CS/HB 551 2025
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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 the local enforcement agency to provide an 9
inspection within a specified timeframe; requiring 10
that certain plans and specifications be available for 11
an onsite plans review during an inspection; requiring 12
a contractor to provide additional documents, if 13
necessary, within a specified timeframe; prohibiting a 14
local enforcement agency from requiring additional 15
plans reviews or documentation outside the scope of 16
the permitted work; requiring that permit fees be 17
refunded by a certain percentage if a local government 18
fails to meet certain deadlines; providing excep tions; 19
requiring local enforcement agencies to establish a 20
simplified permitting process by a specified date; 21
amending s. 633.202, F.S.; specifying a condition 22
under which a local amendment to the Florida Fire 23
Prevention Code is null and void; providing that a 24
municipality may only enforce an ordinance that has 25
CS/HB 551 2025
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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
been sent to the Florida Building Commission and the 26
State Fire Marshal as of a certain date; amending s. 27
633.312, F.S.; requiring a uniform summary inspection 28
report to include the total number of d eficiencies 29
found during the inspection of a fire protection 30
system or hydrant; removing the requirement for a 31
brief summary of such deficiencies; removing an 32
exception from submitting certain information within a 33
detailed inspection report; providing an e ffective 34
date. 35
36
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 37
38
Section 1. Paragraphs (a) through (d) of subsection (1) of 39
section 553.7932, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as 40
paragraphs (b) through (e), respectively, present paragrap h (c) 41
of subsection (1), subsections (3) and (4), and paragraphs (a) 42
and (b) of subsection (5) are amended, and a new paragraph (a) 43
is added to subsection (1) and subsections (6) and (7) are added 44
to that section, to read: 45
553.7932 Simplified permitting processes.— 46
(1) As used in this section, the term: 47
(a) "Alteration" means to add, install, relocate, replace, 48
or remove. 49
(d)(c) "Fire alarm system project" means a fire alarm 50
CS/HB 551 2025
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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
system alteration of a total of 20 or fewer initiating devices 51
and notification devices;, or the installation or replacement of 52
a fire communicator connected to an existing fire alarm control 53
panel in an existing commercial, residential, apartment, 54
cooperative, or condominium building ; or the replacement of an 55
existing fire alarm panel using the same make and model as the 56
existing panel. 57
(3) A local enforcement agency must issue a permit for a 58
fire alarm system project or fire sprinkler system project in 59
person or electronically within 2 business days after submission 60
of a completed application. A contractor may commence work 61
authorized by the permit immediately after submission of a 62
completed application . 63
(4) The a local enforcement agency must provide an 64
inspection within 3 business days after such inspection is 65
requested, require at least one inspection of a fire alarm 66
system project or fire sprinkler system project to ensure 67
compliance with applicable codes and standards. If a fire alarm 68
system project or fire sprinkler system project fails an 69
inspection, the contractor must take corrective action as 70
necessary to pass inspection. 71
(5)(a) For a fire alarm system project, a contractor must 72
keep a copy of the plans and specifications at the fire alarm 73
system project worksite and make such plans and specifications 74
available to the inspector for an onsite plans review at each 75
CS/HB 551 2025
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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
inspection. If the local enforcement agency determines that it 76
needs additional documents for recording purposes, the 77
contractor must provide such documentation in paper or 78
electronic form to the local enforc ement agency within 4 79
business days after the inspection or 4 days after the 80
documentation is requested, whichever is later. The local 81
enforcement agency may not require additional plans reviews or 82
documentation of areas or devices outside the scope of per mitted 83
work, as needed on permit applications. 84
(b) For a fire sprinkler system project to alter an 85
existing fire protection system , a contractor must keep a copy 86
of the plans and specifications at the fire sprinkler system 87
project worksite and make such plans and specifications 88
available to the inspector at each inspection. If the local 89
enforcement agency determines that it needs additional documents 90
for recording purposes, the contractor must provide such 91
documentation in paper or electronic form to the local 92
enforcement agency within 4 business days after the inspection 93
or 4 days after the documentation is requested, whichever is 94
later. The local enforcement agency may not require additional 95
plans, reviews, or documentation of areas or devices outside th e 96
scope of permitted work, as needed on permit applications. 97
(6) A local government that fails to meet a deadline under 98
subsection (3) or subsection (4) must refund the permit fee by 99
10 percent for each business day after such failure, unless the 100
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local government and contractor agree in writing to a reasonable 101
extension of time, the delay is caused by the applicant, or the 102
delay is attributable to a force majeure or other extraordinary 103
circumstances. Each 10 -percent refund shall be based on the 104
original amount of the permit fee. 105
(7) By October 1, 2025, a local enforcement agency must 106
establish a simplified permitting process that complies with 107
this section. 108
Section 2. Subsection (9) of section 633.202, Florida 109
Statutes, is amended to read: 110
633.202 Florida Fire Prevention Code. — 111
(9)(a) The State Fire Marshal shall make rules that 112
implement this section and ss. 633.104 and 633.208 for the 113
purpose of accomplishing the objectives set forth in those 114
sections. 115
(b) If a county or municipality fails to adhere to the 116
requirements of this section when adopting an ordinance for a 117
local amendment to the Florida Fire Prevention Code, the local 118
amendment is null and void. A municipality may only enforce an 119
ordinance that has been sent to the Florida Building C ommission 120
and the State Fire Marshal pursuant to subsection (8) as of the 121
date that the bid for a permit was submitted. 122
Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section 123
633.312, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 124
633.312 Inspection of fire co ntrol systems, fire hydrants, 125
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and fire protection systems. — 126
(3) 127
(b) The State Fire Marshal shall adopt rules to implement 128
a uniform summary inspection report and submission procedures to 129
be used by all third -party vendors and local authorities having 130
jurisdiction. For purposes of this section, a uniform summary 131
inspection report must record the address at which where the 132
fire protection system or hydrant is located, the company and 133
person conducting the inspection and their license number, the 134
date of the inspection, and the fire protection system or 135
hydrant inspection status, including the total number of 136
deficiencies found a brief summary of each deficiency, critical 137
deficiency, noncritical deficiency, or impairment found . A 138
contractor's detailed inspection report is not required to 139
follow the uniform summary inspection report format. The State 140
Fire Marshal shall establish by rule a submission procedure for 141
each means provided under paragraph (a) by which a local 142
authority having jurisdiction may accept uniform summary 143
inspection reports. Each of the submission procedures must allow 144
a contractor to attach additional documents with the submission 145
of a uniform summary inspection report, including a physical 146
copy of the contractor's detailed inspection report. A 147
submission procedure may not require a contractor to submit 148
information contained within the detailed inspection report 149
unless the information is required to be included in the uniform 150
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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
summary inspection report . 151
Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 152