Transportation & Economic Development Budget Subcommittee — Meeting Packet (February 18, 2026)

Summary

A meeting packet for the Transportation & Economic Development Budget Subcommittee meeting on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at 5:00 PM. The meeting notice lists consideration of PCS for CS/CS/HB 1093 -- Vertiports. The packet includes a bill analysis stating that the bill amends Florida law to include vertiports and charging systems as qualifying projects for funding under public-private partnerships between state and private entities. It says the bill authorizes the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to fund all project costs of a public or private vertiport if federal funds are not available, or up to 80 percent of the nonfederal share if federal funds are available, with an effective date of July 1, 2026.

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       Transportation & Economic
    Development Budget Subcommittee
               Wednesday, February 18, 2026
                        5:00 PM
                 Mashburn Hall (314 HOB)



                      Meeting Packet




Daniel Perez                                  Jason Shoaf
Speaker                                             Chair
                                       Committee Meeting Notice
                                             HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES




                     Transportation & Economic Development Budget Subcommittee

Start Date and Time:              Wednesday, February 18, 2026 05:00 PM

End Date and Time:                Wednesday, February 18, 2026 05:30 PM

Location:                         Mashburn Hall (314 HOB)
Duration:                         0.50 hrs


Consideration of the following proposed committee substitute(s):

PCS for CS/CS/HB 1093 -- Vertiports




                                  NOTICE FINALIZED on 02/16/2026 4:19PM by SKB


 02/16/2026    04:19:14PM                               Leagis ®                 Page 1 of 1
                                     FLORIDA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                                               BILL ANALYSIS
       This bill analysis was prepared by nonpartisan committee staff and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.
BILL #: PCS for CS/CS/HB 1093                         COMPANION BILL: None
TITLE: Vertiports                                     LINKED BILLS: None
SPONSOR(S): Transportation & Economic Development RELATED BILLS: None
Budget Subcommittee
Committee References
                         Orig. Comm.: Transportation & Economic Development Budget


SUMMARY
Effect of the Bill:
The bill amends Florida law to specifically include vertiports and charging systems as qualifying projects for
funding under public-private partnerships between state and private entities.

The bill authorizes the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to fund all of the project costs of a public or
private vertiport if federal funds are not available. If federal funds are available, FDOT may fund up to 80 percent of
the nonfederal share of the project costs.


Fiscal or Economic Impact:

The bill authorizes, but does not necessarily require, additional funding within the Work Program or other existing
department operational resources. The bill authorizes FDOT to fund 100 percent of the project costs of a public or
private vertiport. If FDOT elects to fund vertiport projects it is anticipated these expenditures will be absorbed
within available Work Program revenues.




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ANALYSIS
EFFECT OF THE BILL:
The bill amends Florida law to specifically include vertiports and charging systems as qualifying projects for
funding under public-private partnerships between state and private entities. (Section 1)

The bill authorizes the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to fund all of the project costs of a public or
private vertiport if federal funds are not available. If federal funds are available, FDOT may fund up to 80 percent of
the nonfederal share of the project costs. (Section 2)

The bill provides an effective date of July 1, 2026. (Section 3)

FISCAL OR ECONOMIC IMPACT:

STATE GOVERNMENT:
The bill authorizes, but does not necessarily require, additional funding within the Work Program or other existing
department operational resources.

STORAGE NAME: PCS1093.TED
DATE: 2/16/2026
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                                                                                              PCS for CS/CS/HB 1093
The bill authorizes FDOT to fund 100 percent of the project costs of a public or private vertiport. If FDOT elects to
fund vertiport projects it is anticipated these expenditures will be absorbed within available Work Program
revenues.



RELEVANT INFORMATION
SUBJECT OVERVIEW:
Advanced air mobility (AAM) is an umbrella term for aircraft that are typically highly automated, electrically
powered, and have vertical take-off and landing capability. 1

Numerous uses for AAM are being explored, including air taxi, air cargo, and public services. Air taxis feature
passenger transportation within and around urban and regional areas, including routes connecting city centers to
airports or to neighboring city centers. Air cargos fature cargo transportation supporting the middle-mile of
logistics, generally seen as from the cargo port to the distribution center. Public service uses, such as search and
rescue, disaster relief, and air ambulance operations are other catalysts for innovation in AAM.

FDOT is currently laying the groundwork to build an intercity AAM “Aerial Highway Network” to connect major
metropolitan areas across Florida. 2 In addition to performing research and development at its SunTrax test facility
to accelerate operational viability, FDOT is developing custom curriculums to establish unique requirements for
licensing to safely operate within the AAM Network. 3

SunTrax, located in Polk County, has been designated as the research and development testing hub of the Florida’s
AAM program. 4 Early development phases of vertiport demonstration will consist of a passenger terminal, at-grade
vertiports, access roads with vehicle staging, eVTOL parking positions and charging station, and a research and
development hangar. 5

eVTOL Aircraft
The term “electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft” is not defined in Florida law. However, the term
eVTOL aircraft generally refers to electric-powered aircraft that vertically take off and land. Similar to a helicopter,
eVTOL aircraft hover and fly and are typically designed to carry two to six people, including a pilot. 6

Vertiports
Generally, a vertiport is an area of land, water, or structure used, or intended to be used, to support the landing,
takeoff, taxiing, parking, and storage of powered-lift aircraft or other aircraft that vertiport design and
performance standards established by the FAA can accommodate. 7




1 Federal Aviation Administration, Advanced Air Mobility: Air Taxis, https://www.faa.gov/air-taxis (last visited Jan. 27, 2026).
2 Florida Department of Transportation, From the Ground to the Skies: Florida’s Aerial Highway Network, November 2025.

Available at https://fdotwww.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default-source/aviation/aam/fdot-2025-advanced-
mobility_strategy.pdf?sfvrsn=19eb551c_1 (last visited Jan. 27, 2026).
3 Id.
4 Central Florida Development Council, SunTrax Named Florida’s Home for Advanced Air Mobility, Positioning Polk as

Statewide Innovation Leader, https://www.cfdc.org/suntrax-named-floridas-home-for-advanced-air-mobility-positioning-
polk-as-statewide-innovation-leader/ (last visited Jan. 23, 2026).
5 SunTrax Air, https://suntraxfl.com/suntrax-air/ (last visited Jan. 23, 2026).
6 Matthew Urwin, Electricity-powered flying taxis are almost ready for liftoff, December 3, 2024, available at:

https://builtin.com/articles/evtol-aircraft (last visited Jan. 23, 2026).
7 Federal Aviation Administration, Advanced Air Mobility Infrastructure,

https://www.faa.gov/airports/new_entrants/aam_infrastructure (last visited Jan. 27, 2026).
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For the purposes of applying to the Florida Department of Commerce for funding to develop vertiports, Florida law
currently defines the term “vertiport” as “a system or infrastructure with supporting services and equipment used
for landing, ground handling, and takeoff of manned or unmanned vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft.” 8

Florida Airport Development and Assistance Act

The Florida Airport Development and Assistance Act (FADAA) 9 provides FDOT with certain statutory duties
regarding aviation development and assistance. These duties include providing financial and technical assistance
to airports 10 and encouraging the maximum allocation of federal funds to local airport projects. 11

For purposes of the FADAA, the term “public-use airport” means any publicly owned airport which is used or to be
used for public purposes. 12 Further, the term “eligible agency” means a political subdivision of the state or an
authority which owns or seeks to develop a public-use airport. 13

FDOT’s annual legislative budget request for aviation and airport development projects is based on the funding
required for development projects in its aviation and airport work program. DOT must prioritize funding to
support the planning, design, and construction of proposed projects by local sponsors, with special emphasis on
projects for runways and taxiways, including the painting and marking of runways and taxiways, lighting, other
related airside activities, and airport access transportation facility projects on airport property. 14

FDOT is authorized to fund certain aviation and airport-related projects, subject to certain requirements and limits
on airport funding from the State Transportation Trust Fund (STTF). Requirements can be based on the airport
type, availability of federal funds, project type, and size of the airport. 15

Public-private Partnerships

Public-private partnerships (P3s) are contractual arrangements between public entities and private sector
entities 16 that facilitate increased private sector involvement in the funding and execution of public building and
infrastructure projects. 17 These agreements enable the collaboration of skills and assets from both public and
private sectors to provide services or facilities for the benefit of the general public.

Responsible public entities (RPEs) 18 may engage in P3 projects aimed at developing an extensive array of public-
use facilities or projects that fulfill a public purpose. Examples of qualifying projects 19 include those for mass
transit, vehicle parking, airports or seaports, educational facilities, and public sector buildings or complexes such

8 S. 288.102(d), F.S.
9 S. 332.003, F.S., through s. 332.007, F.S.
10 S. 332.006(4), F.S.
11 S. 332.006(8), F.S.
12 S. 332.004(14), F.S.
13 S. 332.004(7), F.S.
14 S. 332.007(4)(a), F.S.
15 S. 332.007(7), F.S.
16 “Private entity” means any natural person, corporation, general partnership, limited liability company, limited partnership,

joint venture, business trust, public benefit corporation, nonprofit entity, or other private business entity. S. 255.065(1)(g), F.S.
17 S. 255.065(2)(b), F.S.
18 “Responsible public entity” means a county, municipality, school district, special district, or any other political subdivision of

the state; a public body corporate and politic; or a regional entity that serves a public purpose and is authorized to develop or
operate a qualifying project. S. 255.065(1)(j), F.S.
19 “Qualifying project” means a facility or project that serves a public purpose; an improvement, including equipment, of a

building that will be principally used by a public entity or the public at large or that supports a service delivery system in the
public sector; a water, wastewater, or surface water management facility or other related infrastructure; or projects that
involve a facility owned or operated by the governing board of a county, district, or municipal hospital or health care system,
or projects that involve a facility owned or operated by a municipal electric utility, only those projects that the governing
board designates as qualifying projects. S. 255.065(1)(i), F.S.
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as courthouses or city halls. RPEs must adhere to specific requirements, including protocols for reviewing and
approving proposals.

Federal Airport Investment Partnership Program

The federal Airport Investment Partnership Program, 20 authorizes private companies to own, manage, lease, and
develop public airports. Public airport sponsors and private operators may jointly manage an airport. The airport
owner or leaseholder may be exempt from repayment of federal grants, return of property acquired with federal
assistance, and the use of proceeds from the airport's sale or lease to be used exclusively for airport purposes. 21



                                                    BILL HISTORY
                                                                                          STAFF
                                                                                        DIRECTOR/             ANALYSIS
COMMITTEE REFERENCE                             ACTION                   DATE          POLICY CHIEF         PREPARED BY
Orig. Comm.: Transportation &                                                              Davis              McAuliffe
Economic Development Budget
Subcommittee




20 49 U.S.C. s. 47134, the program was previously known as the Airport Privatization Pilot Program.
21 Federal Aviation Administration, Airport Investment Partnership Program, formerly Airport Privatization Pilot Program,

https://www.faa.gov/airports/airport_compliance/privatization (last visit Jan. 23, 2026).
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           PCS for CS/CS/HB 1093                      ORIGINAL                                                  2026




    1                                         A bill to be entitled
    2               An act relating to vertiports; amending s. 255.065,
    3               F.S.; revising the definition of the term "qualifying
    4               project"; amending s. 332.007, F.S.; revising the
    5               definition of the term "airport infrastructure";
    6               authorizing the Department of Transportation to fund
    7               up to specified percentages of public vertiport
    8               project costs; providing an effective date.
    9
10         Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11
12                  Section 1.        Paragraph (i) of subsection (1) of section
13         255.065, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
14                  255.065        Public-private partnerships.—
15                  (1)     DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
16                  (i)     "Qualifying project" means:
17                  1.      A facility or project that serves a public purpose,
18         including, but not limited to, any ferry or mass transit
19         facility, vehicle parking facility, airport or seaport facility,
20         rail facility or project, fuel supply facility, oil or gas
21         pipeline, medical or nursing care facility, recreational
22         facility, sporting or cultural facility, or educational facility
23         or other building or facility that is used or will be used by a
24         public educational institution, or any other public facility or
25         infrastructure that is used or will be used by the public at

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        PCS for CS/CS/HB 1093                      ORIGINAL                                                  2026




26      large or in support of an accepted public purpose or activity;
27               2.      An improvement, including equipment, of a building that
28      will be principally used by a public entity or the public at
29      large or that supports a service delivery system in the public
30      sector;
31               3.      A water, wastewater, or surface water management
32      facility or other related infrastructure; or
33               4.      Notwithstanding any provision of this section, for
34      projects that involve a facility owned or operated by the
35      governing board of a county, district, or municipal hospital or
36      health care system, or projects that involve a facility owned or
37      operated by a municipal electric utility, only those projects
38      that the governing board designates as qualifying projects
39      pursuant to this section; or
40               5.      Vertiports and charging systems.
41               Section 2.        Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of section
42      332.007, Florida Statutes, is amended, and paragraph (e) is
43      added to subsection (6) of that section, to read:
44               332.007        Administration and financing of aviation and
45      airport programs and projects; state plan.—
46               (2)
47               (c)      Each commercial service airport as defined in s.
48      332.0075 shall establish and maintain a comprehensive airport
49      infrastructure program to ensure the ongoing preservation of
50      airport infrastructure and facilities in safe and serviceable

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        PCS for CS/CS/HB 1093                      ORIGINAL                                                  2026




51      condition. For purposes of this paragraph, the term "airport
52      infrastructure" means the facilities, systems, and structural
53      components of an airport necessary for the safe and efficient
54      movement of people and goods. The term includes vertiport pads,
55      safety zones, charging systems, grid upgrades, and resilience
56      energy systems. Beginning November 1, 2025, and annually
57      thereafter, each commercial service airport shall provide a
58      certification to the department, in a manner prescribed by the
59      department, that it has established and maintains a
60      comprehensive airport infrastructure program. The comprehensive
61      airport infrastructure program report, and related documents and
62      records, must be open to inspection by the department and
63      maintained by the airport for at least 5 years. The
64      comprehensive airport infrastructure program must, at a minimum,
65      include all of the following:
66               1.      Identification of airport infrastructure subject to
67      inspection and the schedule for the completion of such
68      inspections, taking into consideration the age, type, intended
69      use, and criticality of the infrastructure to undisrupted
70      commercial or cargo operations.
71               2.      A preventative maintenance program for routine
72      maintenance of airport infrastructure, for both commercial and
73      cargo operations.
74               3.      A plan to complete any necessary repairs to, or
75      rehabilitation or reconstruction of, airport infrastructure,

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        PCS for CS/CS/HB 1093                      ORIGINAL                                                  2026




76      including prioritization and anticipated timeframe for
77      completion of the work.
78               4.      A progress report of inspections and their outcomes,
79      preventative maintenance, and previously identified repair to,
80      or rehabilitation or reconstruction of, airport infrastructure.
81      The progress report must include any changes in timeline for
82      completion, changes in cost estimates, and reasons any
83      inspection, preventative maintenance, or repair or
84      rehabilitation did not take place.
85               (6)     Subject to the availability of appropriated funds, the
86      department may participate in the capital cost of eligible
87      public-use airport and aviation development projects in
88      accordance with the following rates, unless otherwise provided
89      in the General Appropriations Act or the substantive bill
90      implementing the General Appropriations Act:
91               (e)     When federal funds are not available, the department
92      may fund up to 100 percent of the project costs of a public
93      vertiport. If federal funds are available, the department may
94      fund up to 80 percent of the nonfederal share of such project
95      costs.
96               Section 3.        This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.




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