Public Records/State Retirement Plan/Division of Retirement; Providing an exemption from public records requirements for all records identifying participants in any state retirement plan administered by the Division of Retirement of the Department of Management Services and held by the division or the State Board of Administration; providing for future legislative review and repeal of the exemption; deleting provisions providing a limited exemption from public records requirements for certain retirement records; providing a statement of public necessity, etc.
Leave for Living Organ Donation; Defines "living organ donor"; requires state agencies to grant administrative leave, not to exceed specified number of days, to allow employee to serve as living organ donor; specifies that such leave is in addition to other leave authorized by law; defines "employer" and "living organ donor"; requires certain employers to grant unpaid leave of absence to allow employee to serve as living organ donor; specifies length of such leave of absence; authorizes employers to grant paid or unpaid leave for period longer than required period of time; provides effective date.
Public Records/Legal Assistants/Office of the Public Defender/Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel ; Providing an exemption from public records requirements for the home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and photographs of current legal assistants employed by the office of the public defender and the office of criminal conflict and civil regional counsel and the personal identifying and location information of the spouses and children of such legal assistants; providing for future legislative review and repeal of the exemption; providing for retroactive application of the exemption; providing a statement of public necessity, etc.
Local Government Enforcement Actions; Prohibiting certain enforcement actions by counties, municipalities, and special districts, respectively; defining the term “enforcement action”; requiring counties, municipalities, and special districts, respectively, to establish and maintain rules; authorizing filing of legal action and providing legal remedies in certain circumstances, etc.
HB 555 would allow Florida counties and municipalities to license home caregivers within their own jurisdictions, shifting authority from the state to local governments. This bill directly affects home caregivers seeking to work in specific communities and local governments that would establish their own licensing processes. The key provision creates a new section (163.212) in Florida law explicitly authorizing local licensing, while maintaining existing state oversight for other occupations. The bill would take effect on July 1, 2026, if passed. This is a procedural change to licensing authority, not a modification of caregiver qualifications or services.
Elimination of Non-school Property for Homesteads; Proposes amendment to State Constitution to make homestead property exempt from all ad valorem taxation other than school district levies beginning in a specified year, to prohibit local governments from reducing total funding for services provided by law enforcement, firefighters, and other first responders, and provide an effective date.
Social Work Licensure Interstate Compact; Creating the Social Work Licensure Interstate Compact; specifying requirements for state participation in the compact; requiring member states to designate the categories of social work licensure which are eligible for issuance of a multistate license in such states; providing for the renewal of multistate licenses; specifying the consequences and parameters of practice for a licensee whose multistate license or multistate authorization to practice is encumbered, etc.
Limitation on the Assessed Value of New Homestead Property; Proposing amendments to the State Constitution to limit the assessed value of new homestead property established after a change of ownership which had an assessed value of less than a certain amount to no more than 150 percent of the assessed value of the property for the preceding year for ad valorem taxation purposes and to provide an effective date, etc.
HB 551, titled "Medical Conscience," allows healthcare providers and payors in Florida to file lawsuits if their conscience rights are violated, such as when forced to provide services conflicting with their beliefs. The bill creates a two-step enforcement process: first, the Attorney General can sue violators, but if they don’t act within 180 days, providers/payors can directly file civil suits for damages, injunctions, or attorney fees. It amends Florida Statute 381.00321 to clarify these rights and remedies, affecting healthcare workers and insurers who face mandatory service requirements. The law would take effect on July 1, 2026, if passed.
Public Records/Private Investigators; Providing an exemption from public records requirements for the personal identifying and location information of current and former private investigators licensed by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the spouses and children of such private investigators; providing for future legislative review and repeal of the exemption; providing for retroactive application; providing a statement of public necessity, etc.
Pub. Rec./Applicants, Owners, and Operators of Family Foster Homes and References of Such Persons; Provides confidentiality & exemption from public records requirements for personal identifying & location information of applicants for family foster homes & current & former owners & operators of family foster homes, & names & personal identifying & location information of spouses, children, & other adult household members of such applicants, owners, or operators; provides confidentiality & exemption from public records requirements for personal identifying & location information of character or neighbor references of family foster home applicant or current or former owner or operator of family foster home; provides for future legislative review & repeal of exemption; provides statement of public necessity.
Temporary Door Locking Devices; Defines "temporary door locking device"; authorizing temporary door locking devices to be installed at any height; requires Florida Building Commission to incorporate certain standards for temporary door locking devices into Florida Building Code; requires use of temporary door locking devices be integrated into building safety plans, safety drills, & training programs for specified purpose.
