House Joint Resolution 209

The Sponsor: Representative Demi Busatta Cabrera

• Name: Representative Demi Busatta Cabrera (Republican)

• District: House District 114

• Region: Miami-Dade County (specifically covering Coral Gables, South Miami, West Miami, and parts of Cutler Bay).

• Background: Rep. Busatta Cabrera is a nonprofit development director and former Chief of Staff to a State Senator. Elected in 2020, she represents a coastal/urban district where property insurance rates are among the highest in the nation.

• Political Stance: Her proposal reflects a strategic attempt to encourage homeowners to maintain insurance coverage (which stabilizes the housing market) by using the tax code to directly subsidize those premiums.

The Proposal: What is HJR 209?

Official Title: Property Insurance Relief Homestead Exemption of Non-school Property Tax

The Core Mechanism: HJR 209 proposes a constitutional amendment to create an additional homestead exemption for properties that are covered by a comprehensive multiperil property insurance policy.

• Major Update (Nov 20, 2025): The original bill proposed a $100,000 exemption. However, a Committee Substitute passed in late November doubled this amount to $200,000.

How it Works:

• Current State: You get a standard ~$50,000 exemption.

• Proposed State: If you show proof of valid property insurance, you get an extra $200,000 knocked off your assessed value for non-school taxes.

• Total Exemption: A typical insured homeowner would have a total exemption of ~$250,000 (Standard + Insurance Bonus).

Effective Date: If passed by the Legislature and approved by voters in November 2026, it would take effect on January 1, 2027.

Does This Eliminate Property Taxes Completely?

No. It reduces them significantly, but only for those who carry insurance.

• The Savings Math: In many Florida counties, a $200,000 reduction in taxable value equates to roughly **$1,000 to $1,600 in annual tax savings** (depending on the local millage rate).

• The Goal: The logic is that this tax savings acts as a “rebate” to help homeowners afford their skyrocketing insurance premiums.

• Who Misses Out: Homeowners who have “gone bare” (dropped their insurance because it’s too expensive) would not get this tax break. This creates a strong financial pressure to get insured.

The “Law Enforcement Protection” Clause

As with the other proposals in this package, HJR 209 includes a strict safeguard for police budgets.

• The Clause: The resolution constitutionally prohibits counties and municipalities from reducing total funding for law enforcement below the levels budgeted in either the 2025-2026 or 2026-2027 fiscal years (whichever is higher).

• The Consequence: This proposal creates a variable revenue loss for cities. If more people buy insurance to get the tax break, the city loses more tax revenue. This unpredictability could make city budgeting difficult, forcing cuts in non-police departments like parks, planning, and public works.

Key Takeaways for Voters

• A Subsidy for Insurance: This is effectively a government subsidy for home insurance, paid for by reducing local tax collections. It directly links the two biggest housing costs: taxes and insurance.

• “Going Bare” Penalty: If you are one of the thousands of Floridians who have paid off your mortgage and dropped insurance to save money, this proposal penalizes you by denying you a massive tax break that your insured neighbors get.

• Impact on Renters: Like most homestead exemptions, this offers zero relief to renters or landlords. In fact, if cities raise tax rates to make up for the lost revenue, renters could see their costs go up while insured homeowners see their costs go down.

Legislative Status (Current)

• Filed: October 16, 2025

• Committees: Referred to the Select Committee on Property Taxes, State Affairs Committee, and Ways & Means Committee.

• Latest Action: On Thursday, November 20, 2025, the House Select Committee on Property Taxes voted to advance this bill (as a Committee Substitute, which increased the exemption to $200,000). It now moves to the State Affairs Committee.

Sources & Further Reading

• Florida House of Representatives – HJR 209 Official Bill Text

• Representative Demi Busatta Cabrera – Official Biography