidance recommending the removal of fluoride from public water systems.

Since then, several city and county governments in the Tampa Bay area and across the state have taken steps to eliminate fluoride from water supplies. A statewide ban would, of course, decide the issue for everyone.

Fluoride in tap water.

READ: Hillsborough commissioners decline motion that would remove fluoride from water supply

On Monday, the city of Lakeland voted to remove the mineral from its drinking water. Other Bay area counties, including Manatee, Pinellas, and Hillsborough, have recently considered similar measures.

However, some dentists told FOX 13 the science shows that fluoride strengthens teeth.

Affordable housing

State. Rep. Berny Jacques (R-Clearwater) filed a bill that would allow local governments to designate properties for single-family homeownership, thereby limiting the ability of investors and corporations to buy houses and use them as rental properties.

A separate measure would require local governments to permit what's known as accessory dwelling units, which are commonly called "mother-in-law suites."

Property insurance

Florida's ongoing insurance crisis will come up again in Tallahassee this year, including a bipartisan bill that would make windstorm coverage through state-run Citizens Property Insurance available to all property owners statewide.

Currently, Citizens’ wind-only coverage plans are only available in select coastal regions of Florida.

Separate legislation would strip condo associations of access to Citizens Property Insurance if they don't comply with new building safety laws passed after the 2021 Surfside condo collapse.

The state recently found that more than half of all buildings that are now required to perform safety studies, along with setting aside reserves to ensure the structural integrity of their buildings in the future, haven't done so.

However, some condo owners, including older residents, argue their assessment fees have skyrocketed, and now, they’re getting priced out of their homes.

"Obviously, we don’t ever want to see Surfside. But I think there is probably a gap between what you would need to do for the transparency for a Surfside situation and then some of the costs that are being imposed," DeSantis said.

Property Taxes

The governor has said he supports the idea of eliminating property taxes. There’s a bill proposing the state do a study of what would happen if these taxes were gone.

"What do you replace it with? Because you've got to make up that money. It covers roads and schools and everything else at the local level. So obviously that is very intriguing," MacManus said. "Another proposal on property tax reduction is to increase the homestead exemption from $25,000 to $75,000."

State budget

DeSantis has proposed a $115.6 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year, marking a slight decrease from the current fiscal year.

The governor is asking for additional tax reductions and sales tax holidays, including what he calls "Second Amendment Summer," which would exempt state sales taxes on guns, ammunition and other gun-related accessories from Memorial Day through July 4.

Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled his 2025-26 budget proposal at a news conference in Tallahassee.

He also wants to increase pay for all state law enforcement officers and firefighters, with proposed increases ranging from 20-25%.

Other proposals in the governor's budget include $29.7 billion for education – averaging $9,200 per student – along with $1.5 billion for Everglades restoration and water quality projects, and fully funding the waiting list for the My Safe Florida Home program, which offers grants for homeowners to protect their homes from future storm damage through upgrades.

During the session, the Florida Legislature is required to agree on a budget, then wait through a 72-hour "cooling-off period" before the state House or Senate can vote on it. The governor then has line-item veto power once the budget reaches his desk.

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What's next:

The 60-day legislative session gets underway on Tuesday, March 4.

The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Kellie Cowan.

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