Senate Joint Resolution 282

The Sponsor: Senator Mack Bernard

• Name: Senator Mack Bernard (Democrat)

• District: Senate District 24

• Region: Palm Beach County (covering West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, and surrounding areas).

• Political Context: High commercial rents are driving small “mom-and-pop” shops out of business across Florida. By targeting “Small Business” specifically, Bernard is positioning this as an economic survival measure for local entrepreneurs rather than a tax break for large corporate landlords.

The Proposal: What is SJR 282?

Official Title: Limitation on the Assessed Value of Property Owned and Used for Commercial Purposes by Small Businesses

The Core Mechanism: SJR 282 proposes a constitutional amendment to lower the annual assessment cap for qualifying commercial properties.

• Current Law: Non-homestead properties (businesses, rentals) can increase in assessed value by up to 10% per year.

• Proposed Law: Real property owned and used for commercial purposes by a small business would be capped at 3% per year (or the change in CPI, whichever is lower).

What Qualifies as a “Small Business”? The constitutional amendment would likely leave the specific definition (number of employees, revenue caps, etc.) to be defined by general law (the legislature), but the intent is to exclude major corporate chains and focus on locally owned enterprises.

Effective Date: If passed and approved by voters, it would likely take effect January 1, 2027.

Does This Eliminate Property Taxes Completely?

No. It slows down the growth of the tax bill.

• The “Compound” Benefit:

  • Scenario: A local bakery owns its building, valued at $1 million. Market values jump 10% next year.

  • Current Law (10% Cap): Taxable value rises to $1,100,000.

  • Proposed Law (3% Cap): Taxable value rises only to $1,030,000.

  • Savings: The business pays taxes on $70,000 less value in just one year. Over ten years, this saves the business massive amounts of operating capital.

• School Taxes: Typically, these assessment caps apply to non-school levies, meaning the School Board can still tax at the full market rate (or a 10% cap rate, depending on final legislative wording).

The “Law Enforcement Protection” Clause

Note: Similar to SJR 278, the current text and summaries for SJR 282 do not explicitly list the “Police Funding Mandate” found in the House bills.

• Implication: Without this mandate, cities would lose commercial tax revenue (a huge chunk of their budget) but would retain the freedom to cut expenses across the board, including police if necessary, to balance the books.

Key Takeaways for Voters

• Parity with Homeowners: This bill essentially argues: “If a homeowner’s tax hike is capped at 3% to keep them in their home, a small business owner’s tax hike should be capped at 3% to keep them in business.”

• Rent Stabilization: If landlords (who qualify as small businesses) have lower tax costs, they might face less pressure to raise rents on their commercial tenants—though there is no guarantee they will pass the savings on.

• Revenue Hit: Commercial property is often the “cash cow” for local governments. Capping this revenue growth at 3% (below inflation in some years) could severely restrict a city’s ability to fund infrastructure and services.

Legislative Status (Current)

• Filed: October 23, 2025

• Committees: Referred to Finance and Tax, Appropriations, and Rules.

• Latest Action: On November 17, 2025, the bill was officially referred to its three committees and is awaiting its first hearing.

Sources & Further Reading

• Florida Senate – SJR 282 Official Bill Text: https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/282

• Senator Mack Bernard – Official Biography: https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/S24