Florida maintains economic momentum after 2026 Session, Chamber says

The Florida Chamber of Commerce is touting incremental policy wins from the 2026 Legislative Session while acknowledging that budget work was left unfinished.

The pro-business group said lawmakers advanced several priorities aimed at strengthening the state’s business climate while defeating proposals the organization argued would have reversed earlier legal reforms or discouraged economic development.

“Florida continues to outpace much of the nation because of a united business community that is focused on the right things happening in Florida,” Florida Chamber President and CEO Mark Wilson said. “This year, lawmakers took incremental steps in strengthening Florida’s business climate without backtracking on policies that have led to Florida’s nationally recognized pro-business environment, ensuring job creators and families can continue to thrive.”

Among the measures highlighted by the Chamber were changes to public-sector collective bargaining rules intended to increase union transparency and accountability, updates to civil rights litigation timelines, and policies expanding workforce housing options through the state’s Live Local framework.

The organization also pointed to reforms aimed at lowering development costs by clarifying how local governments calculate impact fees, streamlining the building permit process through a statewide uniform application, and expanding health care workforce training through the Linking Industry with Nursing Education matching grant program.

Other priorities included measures supporting infrastructure resiliency, promoting advanced air mobility and mobility innovation initiatives, and creating a framework to help Florida compete for large-scale data center projects.

The Chamber said it also worked to defeat legislation that would have rolled back portions of the state’s 2023 torts rewrite or limited certain industries from doing business in Florida.

“Florida’s economic success does not happen by accident,” said David Sweeney, Chair of the board for RS&H and the Florida Chamber of Commerce. “It requires consistent leadership, data-driven policy and strong partnerships between the private sector and policymakers, and for over 100 years, the Florida Chamber has been at the helm steering Florida’s business community to success.”

Several major issues remain unresolved following the Session’s conclusion. Lawmakers adjourned without passing a state budget and are expected to reconvene in a mid-April Special Session to finalize the spending plan. At Sine Die, there remained roughly a $1.4 billion gap between House and Senate budget proposals.

“Florida cannot rest on its laurels but must continue focusing on our economic competitiveness and pro-business environment,” said Frank Walker, the Chamber’s Executive Vice President of Government and Political Relations. “As we continue to compete with other states and nations, Florida can send a signal that investment and innovation are welcome in Florida by easing administrative and economic burdens through the adoption of additional pro-business policies that stimulate job creation and unleash pathways to prosperity for all Floridians.”

The Florida Chamber said it is analyzing thousands of committee and floor votes cast by lawmakers to produce its annual “Legislative Report Card” and “How They Voted” publications, which will grade all 156 members of the Legislature.

The organization said additional work will remain when lawmakers return to Tallahassee to address outstanding budget and tax issues, including proposals the Chamber says could encourage capital investment and innovation in the state. The Florida Chamber’s full legislative review of what passed, what was defeated, and what remains unfinished is available here.