HB 557 2024 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb0557-00 Page 1 of 7 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S A bill to be entitled 1 An act relating to movable tiny homes; amending s. 2 320.01, F.S.; revising definitions; providing that a 3 park trailer may be used as permanent living quarters 4 under certain circumstances; providing that such a 5 park trailer may be referred to as a "movable tiny 6 home"; amending s. 320.822, F.S.; revising the 7 definition of the term "code"; amending s. 320.8231, 8 F.S.; providing requirements for construction and 9 inspection of a movable tiny home; requiring a movable 10 tiny home to have a sticker or other documentation 11 certifying compliance therewith; amending s. 553.73, 12 F.S.; requiring the Florida Building Commission to 13 review and adopt updates to certain codes which 14 pertain to the superstructure requirements for movable 15 tiny homes; providing an effective date. 16 17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 18 19 Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section 20 320.01, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 21 320.01 Definitions, general. —As used in the Florida 22 Statutes, except as otherwise provided, the term: 23 (1) "Motor vehicle" means: 24 (b) A recreational vehicle -type unit primarily designed as 25 HB 557 2024 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb0557-00 Page 2 of 7 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel 26 use, or designed to be used as provided in sub -sub-subparagraph 27 7.a.(II), which either has its own motive power or is mounted on 28 or drawn by another vehicle. Recreational vehicle -type units, 29 when traveling on the public roadways of this state, must comply 30 with the length and width provisions of s. 316.515 , as that 31 section may hereafter be amended . As defined below, the basic 32 entities are: 33 1. The "travel trailer," which is a vehicular portable 34 unit, mounted on wheels, of such a size or weight as not to 35 require special highway movement permits when drawn by a 36 motorized vehicle. It is primarily designed and constructed to 37 provide temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or 38 travel use. It has a body width of no more than 8 1/2 feet and 39 an overall body length of no more than 40 feet when factory -40 equipped for the road. 41 2. The "camping trailer," which is a vehicular portable 42 unit mounted on wheels and constructed with collapsible partial 43 sidewalls which fold for towing by another vehicle and u nfold at 44 the campsite to provide temporary living quarters for 45 recreational, camping, or travel use. 46 3. The "truck camper," which is a truck equipped with a 47 portable unit designed to be loaded onto, or affixed to, the bed 48 or chassis of the truck and cons tructed to provide temporary 49 living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel use. 50 HB 557 2024 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb0557-00 Page 3 of 7 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S 4. The "motor home," which is a vehicular unit which does 51 not exceed the length, height, and width limitations provided in 52 s. 316.515, is a self -propelled motor vehicl e, and is primarily 53 designed to provide temporary living quarters for recreational, 54 camping, or travel use. 55 5. The "private motor coach," which is a vehicular unit 56 which does not exceed the length, width, and height limitations 57 provided in s. 316.515(9), is built on a self-propelled bus type 58 chassis having no fewer than three load -bearing axles, and is 59 primarily designed to provide temporary living quarters for 60 recreational, camping, or travel use. 61 6. The "van conversion," which is a vehicular unit whic h 62 does not exceed the length and width limitations provided in s. 63 316.515, is built on a self -propelled motor vehicle chassis, and 64 is designed for recreation, camping, and travel use. 65 7.a. The "park trailer," which is a transportable unit 66 that which has a body width not exceeding 14 feet and that which 67 is built on a single chassis and is : 68 (I) Designed to provide seasonal or temporary living 69 quarters when connected to utilities necessary for operation of 70 installed fixtures and appliances. The total area of such the 71 unit may in a setup mode, when measured from the exterior 72 surface of the exterior stud walls at the level of maximum 73 dimensions, not including any bay window, does not exceed 400 74 square feet when constructed to ANSI A -119.5 standards, and 500 75 HB 557 2024 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb0557-00 Page 4 of 7 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S square feet when constructed to United States Department of 76 Housing and Urban Development Standards ; or 77 (II) Used as permanent living quarters for no more than 78 one household when connected to utilities necessary for 79 operation of installed fixtures and appliances. The total area 80 of such unit may not exceed 400 square feet when constructed to 81 standards specified in s. 320.8231(3), and 500 square feet when 82 constructed to United States Department of Housing and Urban 83 Development Standards. A park trailer un der this sub-sub-84 subparagraph may be referred to as a "movable tiny home." 85 b. The total area of a park trailer is measured from the 86 exterior surface of the exterior stud walls at the level of 87 maximum dimensions, not including any bay window, when the uni t 88 is in setup mode. The length of a park trailer means the 89 distance from the exterior of the front of the body (nearest to 90 the drawbar and coupling mechanism) to the exterior of the rear 91 of the body (at the opposite end of the body), including any 92 protrusions. 93 8. The "fifth-wheel trailer," which is a vehicular unit 94 mounted on wheels, designed to provide temporary living quarters 95 for recreational, camping, or travel use, of such size or weight 96 as not to require a special highway movement permit, of gross 97 trailer area not to exceed 400 square feet in the setup mode, 98 and designed to be towed by a motorized vehicle that contains a 99 towing mechanism that is mounted above or forward of the tow 100 HB 557 2024 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb0557-00 Page 5 of 7 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S vehicle's rear axle. 101 Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 320.822, Florida 102 Statutes, is amended to read: 103 320.822 Definitions; ss. 320.822 -320.862.—In construing 104 ss. 320.822-320.862, unless the context otherwise requires, the 105 following words or phrases have the following meanings: 106 (2) "Code" means the appropriate stan dards found in: 107 (a) The Federal Manufactured Housing Construction and 108 Safety Standards for single -family mobile homes, adopted 109 promulgated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development; 110 (b) The Uniform Standards Code approved by the American 111 National Standards Institute, ANSI A -119.2 for recreational 112 vehicles and ANSI A-119.5 for park trailers or the United States 113 Department of Housing and Urban Development standard for park 114 trailers certified as meeting that standard; or 115 (c) The Mobile and Manuf actured Home Repair and Remodeling 116 Code and the Used Recreational Vehicle Code ; or 117 (d) The standards provided in s. 320.8231(3) . 118 Section 3. Subsections (3) and (4) are added to section 119 320.8231, Florida Statutes, to read: 120 320.8231 Establishment of uniform standards for 121 recreational vehicle -type units and park trailers. — 122 (3) A movable tiny home described in s. 123 320.01(1)(b)7.a.(II) must be constructed and inspected in 124 accordance with the Florida Building Code. 125 HB 557 2024 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb0557-00 Page 6 of 7 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S (4) A movable tiny home described i n s. 126 320.01(1)(b)7.a.(II) must have a sticker or other documentation 127 certifying that the movable tiny home was inspected and 128 certified for compliance with subsection (3) by a professional 129 engineer or architect licensed in this state or by a third -party 130 inspector who is qualified to inspect for compliance with the 131 Florida Building Code. 132 Section 4. Paragraph (a) of subsection (7) of section 133 553.73, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 134 553.73 Florida Building Code. — 135 (7)(a) The commission shall adopt a n updated Florida 136 Building Code every 3 years through review of the most current 137 updates of the International Building Code, the International 138 Fuel Gas Code, the International Existing Building Code, the 139 International Mechanical Code, the International Plu mbing Code, 140 and the International Residential Code, all of which are 141 copyrighted and published by the International Code Council, and 142 the National Electrical Code, which is copyrighted and published 143 by the National Fire Protection Association. At a minimum , the 144 commission shall adopt any updates to such codes or any other 145 code necessary to maintain eligibility for federal funding and 146 discounts from the National Flood Insurance Program, the Federal 147 Emergency Management Agency, and the United States Departmen t of 148 Housing and Urban Development. The commission shall also review 149 and adopt any updates to such codes which pertain to the 150 HB 557 2024 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb0557-00 Page 7 of 7 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S superstructure requirements for movable tiny homes. The 151 commission shall also review and adopt updates based on the 152 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC); however, the 153 commission shall maintain the efficiencies of the Florida Energy 154 Efficiency Code for Building Construction adopted and amended 155 pursuant to s. 553.901. Every 3 years, the commission may 156 approve updates to the Fl orida Building Code without a finding 157 that the updates are needed in order to accommodate the specific 158 needs of this state. The commission shall adopt updated codes by 159 rule. 160 Section 5. This act shall take effect October 1, 2024. 161