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Legislative Update: Florida Legislature concludes 2025 Session

June 17, 2025

–By FICPA Governmental Affairs

The 2025 Legislative Session has officially concluded. 

Late Monday evening, just before 11:30 p.m., the Florida Legislature adjourned sine die, bringing the 2025 Session, one of the longest in recent history, to a close after 105 days. The final day included passage of the General Appropriations Act (SB 2500), the annual tax package (HB 7031) and a series of related budget bills. 

This Session will go down as one of the most consequential for the CPA profession in decades. 

This Spring, the FICPA successfully defended the profession against a sweeping deregulation proposal that posed a serious and immediate threat to Florida CPAs. Thanks to the collective efforts of our advocacy team and the rapid mobilization of our members, the CPA profession and license were protected.  

After the Legislature failed to reach agreement on a final budget by May 2 – the original 60th day – Session was formally extended. A second extension pushed the conclusion into mid-June. However, the second concurrent extension resolution only called for continued discussion on the budget and tax package, formally ending any consideration of the deregulation bill.   

On Friday, June 13, after weeks of sometimes-tense budget negotiations between the Chambers, the conference report for SB 2500, the state budget bill, was officially filed, triggering Florida’s constitutionally required 72-hour, cooling-off period. 

Both chambers reconvened at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 16, to hold final votes on the state’s $115.1 billion budget and accompanying implementing and conforming bills. The $115.1 billion budget is around $3.5 billion less than the current year's spending plan. The only constitutional requirement during the Regular Session is to pass a balanced budget. The final budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26 is unique as it will be less than the previous fiscal year. This is the first time since 2011 that the state budget has decreased year over year. The budget passed with unanimous approval in the Senate and a 103-2 vote in the House.  

The Legislature also prioritized further reduction of the state debt with the passage of HB 5017, creating a Debt Reduction Program within the State Board of Administration and allocating $250 million in recurring general revenue to reduce the state's tax-supported debt by accelerating the retirement of bonds prior to maturity. They also advanced a proposed constitutional amendment (SJR 1756) to expand the Budget Stabilization Fund from 10% to 25% of net general revenue collections, requiring annual allocations of up to $750 million until the new cap is reached.

The final day also included a vote on HB 7031, the $1.3 billion annual state tax package. This is one of the largest tax cuts in Florida history. The bill passed by a vote of 93-7 in the House and 32-2 in the Senate. 

The 2025 Tax Package introduces a range of tax relief measures and policy reforms. It eliminates the business rent tax starting Oct. 1, 2025, and repeals the aviation fuel tax beginning Jan. 1, 2026. The highly popular Back to School Sales Tax Holiday is made permanent and will run throughout August each year. Permanent sales tax exemptions are established for items such as batteries, smoke detectors, generators, bicycle helmets, sunscreen and Florida State Park admissions. A new Hunting, Fishing & Camping Sales Tax Holiday will run from Sept. 8 to Dec. 31, 2025. The package also introduces corporate tax credits for housing families of critically ill children and supporting rural investment, expands property tax exemptions for affordable housing and Gold Seal childcare facilities and includes reforms to local tax policy and the Value Adjustment Board process.

In total, nearly 2,000 bills were filed this Session, with 269 passing — including the late-Session budget bills. To date, Gov. DeSantis has signed 165 into law, with 100 still awaiting action before the July 1 deadline. That includes HB 913, a comprehensive condominium reform package championed by Sen. Jennifer Bradley and Rep. Vicki Lopez. The Governor will also review and sign the budget, which is subject to his line-item veto authority.  

While this Session is now behind us, the work to protect, modernize and strengthen the CPA profession continues. The FICPA is strongly committed to refiling our landmark legislation to modernize CPA licensure for the future, through new pathways to licensure without lowering standards, automatic mobility, and streamlined licensure processes — ensuring an efficient, modern system that meets the evolving needs of the profession and the public. The FICPA looks forward to working with the Legislature to get this done next year.  

Interim Committee Weeks begin Oct. 4, and the 2026 Legislative Session will officially be convened on Jan. 13. 

Finally, thank you to all our members who engaged with us during this pivotal Session. More than 1,000 CPAs responded to our call to action in April, sending letters to the House to help stop harmful legislation in its tracks. Your voice made a critical difference. 

As we move into the next legislative year, we encourage you to stay involved: 

The FICPA Governmental Affairs Team will continue to provide updates throughout the summer, including at conferences, chapter meetings, and in our regular bi-weekly briefings. We look forward to keeping you informed and engaged as we prepare for the next chapter of our advocacy work.