BRADENTON, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the first two bills from the 2026 legislative session on Thursday, aimed at strengthening coastal protections and speeding environmental rulemaking.
Speaking in Bradenton, the governor said the measures will preserve Florida’s shoreline and limit new commercial development in sensitive waters.
“We have made a commitment and then follow the commitment, to be good stewards of our natural resources and to improve and preserve the Florida that we know and love,” said DeSantis.
SB 302 bars dredging that would be required to convert Terra Ceia Bay into a commercial cruise terminal while allowing limited dredging for recreational boating, fishing, and water-quality projects.
The law requires state approval and public notice for any permits and expands nature-based resiliency tools, authorizing the Department of Environmental Protection to deploy technologies such as 3D printing for mangrove planning, oyster reef restoration and wetland rehabilitation.
HB 1417 abolishes the Environmental Regulation Commission, a move officials said will shorten rulemaking timelines and ratifies minimum flows and levels intended to protect the lower Santa Fe and related springs.
The governor also announced plans to rebuild the damaged Sunshine Skyway fishing pier and extend the life of the Pinellas County section by about 20 years.