Florida House approves HB 399 land-use overhaul, ordering study of Miami-Dade’s Urban Development Boundary future

House vote advances a broad state preemption package

The Florida House on March 3, 2026 approved HB 399, a wide-ranging land-use and development bill that would standardize several local planning rules statewide and require a new state study examining the consequences of eliminating Miami-Dade County’s Urban Development Boundary (UDB). The bill passed 71-38 and was sent to the Senate for consideration.

HB 399 is one of the most comprehensive land-use proposals moving through Tallahassee this session, combining changes to comprehensive-plan voting thresholds, housing-related compatibility standards, permitting rules for certain home types, and a directive for the Legislature’s policy analysis office to evaluate whether environmental protections can be maintained without an urban growth boundary framework.

What HB 399 changes for local governments

As approved by the House, the measure would require that transmittal and adoption of amendments to the future land use element of a local comprehensive plan be approved by a simple majority vote of the governing body, even where local charters or policies impose higher vote thresholds. The bill also instructs local governments to incorporate specified factors and mitigation standards into land development regulations when evaluating compatibility for certain residential uses, and it adds procedural requirements for staff recommendations when an application is denied on compatibility grounds.

Separate sections expand protections for certain factory-built housing types. The legislation includes provisions preventing residential manufactured buildings from being denied a building permit solely for placement on qualifying lots, and it addresses “off-site constructed” residential dwellings by requiring they be permitted as of right in certain zoning districts.

• Majority-vote standard for certain future land use plan decisions
• State-directed compatibility criteria and mitigation measures for residential uses
• Limits on local denial of qualifying manufactured and off-site constructed housing
• OPPAGA study directive focused on the Miami-Dade UDB and potentially other counties

Why Miami-Dade’s UDB is central to the debate

Miami-Dade’s Urban Development Boundary, adopted in the early 1980s, functions as a planning line intended to concentrate growth and infrastructure inside a defined area while limiting westward expansion into agricultural lands and ecosystems tied to the Everglades. Disputes over moving the boundary have repeatedly surfaced in county politics, including litigation and state administrative review involving proposed expansions in South Dade.

HB 399 does not itself repeal the UDB. Instead, it requires a formal analysis by the state’s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) on the effects of removing Miami-Dade’s UDB and whether environmental and water-quality protections could still be achieved without it. The study requirement places the UDB into a statewide policy frame at a time when lawmakers are weighing how much authority should remain with counties and cities over development patterns.

Supporters and critics frame housing and sprawl risks differently

Supporters have argued the bill would reduce regulatory barriers and expand housing options by limiting the use of subjective compatibility objections, while creating more predictable rules across jurisdictions. Opponents have warned that shifting decision-making power away from local governments could accelerate low-density growth and increase development pressure on environmentally sensitive areas, particularly in South Florida where water management and habitat considerations are closely linked to land use.

Next steps: With House passage completed on March 3, 2026, the bill now awaits Senate action, where committees will determine whether the measure advances, is amended, or stalls before the end of the 2026 legislative session.