Florida Rep. Byron Donalds introduced a sweeping economic policy package on Monday called the “Florida Means Business” agenda, aimed at drastically cutting down regulatory wait times and establishing specialized commercial courts across the state.
Announced during a stop on the Defending the Florida Dream Tour in Naples, the proposal targets government permitting delays that the lawmaker says stall economic momentum and drain hundreds of thousands of dollars from job-creating projects.
A central piece of the agenda is the creation of a public-facing “shot clock” for major infrastructure, energy, and commercial permits. The system would allow the public to track exactly how long local and state agencies take to review and approve applications.
“Government delays are not just a nuisance. It’s a job that never gets created, a business that never opens, a paycheck a family never cashes,” Donalds said during the tour stop. “If you can look up your county commissioner’s salary in 30 seconds, you should be able to look up how long your county takes to approve a permit the same way. Florida is not just open for business, we mean business.”
The agenda lays out five specific policy reforms designed to streamline operations for companies looking to build or expand in the state. Beyond the public tracking clock, the plan calls for a unified “one-stop permit shop” digital dashboard that links local governments, regional planning boards, and state agencies into a single network. It also proposes a Governor’s Task Force tasked with reviewing all state and local permits, licenses, and development fees.
To further speed up economic growth, the agenda seeks accelerated agency review timelines specifically for priority projects in transportation, energy, space, and infrastructure.
Finally, the plan focuses heavily on the state’s legal climate. It outlines the creation of specialized business court divisions within Florida’s existing circuit court structure.
According to the announcement, these dedicated divisions are intended to resolve commercial disputes much faster, providing a legal bedrock designed to lower the overall cost of doing business and provide regulatory certainty to companies considering a move to Florida.
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