House Joint Resolution 213

The Sponsor: Representative Griff Griffitts

• Name: Representative Philip “Griff” Griffitts, Jr. (Republican)

• District: House District 6

• Region: Bay County (covering Panama City, Panama City Beach, and Lynn Haven).

• Background: Representative Griffitts is part of a multi-generational family of local leaders in Bay County and works in the construction and hospitality industries. Elected in 2022, his district was “Ground Zero” for Hurricane Michael, giving him a unique perspective on property value volatility and reconstruction.

• Political Stance: Griffitts advocates for stability. By lengthening the assessment cycle, he argues homeowners and businesses can better predict their expenses without being hit by annual spikes in hot real estate markets.

The Proposal: What is HJR 213?

Official Title: Modification of Limitations on Property Assessment Increases

The Core Mechanism: HJR 213 proposes a constitutional amendment to switch the property assessment cycle from annual (1 year) to triennial (3 years) for non-school taxes.

• For Homesteads (Primary Homes):

  • Current Law: Your value can increase by up to 3% every year (or CPI, whichever is lower). Over three years, that creates a compounded increase of approximately 9.3%.

  • Proposed Law: Your value can increase by a maximum of 3% total over a 3-year period.

  • The Impact: This effectively cuts the allowable growth rate by two-thirds. Instead of your taxable value inching up every single year, it stays flat for years 1 and 2, and bumps up slightly in year 3.

• For Non-Homesteads (Businesses, Rentals, Second Homes):

  • Current Law: Value can increase by up to 10% every year. Over three years, that creates a compounded increase of approximately 33%.

  • Proposed Law: Value can increase by a maximum of 15% total over a 3-year period.

  • The Impact: This is a massive tax break for commercial properties and landlords, cutting their potential tax growth roughly in half over the long term.

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 slows the growth of the taxable value, not the tax rate.

• The “Slow Motion” Effect: Property taxes will still exist, but they will grow much slower.

  • Example: If you own a rental property (Non-Homestead), currently your taxable value could go from $300,000 to $400,000 in just three years of hot market growth.

  • Under HJR 213, that growth would be capped significantly lower (15% max every 3 years), saving the investor thousands of dollars over a decade.

• School Taxes Remain Annual: Importantly, this “3-Year Freeze” applies only to City and County taxes. Your School Board taxes will likely continue to be assessed annually based on market value.

The “Law Enforcement Protection” Clause

Like its companion bills, HJR 213 includes a rigid safety net for police funding.

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

• The Consequence: This creates a “fiscal straitjacket” for cities. Their revenue growth will be drastically slowed (because assessments are frozen for 3 years), but their biggest expense (police) cannot be cut. This could force cities to raise the millage rate (tax rate) in “Year 1” of the cycle to hoard cash for the “frozen” years.

Key Takeaways for Voters

• Predictability: This is the most “stability-focused” proposal. Homeowners would know their non-school tax value is locked in for 36 months at a time.

• Commercial Real Estate Win: This is arguably the best proposal for business owners and landlords. The current 10% annual cap on commercial property can be crushing; swapping it for a 15% cap every three years is a significant reduction in overhead.

• The “Catch-Up” Year: Voters should watch out for “Year 3.” In the third year, when the assessment finally unfreezes, there could be a noticeable jump in taxes (up to the limit), followed by two years of silence.

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. It has cleared its first legislative hurdle and now moves to the State Affairs Committee.

Sources & Further Reading

• Florida House of Representatives – HJR 213 Official Bill Text

• Representative Griff Griffitts – Official Biography