State lawmakers have unanimously passed a bill to combat squatting.

This comes after a News4JAX I-TEAM investigation exposing how a loophole in the law allowed people to live rent-free in a home for weeks while the property’s owner, Patti Peeples, wasn’t allowed on the premises.

The bill would close that loophole, and it’s now headed to the governor’s desk.

“It gives me a real feeling of positive hope that we still have the ability to discuss challenges in our society and work with our legislatures in a bipartisan way,” Peeples said.