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HB 655FLORIDA · STATEWIDESession 2026Ordered enrolled
High Impact

New Rules for Private Property Claim Meetings

Original title: Pub. Rec. and Pub. Meetings/Attorney Meetings to Discuss Private Property Rights Claims

December 4, 2025

public recordsprivate property rightsgovernment transparencylegal procedureFlorida lawcivil practice and procedure

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Where This Stands

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Signed

Currently Ordered enrolled. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Signed.

Procedural history

36 actions
  1. Feb 26, 2026SenateEnrolled
    Received
  2. Feb 26, 2026SenateCommittee
    Referred to Rules
  3. Feb 25, 2026Senate
    In Messages
  4. Feb 25, 2026HouseFloor
    CS passed; YEAS 116, NAYS 0
  5. Feb 25, 2026HouseFloor
    Read 3rd time
  6. Feb 25, 2026House
    Added to Third Reading Calendar
Show 30 earlier actions
  1. Feb 25, 2026HouseFloor
    Read 2nd time
  2. Feb 19, 2026House
    Bill added to Special Order Calendar (2/25/2026)
  3. Feb 10, 2026House
    Added to Second Reading Calendar
  4. Feb 10, 2026House
    Bill released to House Calendar
  5. Feb 10, 2026House
    Reported out of Judiciary Committee
  6. Feb 10, 2026HouseCommittee
    Favorable by Judiciary Committee
  7. Feb 6, 2026House
    Added to Judiciary Committee agenda
  8. Feb 2, 2026House
    Now in Judiciary Committee
  9. Feb 2, 2026HouseCommittee
    Referred to Judiciary Committee
  10. Jan 30, 2026HouseIntroduced
    1st Reading (Committee Substitute 2)
  11. Jan 30, 2026HouseIntroduced
    CS Filed
  12. Jan 30, 2026House
    Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)
  13. Jan 30, 2026House
    Reported out of Government Operations Subcommittee
  14. Jan 29, 2026HouseCommittee
    Favorable with CS by Government Operations Subcommittee
  15. Jan 27, 2026House
    PCS added to Government Operations Subcommittee agenda
  16. Jan 19, 2026House
    Now in Government Operations Subcommittee
  17. Jan 19, 2026HouseCommittee
    Referred to Judiciary Committee
  18. Jan 19, 2026HouseCommittee
    Referred to Government Operations Subcommittee
  19. Jan 15, 2026HouseIntroduced
    1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1)
  20. Jan 15, 2026HouseIntroduced
    CS Filed
  21. Jan 15, 2026House
    Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)
  22. Jan 15, 2026House
    Reported out of Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee
  23. Jan 14, 2026HouseCommittee
    Favorable with CS by Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee
  24. Jan 13, 2026HouseIntroduced
    1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
  25. Jan 12, 2026House
    Added to Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee agenda
  26. Dec 16, 2025House
    Now in Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee
  27. Dec 16, 2025HouseCommittee
    Referred to Judiciary Committee
  28. Dec 16, 2025HouseCommittee
    Referred to Government Operations Subcommittee
  29. Dec 16, 2025HouseCommittee
    Referred to Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee
  30. Dec 4, 2025HouseIntroduced
    Filed

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

This legislation changes the transparency requirements for government agencies negotiating property rights claims, potentially delaying public access to settlement strategies until after a resolution is reached.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Government agencies

Agencies gain the authority to hold closed-door meetings with attorneys to discuss specific property claims.

Property owners filing Bert Harris claims

Their claims will be subject to private negotiation sessions between the agency and its legal counsel.

What changed

Current stage: Ordered enrolled.

What's next

Signed.

Summary

This bill allows government agencies to hold private, closed-door meetings with their attorneys to discuss property rights claims filed under the . While these meetings are exempt from public meeting laws, they must be recorded by a court reporter and the transcripts must be made public once a claim is settled or the legal deadline for filing a lawsuit expires.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the public attend these meetings?
No, these specific meetings between an agency and its attorney to discuss Bert Harris property claims are exempt from public meeting requirements.
Will I ever be able to see what was discussed?
Yes, the transcripts and records of these meetings will become public once the claim is settled or the time limit for filing a lawsuit has passed.
How will the public know these meetings are happening?
Agencies must provide reasonable public notice of the meeting time and date, and must announce the start and end of the private session during an open, public meeting.

Why It Matters

This legislation changes the transparency requirements for government agencies negotiating property rights claims, potentially delaying public access to settlement strategies until after a resolution is reached.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Voting Record

Motion succeededhouse2/25/2026Official roll call ↗

Passage, Third Reading

Total

203

Yes

201

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

2

Abstain

0

Full roll-call analysis →

Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Expansion of Attorney-Client Privilege

The bill extends the confidentiality typically afforded to ongoing litigation to the pre-litigation phase of Bert Harris property claims.

Florida Legislature

Connected Entities

organizationCivil Justice & Claims Subcommittee“The subcommittee played a key role in reviewing the bill.”Map →
organizationHouse Calendar“The bill was eventually placed on the House Calendar for consideration.”Map →
organizationGovernment Operations Subcommittee“This subcommittee also reviewed the bill as part of the referral process.”Map →
organizationJudiciary Committee“The Judiciary Committee was involved in several stages of the bill's review.”Map →
organizationRules Committee“The Rules Committee is responsible for scheduling bills for consideration.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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