Recovery Residences; Specifies level of background screening DCF must require of certain persons; prohibits department from requiring certain existing licensed service providers that are seeking to add licensed services or one or more additional levels of care at existing licensed location or at one or more new locations to admit individuals for services during probationary period, if certain requirements are met within specified timeframe; removes provisions prohibiting certified recovery residences from denying individual access to housing on or after specified date.
HB 645 renames "portable electronics insurance" to "portable electronics and eyewear insurance" and defines "eyewear" to include items like glasses and sunglasses. It creates a new limited insurance license for retail vendors selling these products, allowing their employees (under specific conditions) to sell this coverage without individual agent licenses. Key provisions require clear customer disclosures about coverage duplication, separate billing for the insurance, and detailed written materials explaining policy terms. The bill also removes an outdated definition of "portable electronics transaction" from Florida law.
Areas of Critical State Concern; Providing an exemption from specified payment and performance bond requirements for specified entities under specified conditions; extending the time period specific Florida Forever appropriations must be spent on land acquisition in the Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern, etc.
HB 603 updates Florida's ethics rules for public employees by expanding the definition of "relative" to include foster parents and foster children. This change directly affects public employees and school board members, who must now consider foster relationships when applying gift restrictions. The bill revises Section 112.312 to include foster parents/children in the "relative" definition, ensuring school board members (per Section 1001.421) cannot accept gifts over $50 from foster relatives. The policy clarifies existing ethics standards without creating new restrictions, applying to all public employees subject to these rules. The change takes effect July 1, 2026.
Assessments Levied on Recreational Vehicle Parks; Provides that certain special assessments on recreational vehicle parks levied by counties, municipalities, & special districts, respectively, may not be levied against certain portion of recreational vehicle parking space or campsite; requires counties, municipalities, & special districts, respectively, to consider recreational vehicle park's occupancy rates for certain purpose.
SB 536 revises Florida's legal definition of "criminal gang member" to include new criteria like admitting membership on social media, adopting gang attire or symbols, having gang-related tattoos, or associating with known members four or more times. The bill directly affects individuals potentially labeled as gang members by law enforcement, impacting criminal cases, sentencing (such as capital felony aggravators), and jail facility assessments. Key provisions specify that meeting multiple criteria satisfies the definition (e.g., social media posts alone can count), and require detention facilities to assess inmates using these updated standards. The changes will take effect July 1, 2026, and update references to this definition across related statutes.
Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcasts; Prohibits airports from using information broadcast or collected by automatic dependent surveillance broadcast systems for specified purposes under certain conditions.
Law Enforcement Officer Interactions with Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder; Requires DHSMV to establish program to improve communication between individuals with autism spectrum disorder & law enforcement officers under certain circumstances; requires DHSMV to develop & make available to such individuals certain envelope & card by specified date; provides requirements for envelope & card; authorizes such individuals to request envelope & card from DHSMV or tax collector's office beginning on specified date; requires Criminal Justice Standards & Training Commission within FDLE to establish employment training component relating to such individuals; provides requirements for training law enforcement officers on interacting with such individuals; requires training component to be included in specified course by specified date; requires specified law enforcement officers to complete training component by specified date.
Victims of Domestic Violence and Dating Violence; Requires Division of Telecommunications within DMS to consult with certain entities to conduct feasibility study regarding specified alert system; provides requirements for such alert system; requires division to report to Legislature results of feasibility study by specified date; revises legislative findings to include victims of dating violence; authorizes victims of dating violence to apply to participate in Attorney General's address confidentiality program.
Code Inspector Body Cameras; Requires governmental entity that permits its code inspectors to wear body cameras to establish certain policies & procedures; requires such governmental entity to ensure that certain training occurs, to retain certain data in accordance with public records laws, & to perform periodic review of actual body camera practices; provides that certain provisions relating to interception of wire, electronic, & oral communications do not apply to body camera recordings made by code inspectors.
Human Trafficking Education For Initial Nurse Licensure; Requires completion of course on human trafficking for initial licensure of registered nurses or licenses practical nurses, beginning on specified date.
Statute of Limitations Period for Violations Involving Required Reports Concerning Children; Provides that limitations period for offenses concerning specified required reports concerning children does not begin to run until law enforcement agency is made aware of violation.
