summary
Introduced
12/12/2025
12/12/2025
In Committee
12/16/2025
12/16/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
An act relating to professional services contracts; amending s. 725.08, F.S.; providing that a professional services contract between a design professional and a contracting party, rather than between a design professional and a public agency, may require the design professional to indemnify and hold harmless the contracting party, and its officers and employees, only against certain liability and damages; providing that all professional services contracts, rather than professional services contracts entered into with a public agency, may not require the design professional to defend, indemnify, or hold harmless the contracting party or its employees, officers, directors, or agents; declaring that such a contract provision is void as against public policy; specifying that a professional services contract must require a design professional to perform to a certain level of professional skill and care; prohibiting a professional services contract from subjecting a design professional to a different standard of care; providing applicability; prohibiting a professional services contract from requiring a design professional to list additional insureds on its policy; providing an effective date.
AI Summary
This bill modifies Florida's laws regarding professional services contracts for design professionals, expanding protections beyond public agency contracts to all professional service contracts. The bill restricts how design professionals can be held liable in contracts, specifying that they can only be required to indemnify a contracting party for damages caused by their own negligence or intentional wrongdoing. The legislation mandates that design professionals must perform services with the level of professional skill and care typical for their field and prohibits contracts from imposing a different standard of care. Additionally, the bill prevents contracts from requiring design professionals to list contracting parties as additional insureds on their professional liability insurance policies. These changes aim to provide more balanced and fair contract terms for design professionals, ensuring they are not unfairly exposed to broad liability. The bill will take effect on July 1, 2026, and will not impact contracts entered into before that date, giving existing agreements a grandfather clause.
Committee Categories
Business and Industry
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Now in Rules (on 02/12/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/888 |
| Analysis - Commerce and Tourism (Post-Meeting) | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/888/Analyses/2026s00888.cm.PDF |
| Analysis - Commerce and Tourism (Pre-Meeting) | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/888/Analyses/2026s00888.pre.cm.PDF |
| Analysis - Judiciary (Post-Meeting) | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/888/Analyses/2026s00888.ju.PDF |
| Analysis - Judiciary (Pre-Meeting) | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/888/Analyses/2026s00888.pre.ju.PDF |
| BillText | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/888/BillText/Filed/HTML |
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