JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — More than 100 new Florida laws are now in effect, bringing changes to schools, public safety, housing, health care, pets and local government rules.
Some of the laws are technical or budget-related. Others could be more noticeable for families, drivers, students, pet owners and local communities.
Blue Envelope Program
A new law creates Florida’s Blue Envelope Program, which is aimed at improving communication between law enforcement officers and drivers with autism spectrum disorder.
The blue envelopes will include communication guidelines for officers during motor vehicle interactions.
The program is expected to be available through the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and local tax collectors starting Jan. 1, 2027.
Pet sale protections
Florida is adding new consumer protections for people who buy pets.
The law requires pet dealers to disclose financing terms before a sale is final and provide veterinary records showing exams, medications and treatments given to the animal.
It also gives consumers more rights if an animal is later found to be sick or unfit for purchase.
Domestic violence changes
A new domestic violence law increases penalties for repeat offenders and raises relocation assistance for victims.
The maximum amount for a single relocation assistance claim increases from $1,500 to $2,500. The lifetime maximum increases from $3,000 to $5,000.
The law also allows judges to consider threats against a family pet and military protective orders when deciding whether to grant a domestic violence injunction.
Sex offender restrictions
Florida is expanding restrictions for certain sex offenders convicted of offenses involving children.
The new law bars some offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a public swimming pool. Existing restrictions already apply to places such as schools, parks, playgrounds and child care facilities.
The law also increases restricted areas for loitering and prowling near places where children gather.
Drowning prevention
Florida is expanding eligibility for the state’s Swimming Lesson Voucher Program.
The program will now include children ages 1 through 7.
School athletics
A new law allows head coaches to use personal money to support student athletes.
That could include help with food, transportation and recovery services. Coaches are limited to $15,000 per athletic team each year.
Students with disabilities
Florida students with disabilities will be allowed to substitute one school year of participation in Special Olympics for the physical education requirement needed for a standard high school diploma.
The law also says two years of marching band can satisfy both the physical education and performing arts credit requirements.
Teacher recruitment and mentoring
Several education-related laws are also now in effect.
One creates a teacher training and mentoring program that allows qualified teachers to serve as mentors in schools with “D” or “F” grades.
Another law makes it easier for some teachers with expired licenses to return to the classroom without retaking subject area exams they have already passed.
Affordable housing
A new housing law updates Florida’s Live Local Act.
The changes are aimed at making it easier to build certain affordable apartment or mixed-use housing projects on land owned by local governments and school districts.
Another law allows local housing programs to use funds to help mobile home owners pay up to six months of lot rent.
Data centers
A new data center law prevents utilities from passing certain data center-related costs onto residential and small business customers.
The law also blocks utilities from serving data centers controlled by foreign countries of concern and allows local communities to set stricter rules.
Cybersecurity
Florida is creating new cybersecurity programs through Cyber Florida at the University of South Florida.
One law requires Cyber Florida to develop a cybersecurity experiential learning program. Another creates a local government cybersecurity protection program to help local governments defend against cyber threats.
Petroleum cleanup
A budget-related law changes Florida’s petroleum cleanup programs by removing certain deductibles, copayments and monetary caps for eligible parties.
The costs will instead be absorbed by the Inland Protection Trust Fund.
State budget
Florida’s new budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year is also now in effect.
The spending plan totals about $117.6 billion after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed nearly $810 million in line items.
Many other laws taking effect July 1 deal with court procedures, public records, veterans programs, health care regulations, environmental permitting, school board rules, union certification, road names and local government operations.
Here is the full list of Florida laws that took effect July 1, according to state records and bill summaries.
HB 33: Road names
Renames portions of roadways in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, including Charlie Kirk Memorial Avenue and President Donald J. Trump Boulevard.
HB 35: Traffic offenders
Adds driving without a valid license to the list of offenses that can contribute to someone being designated a habitual traffic offender.
HB 47: Medical diagnoses
Allows parents whose child is removed by DCF to request a second medical evaluation or differential diagnosis within five days of the initial exam.
SB 52: Security services
Clarifies that state private security regulations do not apply to volunteers providing armed security at places of worship.
HB 89: Veterinary prescriptions
Requires veterinarians to tell clients they have the right to receive a written prescription that can be filled at the pharmacy of their choice.
SB 124: Florida Virtual School
Makes technical changes related to Florida Virtual School operations and student calculations.
HB 131: Estate curators
Updates rules for estate curators, including bond requirements and when courts may appoint them.
HB 167: Phosphate mining
Creates a legal defense from strict liability in certain environmental lawsuits involving pollution from former phosphate mines.
SB 168: Public nuisances
Defines places used for gambling at least twice in a 12-month period as public nuisances and increases certain daily fines.
HB 177: Conflict of interest
Allows courts in some capital cases to appoint another regional capital collateral counsel when a conflict prevents representation.
HB 178: School athletics
Allows high school coaches to use up to $15,000 in personal funds per team each year to support student-athlete welfare.
SB 182: Teacher mentors
Creates a teacher training and mentoring program for schools with “D” or “F” grades.
SB 192: Patient funds
Removes a $1,500 cap on advances a chiropractic physician may collect for treatment or examination.
HB 199: Veterans affairs
Changes eligibility rules for veterans treatment court programs and removes certain state attorney approval requirements.
SB 212: Sex offenders
Expands restrictions for certain sex offenders, including limits near public swimming pools and places where children gather.
HB 245: Child sexual abuse material
Replaces the term “child pornography” in Florida law with “child sexual abuse material.”
HB 249: State flagship
Designates the S.S. American Victory as Florida’s official state flagship.
HB 253: Dental care
Expands eligibility for the Veterans Dental Care Grant Program.
HB 271: Bail bonds
Applies the same reporting requirements to foreign and alien bail bond insurers as domestic bail bond insurers.
HB 273: Special districts
Requires certain agreements involving state or federal money for rural special districts to allow payment for approved completed work.
HB 277: Domestic violence
Increases penalties for repeat domestic violence offenders and raises relocation assistance available to victims.
SB 288: Electric cooperatives
Revises rules involving rural electric cooperatives that sell electricity at retail.
SB 290: Agriculture and consumer services
Makes several changes related to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, including limits on local bans of gas-powered landscape equipment.
SB 296: Domestic violence alert study
Requires the state to study the feasibility of a domestic and dating violence 911 alert system.
SB 298: Domestic violence public records
Expands public record exemptions for domestic violence victims in the state’s confidentiality program.
SB 302: Coastal resiliency
Restricts dredging and filling at the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve and updates rules for nature-based coastal resiliency projects.
SB 340: Human trafficking training
Requires future nursing exam applicants to complete a two-hour human trafficking course.
HB 355: Pediatric patient care
Requires minimum standards for pediatric care in hospital emergency departments.
HB 359: Search warrants
Sets deadlines for law enforcement agencies to return search warrants to the issuing court.
SB 386: Farm equipment
Creates a process for consumers and manufacturers to address defective farm equipment.
SB 394: Reinsurance managers
Creates a licensing exemption for certain underwriting managers handling assumed facultative risks.
SB 418: Blue Envelope Program
Creates a Blue Envelope Program to improve communication between law enforcement and drivers with autism spectrum disorder.
SB 422: Airport broadcasts
Limits airports from using certain aircraft broadcast data to collect fees from aircraft owners.
HB 425: Historic cemeteries
Allows certain historic African-American cemeteries to sell excess vacant land to help fund long-term upkeep.
SB 428: Drowning prevention
Expands the Swimming Lesson Voucher Program to include children ages 1 through 7.
SB 436: Felony battery
Expands the list of prior offenses that can allow a misdemeanor battery charge to be upgraded to a felony.
HB 441: Conservation lands
Requires water management districts to publish information before considering the sale or exchange of conservation lands.
HB 445: Dangerous crimes
Adds certain child exploitation and computer pornography offenses to Florida’s dangerous crimes list.
HB 453: High school diplomas
Allows students with disabilities to substitute Special Olympics participation for the physical education requirement.
SB 474: Military affairs
Expands military leave protections and financial assistance eligibility for certain public employees and service members.
HB 477: Drug paraphernalia
Excludes xylazine testing products from the definition of drug paraphernalia.
SB 484: Data centers
Prevents utilities from passing certain data center costs to residential and small business customers.
HB 491: Faith-based content
Allows batterers’ intervention programs to offer voluntary supplemental faith-based activities.
SB 504: Body cameras
Requires agencies that allow code inspectors to wear body cameras to establish use and storage policies.
SB 506: Body camera public records
Creates public record exemptions for certain code inspector body camera recordings.
HB 538: Extracurricular activities
Updates rules for student participation in extracurricular activities and how districts can support coaches and sponsors.
HB 561: Educator preparation
Makes it easier for some teachers with expired licenses to return to the classroom.
HB 565: Persons with disabilities
Recognizes Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome as a qualifying condition for APD services and expands background screening requirements.
HB 569: Forensic client services
Allows APD facilities to house forensic and non-forensic clients in the same wards.
SB 578: Alzheimer’s awareness
Requires development of a statewide Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Initiative.
SB 584: Commercial driving schools
Allows county tax collectors to help enforce rules involving commercial driving schools.
SB 590: Statute of limitations
Extends the timeline for prosecuting willful failures to report suspected child abuse or neglect.
SB 594: Housing assistance plans
Allows local housing programs to help mobile home owners pay up to six months of lot rent.
SB 598: Funeral services
Updates rules for funeral and cemetery services, including handling of unclaimed human remains.
HB 625: Justice Administrative Commission
Increases the number of Justice Administrative Commission members from four to seven.
SB 628: Trump Highway
Renames several roads and designates a portion of State Road 80 as President Donald J. Trump Highway.
HB 655: Attorney meetings
Creates a public meeting exemption for certain government attorney meetings under the Bert Harris Act.
SB 656: Crimes against children
Renames and updates a grant program aimed at helping law enforcement fight online child exploitation.
HB 679: Trademark registration
Updates Florida trademark registration rules and requires an online application and renewal system.
SB 686: Agricultural enclaves
Allows owners of certain agricultural enclaves to submit development plans for single-family housing.
HB 697: Drug prices
Places new limits on pharmacy benefit managers, including reimbursement practices involving pharmacies.
HB 753: School counselors
Exempts prospective school counselors from certain requirements that apply to classroom teachers.
HB 755: Areas of Critical State Concern
Changes payment bond requirements for certain projects on Areas of Critical State Concern land and extends land acquisition funding requirements in the Florida Keys.
SB 772: Eyewear insurance
Expands portable electronics insurance licenses to include eyewear insurance.
HB 797: Nonprofits
Updates the Florida Not For Profit Corporation Act.
SB 800: Engineering violations
Creates escalating fines for repeated unlicensed engineering violations.
HB 803: Building permits
Limits certain local building regulations and updates commercial building permit rules.
SB 816: Diabetes research
Codifies the University of Florida Diabetes Institute as a statewide diabetes research and education resource.
SB 820: Problem-solving courts
Adds reporting requirements for several problem-solving court programs.
SB 824: School property
Requires school districts to submit annual inventories of unused real property.
SB 844: Sickle cell disease
Requires controlled-substance prescribing education to include information about pain treatment for sickle cell disease.
SB 848: Stormwater treatment
Allows certain stormwater treatment mitigation measures when existing water quality prevents compliance with standards.
HB 851: Autism learning
Requires school districts to offer at least one annual autism-specific professional learning opportunity.
HB 867: Dry needling
Allows occupational therapists to perform dry needling if they meet training and experience requirements.
HB 883: Insurance companies
Creates a regulatory framework for protected cell captive insurance companies in Florida.
HB 905: Foreign influence
Restricts certain activities involving foreign countries of concern, including charity contributions and some adoption or surrogacy agreements.
HB 913: Inmate services
Limits use of certain inmate welfare trust fund money to reentry programs and facility improvements.
HB 919: Donald Trump Airport
Renames Palm Beach International Airport as President Donald J. Trump International Airport.
HB 925: Court clerks
Increases funding for clerks of court without creating new fees or service charges.
HB 927: Local land planning
Requires certain local governments to create registries of qualified contractors for pre-application reviews.
HB 929: Chickee regulation
Limits local restrictions on chickees built by members of the Miccosukee or Seminole tribes.
HB 961: Electronic signatures
Requires insurers to use secure electronic signature processes acceptable to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
SB 984: Firefighter benefits
Expands eligibility for firefighter disability and death benefits tied to cancer diagnoses.
SB 1004: Pet sales
Adds new consumer protections for pet sales, including financing disclosures and veterinary record requirements.
HB 1019: Firefighting foam
Phases out certain firefighting foam containing intentionally added PFAS chemicals.
SB 1022: Children’s initiatives
Creates new children’s initiatives in Bay County and Broward County.
SB 1030: Recovery residences
Updates licensing rules for substance-abuse treatment providers.
HB 1031: Callback queues
Creates a pilot program for callback queues at the Department of Commerce and Department of Children and Families.
HB 1069: Background screenings
Updates background screening rules for youth athletic coaches and related volunteers.
HB 1073: School Board Bill of Rights
Creates a District School Board Members’ Bill of Rights.
HB 1081: Cybersecurity learning
Requires Cyber Florida at the University of South Florida to develop a cybersecurity experiential learning program.
HB 1085: Local government cybersecurity
Creates a cybersecurity protection program for local governments.
HB 1093: Vertiports
Adds vertiports and charging systems as eligible public-private partnership projects.
HB 1103: Vessel restrictions
Allows local governments to administer rules involving derelict vessels and long-term anchoring permits.
HB 1113: Vessel enforcement
Allows local governments to authorize code enforcement officers to administer certain vessel-related laws.
HB 1115: Genetic counseling
Creates a grant program to support graduate genetic counseling programs at state universities.
HB 1121: Disability services
Updates aging and disability services, including uses for Home Care for the Elderly subsidy payments.
HB 1159: Sexual offenses
Increases penalties for several sexual offenses and updates terminology involving child sexual abuse material.
HB 1175: Office surgery suites
Creates new safety design standards for office surgical suites.
SB 1180: Community development districts
Creates a recall election process for community development district board members.
HB 1201: Student health
Updates rules for care of students with epilepsy or seizure disorders and requires seizure response posters in schools.
HB 1217: Greenhouse gases
Blocks state and local governments from adopting or enforcing net-zero greenhouse gas emissions policies, including carbon taxes.
HB 1219: Spoil island
Designates a mangrove island in Jupiter Sound as Andrew “Red” Harris Spoil Island.
SB 1246: Nursing education fund
Expands the Linking Industry to Nursing Education Fund to include other health science education programs.
HB 1279: Teacher funding
Allows school districts to offer immediate incentives to high-performing teachers who work in lower-performing schools.
SB 1296: Union certification
Changes union certification rules and increases penalties for illegal strikes.
HB 1337: Estate authority
Updates probate rules and increases thresholds for small estate procedures.
HB 1343: Insurance qualifications
Allows certain Florida high school graduates to satisfy education requirements for an insurance customer representative license.
HB 1347: Lab personnel
Updates licensure requirements for clinical laboratory technologists and technicians.
HB 1389: Affordable housing
Updates the Live Local Act to make it easier to build certain affordable housing projects on government-owned land.
HB 1405: Missing persons
Reestablishes the Missing Persons with Special Needs Statewide Project.
HB 1407: Civil actions
Sets time limits for filing certain employment discrimination lawsuits.
HB 1417: Environmental protection
Repeals the Environmental Regulation Commission and updates environmental rulemaking and stormwater requirements.
HB 1443: Parkinson’s disease registry
Requires the Florida Institute for Parkinson’s Disease at USF to create a statewide Parkinson’s disease registry.
HB 1445: Parkinson’s disease public records
Creates a public record exemption for identifying information in the Parkinson’s disease registry.
HB 1471: Terrorist organizations
Creates new state rules involving terrorist organization designations, education funding and related penalties.
HB 1473: Terrorism public records
Creates a public record exemption related to information tied to state terrorism designations.
HB 1509: Veterinarian licensure
Updates requirements for veterinarian licensure by endorsement.
HB 1515: Uterine fibroid research
Creates a public record exemption for identifying information submitted to a uterine fibroid research database.
SB 1602: Veteran housing
Creates a pilot program to encourage landlords to hold vacant housing for veterans.
SB 1614: Florida Building Code
Removes a provision allowing local governments to use excess building code enforcement funds for certain facilities.
SB 1690: Early learning services
Updates childcare and early learning regulations.
SB 2506-E: Fuel taxes
Updates fuel tax distributions to several state trust funds.
HB 4085: Okeechobee County
Transfers more than 400 acres of state land to the Okeechobee Utility Authority.
HB 5001-E: Budget Act
Creates Florida’s roughly $117.6 billion budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
HB 5003-E: Budget implementation
Makes statutory changes needed to implement the state budget.
HB 5201-E: Collective bargaining
Addresses collective bargaining impasse issues for state employees in the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
HB 5205-E: Retirement contributions
Updates employer contribution rates and other rules for the Florida Retirement System.
HB 5301-E: Health care
Makes several health care changes tied to the state budget, including newborn screening, trauma centers and Medicaid navigation.
HB 5401: State court system
Terminates the Mediation and Arbitration Trust Fund and transfers funds to the State Courts Revenue Trust Fund.
HB 5403-E: Correctional facilities
Provides funding direction for critical Department of Corrections facility needs, including planning for a new hospital unit.
HB 5701-E: Petroleum cleanup
Updates petroleum cleanup programs by removing certain deductibles, copayments and monetary caps for eligible parties.
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