SB 180 Sign-On Letter
- Chloe Dougherty
- Sep 19
- 4 min read
The Florida Legislature
The Capitol
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
September 18, 2025
Dear Legislator,
We, the undersigned 41 organizations, call on the Florida Legislature to repeal excessive and dangerous sections of 2025’s SB 180, the Emergencies bill, in the upcoming 2026 Legislative Session.
Most urgently, we urge you to repeal Section 252.422, F.S., (Section 18), and Section 28 of SB 180, which freeze cities and counties from adopting land-use regulations deemed “more restrictive or burdensome” than those in place before recent or future hurricanes — even if the changes are unrelated to disaster recovery. Section 18 relates to future hurricanes and prohibits counties (and the municipalities within them) even partially within 100 miles of a hurricane’s track from implementing any more “restrictive or burdensome” comprehensive plan or land development policies, regulations or procedures, for one year after landfall. Section 28 of SB 180 effectively halts any land-use planning efforts for three years, and applies statewide, retroactive to August 1, 2024.
These provisions threaten the constitutionally guaranteed role of local governments to plan for growth to protect natural resources, water quality and public safety. Contrary to the stated goal of disaster recovery, tying the hands of local communities striving to address urgent growth and resiliency challenges puts Floridians at even greater risk from flooding, pollution and unchecked sprawl that erodes both the environment and quality of life.
There are other critical flaws within this legislation. Key terms, such as “more restrictive or burdensome,” are not defined and create uncertainty for communities trying to plan responsibly. The law also unreasonably inhibits local decision-making and exposes local governments and taxpayers to costly litigation by granting unprecedented legal standing to an array of entities to challenge local government actions they do not favor.
It is important to note that these provisions did not receive the scrutiny of committee debate or public input in the Senate. Senators did not have the opportunity to fully understand their sweeping consequences before the bill came to a vote. Now that those consequences are clear, the Legislature has the responsibility to correct these missteps.
Citing SB 180, efforts have already been made to invalidate a wide range of locally approved measures aimed at sustainable growth and environmental protection. Most notably, developers are challenging Orange County’s newly established policy on rural development, alleging that it is more restrictive or burdensome. The policy was approved by 73% of county voters, the most fundamental expression of local democracy. They are also threatening legal action to overturn Orange County’s decision to deny a proposal to build thousands of homes in an environmentally sensitive area along with an update of the county’s growth plan that reflects years of work and community input, on the same basis.
With SB 180, the Legislature has sabotaged its own efforts to create a safer, more sustainable and more affordable future for Floridians. Initiatives like septic-to-sewer and stormwater grants to improve water quality and comply with the Clean Water Act, lighting ordinances to protect sea turtle habitat, resilience funding programs, and flood insurance rating systems rely on voluntary participation by local governments and often require changes to policies and procedures that could be deemed “more restrictive or burdensome.” If SB 180 stands as written, these critical initiatives will be delayed or blocked.
Local leaders and their constituents know their communities best. They need the flexibility to manage growth, protect water quality and wildlife habitats, preserve agricultural land and plan for public services and infrastructure that keep pace with development. If Florida is to achieve a sustainable future, maintaining our greatest assets – our environment, quality of life and the economy that depends on both – legislators must fix the fatal flaws in SB 180.
Sincerely,
1000 Friends of Florida
Kim Dinkins
Policy and Planning Director
American Association of University Women
Meg Newsome
President
Audubon Florida
Beth Alvi
Senior Director of Policy
Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife
Michele H. Mold
Recording Secretary
Alliance for a Livable Pinellas
Administrator
Apalachicola Riverkeeper
Cameron Baxley
Riverkeeper
Calusa Waterkeeper
Joe Cavanaugh
Waterkeeper
Center for Biological Diversity
Regan Whitlock
Staff Attorney
Climate Reality Project, North Broward and Palm Beach County, FL Chapter
Susan Steinhauser
Co-Chair
Collier County Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida
Judy Freiberg
President
Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida
Judy Freiberg
President
Florida Keys Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America
Michael F. Chenoweth
President
Florida Springs Council
Ryan Smart
Executive Director
Friends of Biscayne Bay
Bruce Matheson
President
Friends of Wakulla Springs State Park
Julie Harrington
President
Healthy Gulf
Martha Collins
Executive Director
Climate Resiliency Center
Lee Perry
Founder
Defenders of Wildlife
Dr. Katherine Sayler
Southeast Representative
Earth Ethics, Inc
Mary Gutierrez
Executive Director
Florida Native Plant Society
Eugene Kelly
President
Florida Wildlife Federation
Casey Darling Kniffin
Conservation Policy Director
Friends of the Everglades
Eve Samples
Executive Director
Green Horizon Land Trust, Inc.
Rachelle Coleman Selser
Executive Director
Hold the Line Coalition
Laura Reynolds
Science Director
Kissimmee Waterkeeper
John Capece
Waterkeeper
League of Women Voters of Manatee County
Ruth Harenchar
President
Matanzas Riverkeeper
Jen Lomberk
Executive Director and Riverkeeper
Orange County Commissioner District 5
Kelly Semrad
Commissioner
Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation
Matt DePaolis
Environmental Policy Director
Save the Manatee Club
Beth Brady
Director of Science and Conservation
Sierra Club Florida
Javier Estevez
Political & Legislative Director
Tropical Audubon Society
Lauren Jonaitis
Senior Conservation Director
Wakulla Springs Alliance
Chad Hanson
Chair
League of Women Voters of Florida
Jessica Lowe-Minor
President
Leon County Democratic Environmental Caucus
Claudia Sperber
President
Nassau County Sierra Club
Chairperson
Pinellas Chapter, Florida Native Plant Society
David Perkey
President
Sarracenia Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society
Lynn Artz
Chapter Representative (Board Member)
Sea Turtle Conservancy
Stacey Gallagher
Policy Coordinator
Surfrider Foundation
Katie Bauman
Florida Policy Manager
VoteWater
Gil Smart
Executive Director