County staff outlines new Florida laws that will change local permitting, affordable housing and airport procedures

County staff briefed the board on several newly passed Florida laws and pending measures that will affect Okaloosa County operations and regulation. Key points included:

• Live Local Act (effective July 1): staff said the law prohibits rent control, requires affordable housing developments to be allowed across zones where industrial, commercial or residential uses are allowed, mandates application of the highest available density within a one‑mile radius (or three stories, whichever is higher), forbids requiring rezonings or variances for affordable housing proposals and requires counties to post tri‑annual inventories of county‑owned properties suitable for affordable housing with the first list due Oct. 1.

• State ban on certain applications on government devices (effective July 1): staff summarized a prohibition on specific internet applications on public‑employer devices and networks (widely referred to as the "TikTok" bill), noting Department of Management Services will publish a list of prohibited applications and that waivers may be granted annually on a case‑by‑case basis.

• Local Ordinances Act (amendment to Chapter 125): the new law requires a business impact statement to be posted simultaneous with any proposed ordinance, including estimated direct economic impacts, regulatory costs and number of businesses affected; staff said the county will provide a form to comply with the new requirement and that there is an automatic stay mechanism for enforcement when certain challenges are filed in a 90‑day window.

• Airport procurement and transparency: staff summarized a bill requiring that certain commercial‑service airport contracts pass through state procurement processes when they exceed newly defined thresholds; staff said this will affect how large airport contracts are handled and presented at board meetings and that meaningful public comment will be required when certain thresholds are met.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about which local actions will be exempt (for example, certain comprehensive plan or rezoning actions are excluded from the business impact statement requirement) and staff committed to circulate summaries and to begin the technical work needed to bring county code and procedures into compliance.