Ron DeSantis signs off on 8 more Florida laws. Here’s what to know

Nearly 200 laws approved this year so far

Published: June 26, 2025 at 5:00 AM

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – On Tuesday and Wednesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis approved eight more laws as the state’s latest Legislative session nears its end.

These newest laws focus on issues like mentally ill defendants, public beach access, and land regulations for local developers.

So far, nearly 200 laws have been approved by DeSantis and state lawmakers.

Of those, more than half are set to take effect on July 1. You can find the full list of those upcoming laws here.

[BELOW: Check out some of the more notable laws that went into effect nearly one year ago.]

In the meantime, the latest batch of laws is as follows:

SB 168 — Mental Illness

Senate Bill 168 — dubbed the “Tristin Murphy Act” — aims to add alternative means for prosecuting defendants with mental illnesses.

Under this law, a defendant who faces certain charges and suffers from mental illness, an intellectual disability, or autism may instead be placed in a diversion program (if this is a feasible alternative to incarceration).

In addition, the law provides legislative intent to give law enforcement officers crisis intervention team training.

The law is named for Tristin Murphy, who took his own life in a Florida prison in 2021 and became the subject of a CBS News documentary that explored the treatment of mentally ill prisoners in the state.

The law is set to take effect on Oct. 1.

SB 1080 — Land Regulations

Senate Bill 1080 amends state statutes involving developer land regulations by local governments.

Under this law, these governments must:

Specify the minimum information needed for certain zoning applications
Process applications for development permits within 30 days
Give refunds to applicants if the government fails to meet certain timeframes when processing applications
Not limit the number of public hearings held each month if doing so would delay the consideration of an application

The law is set to take effect on Oct. 1.

SB 1620 — Baker Act Changes

Senate Bill 1620 strengthens Florida’s Baker Act, which allows a person to be involuntarily detained and examined if they may be having a mental health crisis and pose a danger to themselves or others.

The law requires that individual treatment plans for people under this act be reevaluated at least once every six months.

In addition, this law requires the state to prioritize licensing for short-term residential treatment facilities in underserved counties and high-need areas.

The law is set to take effect on July 1.

SB 1622 — Gulf Beach Access

Senate Bill 1622 protects the ability of members of the public to use Gulf Coast beaches for recreational purposes.

More specifically, this law repeals a 2018 law that required local governments to go through a lengthy (and sometimes costly) judicial process to allow recreational customary use on a parcel-by-parcel basis.

In addition, the law gives the DEP the authority to advance restoration work in areas that are declared critically eroded as of August 2024.