HB 551 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb551-00
Page 1 of 8
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 fire prevention; amending s. 2
553.7932, F.S.; defining the term "alteration"; 3
revising the definition of the term "fire alarm system 4
project"; requiring a local enforcement agency to 5
issue a permit for a fire alarm system project or fire 6
sprinkler system project within a specified time 7
period; authorizing work to commence immediately; 8
requiring an inspection required by the local 9
enforcement agency of a fire alarm system project or 10
fire sprinkler system project within a specified time 11
period; requiring certain plans and specifications to 12
be available for an onsite plans review during an 13
inspection; requiring a contractor to provide 14
additional documentation, if necessary, within a 15
specified timeframe; prohibiting a local enforcement 16
agency from requiring additional plans reviews or 17
documentation outside the scope of the permitted work; 18
requiring permit fees to be reduced by a certain 19
percentage if a local government fails to meet certain 20
deadlines; providing exceptions; requiring local 21
enforcement agencies to establish a simplified 22
permitting process by a specified date; amending s. 23
633.202, F.S.; specifying a condition under which a 24
local amendment to the Florida Fire Prevention Code is 25
HB 551 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb551-00
Page 2 of 8
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
immediately rescinded; providing disciplinary action 26
under certain circumstances; amending s. 633.312, 27
F.S.; requiring a uniform summary inspection report to 28
include the total number of deficiencies found during 29
the inspection of a fire protection system or hydrant; 30
removing the requirement for a brief summary of such 31
deficiencies; removing an exception from submitting 32
certain information within a detailed inspection 33
report; providing an effective date. 34
35
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 36
37
Section 1. Paragraphs (a) through (d) of s ubsection (1) of 38
section 553.7932, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as 39
paragraphs (b) through (e), respectively, present paragraph (c) 40
of subsection (1), subsections (3) and (4), and paragraphs (a) 41
and (b) of subsection (5) are amended, and subsections ( 6) and 42
(7) are added to that section, to read: 43
553.7932 Simplified permitting processes. — 44
(1) As used in this section, the term: 45
(a) "Alteration" means to add, install, relocate, replace, 46
or remove. 47
(d)(c) "Fire alarm system project" means a fire a larm 48
system alteration of a total of 20 or fewer initiating devices 49
and notification devices ;, or the installation or replacement of 50
HB 551 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb551-00
Page 3 of 8
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 fire communicator connected to an existing fire alarm control 51
panel in an existing commercial, residential, apartment, 52
cooperative, or condominium building ; or the replacement of an 53
existing fire alarm panel using the same make and model as the 54
existing panel. 55
(3) A local enforcement agency must issue a permit for a 56
fire alarm system project or fire sprinkler system projec t in 57
person or electronically within 2 business days after submission 58
of a completed application. A contractor may commence work 59
authorized by the permit immediately after submission of a 60
completed application . 61
(4) If a local enforcement agency requires an inspection, 62
the a local enforcement agency must provide such inspection 63
within 24 hours after such inspection is requested, require at 64
least one inspection of a fire alarm system project or fire 65
sprinkler system project to ensure compliance with applica ble 66
codes and standards. If a fire alarm system project or fire 67
sprinkler system project fails an inspection, the contractor 68
must take corrective action as necessary to pass inspection. 69
(5)(a) For a fire alarm system project, a contractor must 70
keep a copy of the plans and specifications at the fire alarm 71
system project worksite and make such plans and specifications 72
available to the inspector for an onsite plans review at each 73
inspection. If the local enforcement agency determines that it 74
needs additional documentation, the contractor must provide such 75
HB 551 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb551-00
Page 4 of 8
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
documentation in paper or electronic form to the local 76
enforcement agency within 4 business days after the inspection. 77
The local enforcement agency may not require additional plans 78
reviews or documentation o f areas or devices outside the scope 79
of permitted work. 80
(b) For a fire sprinkler system project to alter an 81
existing fire protection system , a contractor must keep a copy 82
of the plans and specifications at the fire sprinkler system 83
project worksite and m ake such plans and specifications 84
available to the inspector at each inspection. If the local 85
enforcement agency determines that it needs additional 86
documentation, the contractor must provide such documentation in 87
paper or electronic form to the local enfo rcement agency within 88
4 business days after the inspection. The local enforcement 89
agency may not require additional plans reviews or documentation 90
of areas or devices outside the scope of permitted work. 91
(6) A local government that fails to meet a deadli ne under 92
this section must reduce the permit fee by 10 percent for each 93
business day after such failure, unless the parties agree in 94
writing to a reasonable extension of time, the delay is caused 95
by the applicant, or the delay is attributable to a force 96
majeure or other extraordinary circumstances. Each 10 -percent 97
reduction shall be based on the original amount of the permit 98
fee, unless the parties agree to an extension of time. 99
(7) By October 1, 2025, a local enforcement agency must 100
HB 551 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb551-00
Page 5 of 8
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
establish a simplifie d permitting process that complies with 101
this section. 102
Section 2. Subsection (10) of section 633.202, Florida 103
Statutes, is amended to read: 104
633.202 Florida Fire Prevention Code. — 105
(10)(a) Notwithstanding other provisions of this chapter, 106
if a county or a municipality within that county adopts an 107
ordinance providing for a local amendment to the Florida Fire 108
Prevention Code and that amendment provides a higher level of 109
protection to the pub lic than the level specified in the Florida 110
Fire Prevention Code, the local amendment becomes effective 111
without approval of the State Fire Marshal and is not rescinded 112
pursuant to this section, provided that the ordinance meets one 113
or more of the following criteria: 114
1.(a) The local authority has adopted, by ordinance, a 115
fire service facilities and operation plan that outlines goals 116
and objectives for related equipment, personnel, and capital 117
improvement needs of the local authority related to the specific 118
amendment for the next 5 years; 119
2.(b) The local authority has adopted, by ordinance, a 120
provision requiring proportionate reduction in, or rebate or 121
waivers of, impact or other fees or assessments levied on 122
buildings that are built or modified in complia nce with the more 123
stringent firesafety standards required by the local amendment; 124
or 125
HB 551 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb551-00
Page 6 of 8
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
3.(c) The local authority has adopted, by ordinance, a 126
growth management plan that requires buildings and structures to 127
be equipped with more stringent firesafety requir ements required 128
by the local amendment when these firesafety requirements are 129
used as the basis for planning infrastructure development, uses, 130
or housing densities. 131
(b) If a county or municipality fails to adhere to the 132
requirements of this section when adopting an ordinance for a 133
local amendment to the Florida Fire Prevention Code, the local 134
amendment is rescinded immediately. If a county or municipality 135
continues to enforce an ordinance that has been rescinded, the 136
local fire marshal is subject to disci plinary action under s. 137
633.106. 138
(c) Except as provided in s. 633.206, the local appeals 139
process shall be the venue if there is a dispute between parties 140
affected by the provisions of the more stringent local 141
firesafety amendment adopted as part of the F lorida Fire 142
Prevention Code pursuant to the authority in this subsection. 143
Local amendments adopted pursuant to this subsection shall be 144
deemed local or regional variations and published as such in the 145
Florida Fire Prevention Code. The act of publishing loc ally 146
adopted firesafety amendments to the Florida Fire Prevention 147
Code may not be construed to mean that the State Fire Marshal 148
approves or denies the authenticity or appropriateness of the 149
locally adopted firesafety provision, and the burden of 150
HB 551 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb551-00
Page 7 of 8
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
protecting the local firesafety amendment remains solely with 151
the adopting local governmental authority. 152
Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section 153
633.312, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 154
633.312 Inspection of fire control systems, fire hydra nts, 155
and fire protection systems. — 156
(3) 157
(b) The State Fire Marshal shall adopt rules to implement 158
a uniform summary inspection report and submission procedures to 159
be used by all third -party vendors and local authorities having 160
jurisdiction. For purposes of this section, a uniform summary 161
inspection report must record the address at which where the 162
fire protection system or hydrant is located, the company and 163
person conducting the inspection and their license number, the 164
date of the inspection, and the fir e protection system or 165
hydrant inspection status, including the total number of 166
deficiencies found a brief summary of each deficiency, critical 167
deficiency, noncritical deficiency, or impairment found . A 168
contractor's detailed inspection report is not requir ed to 169
follow the uniform summary inspection report format. The State 170
Fire Marshal shall establish by rule a submission procedure for 171
each means provided under paragraph (a) by which a local 172
authority having jurisdiction may accept uniform summary 173
inspection reports. Each of the submission procedures must allow 174
a contractor to attach additional documents with the submission 175
HB 551 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb551-00
Page 8 of 8
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
of a uniform summary inspection report, including a physical 176
copy of the contractor's detailed inspection report. A 177
submission procedure may not require a contractor to submit 178
information contained within the detailed inspection report 179
unless the information is required to be included in the uniform 180
summary inspection report . 181
Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 182