HB 1234: Land development; definitions, solar canopies in surface parking areas, delayed effective date.

Official summary

Abstract published by the legislature (via Open States). Text as published by the legislature; reproduced verbatim.

Land development; solar canopies in parking areas. Provides that any locality may include in its land development ordinances a provision that requires that an applicant must install a solar canopy over designated surface parking areas. Such provisions shall apply only to nonresidential parking areas with 100 or more new off-street contiguous parking spaces and may require coverage of up to 50 percent of the surface parking area. The bill provides that an ordinance adopted pursuant to this bill shall be subject to various additional requirements and shall allow for deviations, in whole or in part, from the requirements of the ordinance when its strict application would prevent the development of uses and densities otherwise allowed by the locality's zoning or development ordinance or when a property owner shows that the solar canopy, if installed as otherwise required under the ordinance, will generate less than 75 percent of the electricity that would be expected, given the nameplate capacity of the solar modules installed on such canopy, if the canopy were to be installed at another location in the locality without surrounding impediments to insolation such as buildings or shading vegetation. Finally, the bill provides that the applicant or owner may use the electric energy generated from such solar canopy to offset the consumption of the parking lot or adjoining building served under the same account. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill incorporates HB 457 and is identical to SB 26.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 13

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. April 13, 2026Approved by Governor-Chapter 757 (effective 7/1/2026)
2. March 14, 2026Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
3. March 14, 2026Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026
4. March 13, 2026Signed by President
5. March 13, 2026Signed by Speaker
6. March 13, 2026Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1234ER)
7. March 13, 2026Enrolled
8. March 6, 2026Senate substitute agreed to by House (67-Y 30-N 0-A)
9. March 4, 2026Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 18-N 0-A)
10. March 4, 2026Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute
11. March 4, 2026Local Government Substitute agreed to
12. March 4, 2026Read third time

Showing 12 most recent of 31 actions. Full history