Bill > HB549

Introduced Session

Conservation and replacement of trees during development process; report. Expands certain existing local government authority to plant or replace trees during the development process by expanding such authority statewide. The bill allows localities to establish higher tree canopy replacement percentages based on density per acre. The bill also alters the current process for granting exceptions to a local ordinance by altering a provision that requires the granting of an exception when strict application of the ordinance would result in unnecessary or unreasonable hardship to the developer and replacing it with a requirement that the locality concur with such determination. The bill permits localities to monitor and assess the condition and coverage of tree canopies at development sites during a time period of up to 20 years' maturity of the planted trees. The bill also directs the Institute for Coastal Adaption and Resilience to convene a work group to conduct a comprehensive review of the tree canopy laws and regulations and report the work group's findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns and Senate Committee on Local Government by November 1, 2026. The bill makes numerous technical amendments. This bill incorporates HB 995.

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Committee Categories

Patrick Hope (D)*,  Betsy Carr (D),  Nicole Cole (D),  Rae Cousins (D),  Phil Hernandez (D),  Karen Keys-Gamarra (D),  Destiny LeVere Bolling (D),  Holly Seibold (D),  Rodney Willett (D), 

Referred to Committee on Local Government (on 02/13/2026)

Official Document