The
bill
passed
through
an
initial
committee
hearing
on
April
9
and
advanced
again
on
Tuesday.
One
more
committee
hurdle
remains
before
it
could
head
to
the
full
state
House
for
a
vote.

If
passed,
the
measure
would
abolish
most
boards
and
commissions
under
the

Florida
Department
of
Business
and
Professional
Regulation
(DBPR),
leaving
uncertainty
around
who
would
assume
their
oversight
responsibilities.

Tim
Weisheyer,
the
president
of
Florida
Realtors,
appeared
before
lawmakers
in
Tallahassee
to
voice
the
industry’s
opposition.

“We’re
talking
about
the
largest
financial
investment
that
families
and
individuals
make
in
their
lives
—
their
homes,
the
place
that
they
build
their
wealth,
and
something
that
we
know
is
really
important
to
the
fabric
and
the
fiber
of
every
single
community,”
Weisheyer
told
the
committee.

“We
understand
the
intent
of
the
bill
and
what
the
state
is
trying
to
do
with
deregulation,
but
we
do
truly
believe
that
real
estate
is
one
of
those
that
should
be
preserved
—
the
Florida
Real
Estate
Commission
should
stand.”

FREC,
which
oversees
licensure
and
disciplinary
actions
for
nearly
320,000
active
and
more
than
100,000
inactive

real
estate
professionals,
was
established
to
enforce
legal
and
ethical
standards
in
the
industry.

Real
estate
activity
accounts
for
roughly
$394
billion
(or
24%)
of
the
state’s
overall
economy,
according
to
Florida
Realtors.

“The
truth
is,
the
Florida
Real
Estate
Commission,
as
it
stands
today,
has
over
175
years
of
combined
experience
and
expertise
that’s
really
unique
and
really
nuanced,”
Weisheyer
added.

“Being
able
to
look
at
the
very
unique
circumstances
that
come
before
them
to
make
decisions
on
not
just
who
gets
a
license,
but
also
who
gets
to
keep
or
maintain
a
license
in
the
state
of
Florida
is
critical.
We
stand
in
opposition
to
the
bill,
but
we
stand
in
support
of
continued
collaboration.”

Critics
say
the
bill
fails
to
specify
how
DBPR
would
manage
the
disciplinary
and

regulatory
duties
currently
handled
by
FREC.

The
proposal
does
not
allocate
additional
staffing
or
funding
to
help
DBPR
absorb
the
expected
workload,
raising
concerns
about
oversight
gaps,
Weisheyer
said.

While
the
bill’s
sponsors
aim
to
streamline
government
and
reduce
bureaucracy,
critics
also
warn
that
abolishing
FREC
could
create
more
problems
than
it
solves.
There
is
the
potential
to
undermine
accountability,
weaken
public
trust
and
destabilize

key
sectors
of
Florida’s
economy.

Should
the
bill
clear
the
state
House,
the
Senate
would
need
to
either
pass
a
companion
version
or
adopt
the
House
bill
before
it
could
head
to
the
desk
of

Gov.
Ron
DeSantis.
Neither
the
governor
nor
Senate
leaders
have
publicly
taken
a
position.

If
final
approval
is
obtained,
the
legislation
would
take
effect
July
1.

Florida
Realtors
said
it
will
continue
lobbying
against
the
measure
in
its
current
form,
adding
that
it
remains
committed
to
engaging
with
stakeholders
and
lawmakers
to
shape
any
future
changes
to
real
estate
industry
oversight.