Bill > S1020

This bill establishes comprehensive regulations for chickees, which are traditional open-sided wooden huts with thatched roofs typically associated with Seminole and Miccosukee tribes. The bill prohibits counties and municipalities from creating ordinances that prevent chickee construction in side yards, provided they are at least 10 feet from property lines or other structures, and bars local regulations that are more restrictive than federal floodplain management rules. It expands the definition of chickees to allow wooden decks and nonwood fasteners like nails and hurricane straps, and clarifies that adding electrical, plumbing, or other nonwood features to an existing chickee requires a permit but does not change its exempt status. The bill also establishes criminal penalties for non-tribal members who attempt to circumvent building codes by constructing chickees, and provides an exemption from the Florida Fire Prevention Code for chickees that are at least 20 feet from other structures or include approved fireproofing measures. These provisions aim to preserve the cultural significance of chickees while providing standardized guidelines for their construction and use across Florida, with the legislative changes set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

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https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1020