JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A dozen new laws go into effect Thursday, Oct. 1 in Florida. The new laws address a multitude of issues from gun violence near schools, drug tracking, gang affiliation and rental property applications.
See the list of new laws below.
HB 397:
Violations of Pretrial Release Conditions for Violent Crimes
- Criminal offense for violating a no-contact order while out on pretrial release for a qualifying violent crime (e.g., murder, assault, stalking). First offense is a first-degree misdemeanor. Repeat violations are third-degree felonies.
HB 1293:
Fraudulent Entry of Residential Dwellings
- It is a third-degree felony to enter and take possession of residential rental property using fake identity information, forged pay stubs/fake documents. Grants landlords grounds to terminate the tenancy non-curably with a 7-day notice.
SB 490:
Electronic Driver’s License Suspension Notices
- Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) is authorized to issue driver’s license suspension notices via email if requested by the licensee, rather than strictly by mail.
HB 639:
- Requires organizations with specialty license plates to submit strict financial reports to the DMV on time, or risk having their plates canceled and funding cut off. It also creates new specialty plates, updates rules for the Fraternal Order of Police plate, and requires the DMV to send annual financial tracking reports to state leaders.
SB 488:
Crash Reporting Thresholds, Traffic Safety
- Minimum property damage threshold increases requiring immediate driver reporting of a vehicle crash to law enforcement from $500 to $2,000. The bill also clarifies that decorative license plate frames are explicitly legal provided they do not obscure registration decals or plate numbers.
SB 432:
Intoxicating Substances (a.k.a. Meg’s Law)
- Bans tobacco and nicotine retailers from selling, possessing, and distributing nitrous oxide (“whippets”) on or from their premises to curb recreational inhalation abuse. Creates specific criminal penalties and a new trafficking offense for the unlawful possession, distribution, and manufacturing of xylazine (a non-opioid animal tranquilizer increasingly mixed with illicit opioids).
HB 189:
Gambling: Gaming Regulation Overhaul
Updates the Florida Gaming Control Commission by creating more clear definitions and harsher criminal penalties for illegal gambling and unauthorized sports wagering promotions.
HB 559:
Enhancing penalties for involving minors in animal cruelty making it a third-degree felony for adults who entice or force a minor to commit, or perform in front of a minor, acts of aggravated animal cruelty. The ceiling on maximum civil fines local jurisdictions can impose for animal control is also increased.
HB 757:
Upgrades illegally discharging a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school during school hours or official school activities to a second-degree felony.
HB 1525:
Lewd or Lascivious Acts & Digital Exposures
Expands sexual offense statutes to classify intentional lewd exposure or non-contact sexual acts performed in front of a minor under 16 for sexual gratification as a third-degree felony, even if the child was unaware of or did not observe the act.
HB 429:
Criteria for Determining Criminal Gang Membership
Updates the state criteria used to identify criminal gang members to include self-identification or the use of gang-related language on social media and online platforms.
*Information from Action News Jax’s partners at FOX13 Tampa Bay was used in this report.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.