Lawmakers Adding Legislation to Special Session to Help Ensure Surfside Tragedy ‘Never Happens Again’
May 25, 2022 Updated 8:06 A.M. ET
TALLAHASSEE (FLV) – Florida lawmakers will tackle additional legislation in the special session to address the 2021 Surfside condominium collapse.
Lawmakers are currently meeting to pass legislation in an attempt to stabilize the property insurance market. Leaders announced Tuesday that legislation related to Surfside will now be included.
“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,” Speaker of the House Chris Sprowls said.
Sprowls said the legislation will include a reserve funded by condominium owners to make sure owners and boards avoid putting off repairs and maintenance before 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,” Sprowls said.
Ninety-eight people died when Champlain Tower South collapsed.
“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,” Senate President Wilton Simpson said.
