Legislature includes ‘Home Hardening’ initiative in tax package, priority of Jimmy Patonis

Jimmy Patronis says it's never too soon to prepare for a hurricane.

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis is commending the Legislature for including the ‘House Hardening’ initiative in its tax package, a priority announced by Patronis prior to the start of this year’s Session.

The initiative, championed by Rep. Nick DiCeglie and Sen. Joe Gruters, provides tax relief to homeowners to “harden” their homes from storms by installing impact-resistant items.

The provision specifically creates a two-year sales tax exemption on the retail sales of items like impact-resistant windows, doors and garage doors.

“A huge thank you to Chair (Bobby) Payne, Representative DiCeglie and the Florida House for including the Home Hardening initiative in their tax package,” Patronis said in a statement. “In Florida, it’s not if, but when a storm will strike and I am committed to helping Florida families harden their homes against storms while lowering their insurance premiums. There is no doubt that this is a practical way of saving folks money while incentivizing homeowners to better protect their homes from hurricanes.”

The tax package legislation will be considered for a final vote on Monday. Senate President Wilton Simpson also applauded to measure in a statement on the package.

“Florida cannot independently fix or outrun all of the problems leading to the cost increases that are wreaking havoc on families, especially our most vulnerable. However, we are working to ease the pain with broad-based sales tax relief and a month-long gas tax holiday,” Simpson said in a statement. “This bill supports growing families, Floridians looking to prepare their homes for severe weather, and the blue collar working men and women of our state who are trying their best to get by amid record-high gas prices and inflation that many of us have not seen in our lifetime.”

Patronis announced the “Home Hardening” proposal last October at a meeting of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, proposing it as an effort to fight insurance premium hikes.

With less than 70 days left till the 2022 hurricane season, which begins June 1, its never to early to start prepping. According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, climate change has led to hurricanes becoming wetter and stronger. Because hurricanes are fueled by warm ocean waters, warmer oceans means more fuel to power the storms. There has been a noticeable increase in the number of major hurricanes, especially in the Atlantic, according to the museum.