CS/HB 1051 2024 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb1051-01-c1 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 housing for agricultural workers; 2 amending s. 163.3162, F.S.; defining the terms 3 "agricultural worker" and "housing site"; prohibiting 4 a governmental entity from adopting or enforcing 5 legislation that inhibits the construction of housing 6 for agricultural workers on agricultural land operated 7 as a bona fide farm; requiring that the construction 8 or installation of such housing units on agricu ltural 9 lands satisfy certain criteria; requiring that local 10 ordinances comply with certain regulations; 11 authorizing governmental entities to adopt local land 12 use regulations that are less restrictive than certain 13 state and federal regulations; requiring pr operty 14 owners to maintain certain records for a specified 15 timeframe; requiring the suspension of use of certain 16 housing units and authorizing their removal under 17 certain circumstances; specifying applicability of 18 permit allocation systems in certain areas of critical 19 state concern; authorizing the continued use of 20 housing sites constructed before the effective date of 21 the act if certain conditions are met; providing an 22 effective date. 23 24 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 25 CS/HB 1051 2024 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb1051-01-c1 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 26 Section 1. Paragraphs (a) through (d) of subsection (2) of 27 section 163.3162, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as 28 paragraphs (b) through (e), respectively, new paragraphs (a) and 29 (f) are added to that subsection, and subsection (5) is added to 30 that section, to read: 31 163.3162 Agricultural Lands and Practices. — 32 (2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term: 33 (a) "Agricultural worker" means a person who is seasonally 34 or annually employed in bona fide agricultural production; is 35 lawfully present in the United States; is authorized to work at 36 the time of employment and remains so throughout the duration of 37 that employment; and has been verified through the process 38 provided in s. 448.095(2). The term includes a migrant 39 farmworker as defined in s. 381.008(4 ) and a worker with an H -2A 40 visa. 41 (f) "Housing site" means the totality of development 42 supporting authorized housing, including buildings, mobile 43 homes, barracks, dormitories used as living quarters, parking 44 areas, common areas such as athletic fields or playgrounds, 45 storage structures, and other related structures. 46 (5) HOUSING FOR AGRICULTURAL WORKERS. — 47 (a) A governmental entity may not adopt or enforce 48 legislation that inhibits the construction or installation of 49 housing for agricultural workers on land classified as 50 CS/HB 1051 2024 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb1051-01-c1 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 agricultural land pursuant to s. 193.461 which is operated as a 51 bona fide farm except as provided in this subsection. 52 (b) Construction or installation of housing units for 53 agricultural workers on parcels of land classified as 54 agricultural land under s. 193.461 must satisfy all of the 55 following criteria: 56 1. The dwelling units must meet federal, state, and local 57 building standards, including migrant farmworker housing 58 standards regulated by the Department of Health and federal 59 standards for H-2A visa housing. If written notice of intent is 60 required to be submitted to the Department of Health pursuant to 61 s. 381.0083, the appropriate governmental entity with 62 jurisdiction over the agricultural lands may also require 63 submittal of a copy of t he written notice. 64 2. The housing site must be maintained in a neat, orderly, 65 and safe manner. 66 3. All structures containing dwelling units must be 67 located a minimum of 10 feet apart. 68 4. The square footage of the housing site's climate -69 controlled facilities may not exceed 1.5 percent of the 70 property's area or 35,000 square feet, whichever is less. 71 5. A housing site must provide front, side, and rear yard 72 setbacks of at least 50 feet. However, an internal project 73 driveway may be located in the required yard space if the yard 74 is adjacent to a public roadway or to property that is under 75 CS/HB 1051 2024 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb1051-01-c1 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 common ownership with the housing site. 76 6. A housing site may not be located less than 250 feet 77 from a property line adjacent to property zoned for residential 78 use. If the housing site is located less than 500 feet from any 79 property line, screening must be provided be tween the housing 80 site and any residentially developed adjacent parcels that are 81 under different ownership. The screening may be designed in any 82 of the following ways: 83 a. Evergreen plants that, at the time of planting, are at 84 least 6 feet in height and p rovide an overall screening opacity 85 of 75 percent; 86 b. A masonry wall at least 6 feet in height and finished 87 on all sides with brick, stone, or painted or pigmented stucco; 88 c. A solid wood or PVC fence at least 6 feet in height 89 with the finished side of the fence facing out; 90 d. A row of evergreen shade trees that, at the time of 91 planting, are at least 10 feet in height, a minimum of 2 -inch 92 caliper, and spaced no more than 20 feet apart; or 93 e. A berm made with a combination of the materials listed 94 in sub-subparagraphs a.-d., which is at least 6 feet in height 95 and provides an overall screening opacity of 75 percent at the 96 time of installation. 97 7. All access drives that serve the housing site must be 98 made of packed shell, gravel, or a similar material that will 99 provide a relatively dust -free surface. 100 CS/HB 1051 2024 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb1051-01-c1 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 (c) Any local ordinance adopted pursuant to this 101 subsection must comply with all state and federal regulations 102 for migrant farmworker housing, as applicable, including rules 103 adopted by the Department of H ealth pursuant to ss. 381.008 –104 381.00897 and federal regulations under the Migrant and Seasonal 105 Agricultural Worker Protection Act or the H -2A visa program. A 106 governmental entity may adopt local government land use 107 regulations that are less restrictive than the regulations 108 established by the Department of Health pursuant to ss. 381.008 –109 381.00897 and federal regulations under the Migrant and Seasonal 110 Agricultural Worker Protection Act or the H -2A visa program for 111 the construction or installation of housing fo r temporary 112 migrant farmworkers. 113 (d) Beginning July 1, 2024, a property owner must maintain 114 records of all approved permits, including successor permits, 115 for migrant labor camps or residential migrant housing as 116 required under s. 381.0081. A property own er must maintain such 117 records for at least 3 years and make the records available for 118 inspection within 14 days after receipt of a request for records 119 by a governmental entity. 120 (e) A housing site may not continue to be used and may be 121 required to be removed under any of the following circumstances: 122 1. If, for any reason, a housing site is not being used 123 for agricultural workers for longer than 365 days, any 124 structures used as dwelling units must be removed from the 125 CS/HB 1051 2024 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb1051-01-c1 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 housing site within 180 days after rec eipt of a written 126 notification from the local government unless the property owner 127 can demonstrate that use of the site for housing agricultural 128 workers will occur within 90 days after receipt of such written 129 notification. 130 2. If the property on which the housing site is located 131 ceases to be classified as agricultural land, housing authorized 132 under this section ceases to be eligible for residential use 133 unless it is approved under the zoning and land use regulations 134 of the governmental entity. 135 3. If the permit authorized by the Department of Health 136 for the housing site is revoked, any structures must be removed 137 from the housing site within 180 days after receipt of a written 138 notification from the local government unless the permit is 139 reinstated by the Depa rtment of Health. 140 (f) Notwithstanding this subsection, the construction or 141 installation of housing for seasonal agricultural employees in 142 the Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern or the City of 143 Key West Area of Critical State Concern is subject to the permit 144 allocation systems of the Florida Keys Area of Critical State 145 Concern or the City of Key West Area of Critical State Concern, 146 respectively. 147 (g) A housing site that was constructed and in use before 148 July 1, 2024, may continue to be used, and a governmental entity 149 may not require the property owner to make changes to meet the 150 CS/HB 1051 2024 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb1051-01-c1 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 requirements of this subsection, unless the housing site will be 151 enlarged, remodeled, renovated, or rehabilitated. The property 152 owner of a housing site that is permitted un der this paragraph 153 must provide regular maintenance and repair, including 154 compliance with health and safety regulations and maintenance 155 standards, for such housing site to ensure the health, safety, 156 and habitability of the housing site. 157 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 158