The Florida Senate voted 35-2 Thursday to repeal a controversial 2018 law that restricted public access to beaches in Walton County.
- SB 1622, sponsored by Sen. Jay Trumbull, R-Panama City, would eliminate the law that nullified Walton County’s customary use ordinance. Senators Don Gaetz and Kathleen Passidomo cast the only dissenting votes.
The bill has evolved since its committee hearing. The updated legislation includes provisions that establish the erosion control line for certain Gulf Coast counties as the mean high-water line, to be determined by a survey conducted by the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund. It also addresses beach restoration projects for areas designated as critically eroded.
The companion bill in the House (HB 6043), sponsored by Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, passed favorably through the Judiciary Committee on April 8 and has been added to the Second Reading Calendar, moving it closer to a full House vote.
“This bill is about more than beaches—it’s about protecting a way of life that’s been part of Walton County for generations,” Trumbull said in a statement after the vote. “For decades, families have walked these shores, cast lines at sunset, watched their kids chase waves, and made memories that define what it means to live—and visit—here.”
The 2018 law specifically affected Walton County because it exempted beach access ordinances established before January 2016, while Walton County’s ordinance was adopted in October 2016. This created a unique situation where Walton County beaches became increasingly privatized.
“Somewhere along the way, a line was drawn—one that said Walton County didn’t deserve the same protections every other Florida community received. SB 1622 fixes that,” Trumbull said.
If passed by the House and signed by the governor, the law would take effect immediately upon signature, as specified in the bill text.
