A bill sponsored by a St. Augustine lawmaker would shorten the time for residents to file lawsuits about construction defects in their homes.

The Florida Senate voted 31-8 on Wednesday to approve the bill (SB 360), filed by Sen. Travis Hutson, R-St. Augustine.

The bill deals with a series of issues, including lawsuits about “latent” construction defects — essentially defects that can remain hidden from homeowners for years — and what is known in the legal world as a “statute of repose.”

The bill, in part, would shorten the statute of repose for filing lawsuits about construction defects from 10 years to seven years.

The House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday approved a similar bill (HB 85), sponsored by Rep. John Snyder, R-Stuart. That bill is ready to go to the full House.

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