TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida’s latest legislative session was officially adjourned on June 16, but after monthslong debates over the state’s budget, the session is slated to conclude Monday.
In that time, Governor Ron DeSantis has approved and vetoed a myriad of legislation, and on July 1, over 120 laws will be enacted after receiving his signature following approval from Florida’s House and Senate.
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Here are 25 of those laws and how they will impact the lives of Floridians.
Weather Modification
Senate Bill 56 repeals the state’s ability to issue permits for geoengineering and weather modification.
It also prohibits the release of chemicals or apparatuses into the state’s atmosphere that are “intended to affect the weather, temperature or the intensity of sunlight.”
Gold and Silver
DeSantis signed the bill CS/HB 999 during a news conference in Apopka on May 27, recognizing gold and silver as “proper legal tender.”
DeSantis said this legislation will protect against the declining value of the dollar while aligning with Florida’s commitment to “economic freedom.”
‘Super Speeders’
Starting July 1, Florida drivers caught speeding more than 50 mph over the posted limit could face much harsher penalties—including jail time—under a new state law aimed at cracking down on dangerous driving.
The law targets what the state calls “super speeders,” and introduces a range of escalating consequences.
For a first offense, violators could face:
- Up to 30 days in jail
- A $500 fine
Repeat offenders—those caught again within five years—could face:
- Up to 90 days in jail
- A $1,000 fine
- A driver’s license suspension for at least six months
Pam Rock Act
The bill was named after Pamela Rock, a 62-year-old mail carrier who was mauled by several dogs in Putnam County nearly three years ago.
According to the bill, a dangerous dog is defined as one that seriously injures a person, and it requires owners to keep these dogs “securely confined.”
If the owners don’t comply, the legislation would:
- Create a statewide registry of dangerous dogs
- Require owners of dangerous dogs to carry $100,000 in liability insurance
- Increase penalties for owners whose dogs attack
- Enforce stricter confinement rules for all dogs
- Allow authorities to hold dogs during investigations
- Permit humane euthanasia for dogs responsible for severe injuries
‘Trooper’s Law’, ‘Dexter’s Law’
SB 150 and Florida House Bill 255, dubbed Trooper’s Law and Dexter’s Law, respectively, were signed by DeSantis on May 28.
Trooper’s Law was inspired by the dog that was left chained up in the path of Hurricane Milton and rescued by Florida Highway Patrol last year, and makes it a felony to restrain and abandon a dog during a declared disaster or evacuation, punishable by up to five years in prison and $10,000 fine.
The law also codifies penalties for failing to provide confined animals with sufficient food, water, and exercise, and for abandoning an animal, as misdemeanors of the first degree, with similar fines.
Dexter’s Law was named after a shelter dog that was brutally killed in Pinellas County days after being adopted, and enhances penalties for aggravated animal cruelty, including a 1.25 sentencing multiplier while also creating Florida’s first animal abuser database to prevent abuse and protect communities.
State Park Protection
Lawmakers unanimously passed the bill (HB 209) during this spring’s legislative session.
The measure will prohibit building golf courses, tennis courts, pickleball courts, and ball fields in state parks.
‘Gulf of America’
One of the bills (HB 575) will change dozens of state laws to reflect the name change, while the other (HB 549) will require state agencies to update “geographic materials” to reflect the change.
Fluoride Ban
As part of a larger bill aimed at changing the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, SB 700 made Florida became the second state in the country to ban the addition of fluoride in the public water supply.
Gov. DeSantis has called water fluoridation “forced medication,” making the move to ban fluoride from public drinking water.
James Nguyen, a dentist at Distinctive Dentistry, said, “In the correct amounts, calcium, salt, fluoride, are beneficial and can improve the strength of your teeth. A lot of the controversy from fluoride originated around the movie Dr. Strangelove. One of the premises in that movie was that fluoride was mind control from the government.”
School Start Times
Florida lawmakers in 2023 passed a law aimed at starting high-school classes later in the morning, pointing to research showing that teens are not getting enough sleep.
But two years later, with a 2026 deadline looming for school districts to comply, the Florida Senate on Thursday unanimously passed SB 296, which undoes the 2023 law and leaves it up to local officials to decide when schools start.
Infant Safety Devices
House Bill 791 allows certain hospitals and fire stations to use “infant safety devices” to accept surrendered infants.
Under this bill, such a device would have to be equipped with a surveillance system to monitor the device 24 hours a day.
It also authorizes certain hospitals, EMS stations, and fire stations to use infant safety devices to accept surrendered infants if the device meets specified criteria, while also physically checking and testing the devices at specified intervals.
‘Swatting’
HB 279 addresses false reporting, also known as swatting, which is when someone calls 911 and fakes an emergency that draws a response from law enforcement, usually a SWAT team.
In 2021, DeSantis signed a bill that established felonies for swatting offenses that lead to damage, injury or death. It also requires restitution to be paid by offenders. However, he said those efforts have not been “sufficient.”
HB 279 will increase penalties for people behind those fake calls, and even more for repeat offenders.
Squatting
In early June, DeSantis signed SB 322 and SB 606, which aim to protect property owners against squatting.
Squatters are people who inhabit a piece of land or a building that they don’t have a legal right to occupy.
Specifically, SB 322 authorizes a property owner or their authorized agent to request the sheriff to immediately remove the person who is unlawfully occupying the property if specific conditions are met.
Meanwhile, SB 606 helps restaurants and hotels get rid of certain guests, allowing police to arrest a guest who remains in an establishment after being provided a notice to leave.
‘Boater Freedom Act’
According to DeSantis, SB 1388 will require a change in a state law that allows law enforcement officers to pull over boaters for safety inspections when no probable cause or suspected violations have occurred.
Driver’s Licenses
SB 994 requires adults applying for a driver’s license to complete a traffic law and substance abuse education course.
‘Second Chance Act’
SB 1070 requires students to complete at least one electrocardiogram (EKG) for students who wish to compete in interscholastic sports and requires the FHSAA to prohibit students with abnormal EKG’s from participating in school sports unless a written medical clearance is provided to the school.
Charter Schools
HB 443 would give charter schools a “right of first refusal” if school districts seek to sell, lease, or dispose of facilities.
Also, the bill would allow charter schools to adopt their own codes of conduct and give a high-performing charter school permission to assume the charter of another charter school in the same district.
School Safety
SB 1470 seeks to strengthen school safety by allowing school security guards to be trained and approved by a sheriff.
The law states that their training requirements must be aligned with those for school guardians.
Holocaust Remembrance Day
SB 356 makes January 27 “Holocaust Remembrance Day.”
The bill states that the day will be observed in this state’s public schools while using the occasion to teach students about the harmful impacts of the Holocaust and antisemitism.
Law Enforcement Gun Purchases
HB 383 exempts law enforcement officers, correctional officers, and service members from the three-day mandatory waiting period after buying a firearm.
As such, these figures may take immediate possession of a purchased firearm after a successful background check, which is in line with rules for those who hold a concealed weapons license.
Phones Banned in School
Florida lawmakers approved a ban on students in elementary and middle schools from using cell phones during the school day, and testing the idea in high schools.
The cell-phone change was included in a broader education bill, HB 1105.
Condominium and Cooperative Associations
HB 913 will make changes to the regulation of condos and cooperatives.
It will also increase transparency and accountability on condominium associations, and it will provide needed financial relief for condo owners.
This bill specifically tackles five different things:
- Extend the reserve study requirement: This will provide a one-year extension that will immediately give condo owners relief from sudden and burdensome fee assessments.
- Alternative funding options: Provides financial flexibility to help associations meet reserve requirements in alternative ways.
- Builds upon the prioritization of legislation: Ensures transparency among condominium associations. Unit owners will have access to what the boards are doing, and particularly to financial records regarding their association.
- Accountability: This legislation holds condo board members and community association managers accountable, but without penalizing unit owners
- Report: It requires condos to report information about their association to the department, which will allow the DBPR to best contact associations.
Execution Methods
One of the major changes brought on by HB 903 is allowing the death penalty to be carried out using any method not deemed unconstitutional, such as with firing squads and lethal gas.
Veteran Protections
SB 910, according to DeSantis, cracks down on bad faith actors who try to take advantage of veterans as they navigate the often complicated benefits process.
Deadly Drug Deals
SB 612 establishes a new category of third-degree murder for those younger than 18 years old who illegally distribute controlled substances that result in an overdose.
The substances covered under this include, but are not limited to:
- Cocaine
- Opium (or a derivative of opium)
- Methadone
- Alfentanil
- Carfentanil
- Fentanyl
- Sufentanil
- Methamphetamine
This new murder category constitutes a second-degree felony.
