TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – On Wednesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed off on even more new laws as the latest Legislative session approaches its end.
Many of these new laws are set to take effect in July, and they cover a wide range of issues, including dangerous dogs, school start times, and arrest rules for law enforcement.
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Below is a list of these new laws and a brief summary of what they bring to the table:
HB 85 — Hazardous Walking Conditions
House Bill 85 expands the criteria for identifying “hazardous walking conditions” for public elementary school students walking to and from school.
The designation applies to walkways that are either parallel or perpendicular to a road, and this new law extends the definition to limited access facilities (ex: freeways, interstates, expressway ramps).
The law is set to take effect on July 1.
HB 279 — Swatting Calls
House Bill 279 prohibits people from causing someone else to call 911 with a false report (i.e. “swatting”).
If something like this happens and the 911 response ends with injury or death, the caller can face felony charges under this new law.
In addition, someone convicted of misusing 911 or giving false information to law enforcement will be required to pay the costs of prosecution, investigation, and restitution to any victims.
The law is set to take effect on July 1.
HB 593 — Dangerous Dogs
House Bill 593 — dubbed the “Pam Rock Act” — establishes new rules for owners of dangerous dogs.
Under this law, these dogs must be microchipped and spayed/neutered, and their owners must obtain at least $100,000 of liability insurance.
Furthermore, owners with dogs that have “dangerous propensities” are required to securely confine the animals in a proper enclosure as though they were deemed dangerous.
The law is set to take effect on July 1.
HB 809 — School Social Workers
House Bill 809 provides an exemption for school social workers, making it so they’re no longer required to meet certain knowledge requirements to receive their educator certification.
More specifically, school social workers will no longer have to meet “mastery of general knowledge” and “subject area knowledge” requirements, as state licensure is deemed an adequate demonstration of mastery.
The law is set to take effect on July 1.
HB 989 — Foster Homes
House Bill 989 takes aim at state statutes involving licensure for family foster homes.
Under prior law, the state issues such licenses to a specific person at a specific location, so if the foster parent relocates within the state, he/she must start over with a new license application.
This new law allows a family foster home in good standing with the state to have a priority review and expedited background checks if he/she relocates, giving foster parents more mobility.
The law is set to take effect on Oct. 1.
HB 1099 — Arrest Rules
House Bill 1099 specifies that a law enforcement officer can use his/her discretion when determining whether to immediately arrest someone with a significant medical condition.
Under the law, a person with a “significant medical condition” refers to a patient or resident of a hospital, nursing home facility, or assisted living facility — including elderly people and disabled adults.
To be specific, an officer may consider whether the person is an active threat to themselves or others when determining whether to make an arrest.
The law is set to take effect on July 1.
HB 1237 — Human Trafficking
House Bill 1237 requires the state to identify a free training program about human trafficking awareness by December.
Public school staff will then be required to receive training about human trafficking awareness.
The law is set to take effect on July 1.
HB 1525 — Rideshare Drivers
House Bill 1525 prohibits the impersonation of rideshare drivers, such as those with Uber and Lyft.
Doing so counts as a second-degree misdemeanor, and impersonating a driver to commit a separate offense is considered a third-degree felony under this law.
The law is set to take effect on July 1.
HB 1607 — Cardiac Emergencies
House Bill 1607 requires school districts to provide basic first-aid training (including CPR) in secondary schools as part of a P.E. or health class.
This instruction must allow students to practice performing CPR and learn how to use an AED.
In addition, each public school must develop a plan to respond to incidents of sudden cardiac arrest. And by July 1, 2027, schools must have at least one AED on school grounds.
The law is set to take effect on July 1.
SB 248 — Student Sports
Senate Bill 248 allows homeschooled students to participate in interscholastic athletic teams at any public school within their school district.
Similarly, middle- and high-school students at a private school can participate in interscholastic sports at a member public/private school if their own school doesn’t offer their sport of interest.
The law is set to take effect on July 1.
SB 296 — School Start Times
Senate Bill 296 addresses a 2023 law that changes start times in Florida schools.
The 2023 law mandated that middle schools could start no earlier than 8 a.m., and high schools could start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. These changes were scheduled to begin on July 1, 2026.
But following blowback, this new law allows school districts to comply with the state statutes by instead submitting a report to the state by June 1, 2026, with the following information:
- Start times for schools in the district
- Considered strategies to implement the later start times
- Explanations for the impact of these later start times, such as financial repercussions
- Identification of any unintended consequences
The law is set to take effect on July 1.
SB 480 — Nonprofit Agricultural Organizations
Senate Bill 480 would let nonprofit agricultural organizations offer medical benefit plans, though it specifies that such plans don’t actually constitute insurance.
The law is set to take effect on July 1.
SB 940 — Restaurant Reservations
Senate Bill 940 prohibits third-party reservation platforms from selling restaurant reservations without having an agreement with the restaurant in question.
Platforms violating this rule can be penalized with fees of up to $1,000 per violation.
The law is set to take effect on July 1.
SB 1374 — Teacher Misconduct
Senate Bill 1374 aims to improve reporting and accountability regarding teacher arrests/misconduct.
Under this law, school boards must adopt a policy to temporarily remove instructional personnel from classrooms within 24 hours of a felony arrest notification.
The law is set to take effect on July 1.
SB 1402 — Dropout Retrieval Programs
Senate Bill 1402 requires all dropout retrieval programs — programs aimed at helping students who’ve officially withdrawn from high school — to choose between a school improvement rating or a school grade.
In addition, the law requires Virtual Instruction Providers to receive a school grade/improvement rating based on the assessment scores of all students served within those districts.
The law is set to take effect on July 1.
SB 1470 — School Safety
Senate Bill 1470 is aimed at strengthening school safety with a variety of new rules.
Under this law, school security guards must be trained and approved by a sheriff, and their training requirements are aligned with those for school guardians.
In addition, the law allows firearm-detection canines to be employed for school security.
The law is set to take effect on July 1.