THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE

WILTON SIMPSON CHRIS SPROWLS

President of the Senate Speaker of the House of
Representatives

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

May 24, 2022

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Senate: Katie Betta, 850-487-5229
House: Jenna Sarkissian, 850-717-5275

Statements from The Florida House & Senate on Surfside Legislation Added
to Special Session D
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – With the addition of legislation to address the 2021 Surfside condominium collapse to the
ongoing Special Legislative Session D, legislative leaders and bill sponsors in both chambers have released the
following statements:

Speaker Chris Sprowls (R-Palm Harbor) said: “We will never forget the pain, confusion, and sorrow the community
and state felt when the Surfside condominium building collapsed and took 98 lives with it. The Florida Legislature
has grappled with reaching a consensus on what meaningful reform looks like, but today we have arrived at an
agreement that will help to ensure this kind of tragedy never happens again. Notably, the Surfside legislation will
include a House-championed reserve that is required to be fully funded by condominium owners and boards to
ensure that repairs and maintenance can be covered and not put off until it’s too late. The victims, survivors, and
their families deserve reform with integrity and real impact, and that is and always has been our commitment to the
people of Surfside and residents of Florida.”

Senate President Wilton Simpson (R-Trilby) said, “I am grateful to all of the legislators and other stakeholders who
worked diligently on this issue over the last several months. While we can never replace the 98 lives we lost in the
collapse of the Champlain Tower South, we can honor their memory with strong reforms that will better protect
condo owners and residents moving forward.”

Representative Daniel Perez (R-Miami), Pandemics & Public Emergencies Chair, said: “After I witnessed the
tragedy of Surfside, the number one priority for me this past session was to pass meaningful condominium reform. I
have always been willing to discuss what that looks like, but I was never willing to pass legislation that did not solve
the real issue, which is to provide the funding to fix the problems discovered during inspections. I am hopeful, with
the commitments from Senate leadership, to pass real reform this Special Session, and in doing so honor the lives
lost as well as the survivors and their loved ones.”

Senator Jennifer Bradley (R-Fleming Island), Chair of the Senate Committee on Community Affairs, said, “During
the regular session, we made tremendous progress toward passing important condo safety measures that will
protect Floridians from the devastation that we saw in Surfside last year. As we have continued to work on this
important issue, I believe we have found the right balance between requiring critical protections to ensure the
structural integrity of condo buildings and allowing for the flexibility boards need in order to manage funds paid by
homeowners for maintenance and repair of the buildings where they reside.”

SENATE SUITE 409, THE CAPITOL, 404 SOUTH MONROE STREET ▪ TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA 32399-1100 ▪ TELEPHONE (850) 487-5229
HOUSE SUITE 420, THE CAPITOL, 402 SOUTH MONROE STREET ▪ TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA 32399-1300 ▪ TELEPHONE (850) 717-5000
Legislature’s Website: www.leg.state.fl.us