Relief/L.E./Department of Children and Families; Provides appropriation to compensate L.E. for injuries & damages sustained as result of negligence of department; provides limitation on compensation & payment of attorney fees. APPROPRIATION: $3,800,000
Statewide Project for Missing Persons with Special Needs; Revives, readopts, & amends provisions relating to missing persons with special needs statewide project; provides that project is created through centers for autism & related disabilities; provides that participants for project shall be selected based on certain criteria; provides appropriations. APPROPRIATION: $1,000,000
Maddy summaryHB 253 clarifies eligibility for Florida's Veterans Dental Care Grant Program, which provides dental care to veterans residing in the state. The bill specifies that veterans must have incomes at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty level to qualify for the program. Administered by the Department of Veterans' Affairs, the program ensures access to oral health care for eligible veterans. This clarification takes effect on July 1, 2026.
Specific Medical Diagnoses in Child Protective Investigations ; Providing an exception to the requirement that the Department of Children and Families immediately forward certain allegations to a law enforcement agency; requiring such allegations to be immediately forwarded to a law enforcement agency upon completion of the department's investigation; requiring a child protective investigator to inform the subject of an investigation of a certain duty; requiring Child Protection Teams to consult with a licensed physician or advanced practice registered nurse with certain experience when evaluating certain reports; requiring the physician or advanced practice registered nurse who performed certain medical examinations to submit a written report to the department and certain persons within a specified timeframe, etc.
Volunteering at Polling Locations; Provides that specified high school students who volunteer to assist poll workers are not subject to provisions prohibiting certain agencies and state & local officials from soliciting, accepting, or otherwise using private funds or certain personal services for election-related expenses.
Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances; Prohibits, beginning on specified date, certain use & sale, purchase, or distribution of aqueous film-forming foam; requires, beginning on specified date, certain entities to submit aqueous film-forming foam inventories & disposal plans to DEP; prohibits, beginning on specified date, possession & use of aqueous film-forming foam; authorizes DEP to administer certain grants or cost share programs; provides penalties & injunctive relief; requires certain public entities disposing of domestic wastewater biosolids and treated effluent to quarterly conduct specified samplings & submit results to DEP; limits purpose such samplings until specified standards are established by EPA & adopted by DEP.
Lewd or Lascivious Acts; Removes s. 800.02, F.S., relating to unnatural & lascivious acts; prohibits person from intentionally exposing or exhibiting his or her sexual organs in lewd or lascivious manner while observing child under 16 years of age or performing specified sexual acts while observing child under 16 years of age for specified purpose; provides criminal penalty; prohibits certain defense from being raised; provides exceptions.
Maddy summaryHB 429 revises Florida's legal definition of "criminal gang member" in section 874.03 of state statutes. The bill defines a criminal gang member as someone who either admits membership (in person or online) or meets two or more of 12 specific criteria, such as wearing gang-related clothing, using gang hand signs, having gang tattoos, associating with known members, using gang-related language on social media, or being identified by a reliable informant. It explicitly includes social media activity, communications, and recordings promoting gang activity as evidence of membership. The law would take effect on October 1, 2026, and applies to individuals potentially identified under these revised standards.
Pub. Rec./Uterine Fibroid Research Database; Provides exemption from public records requirements for certain records & personal identifying information submitted to DOH for inclusion in uterine fibroid research database; provides statement of public necessity.
Maddy summaryHB 1343 revises Florida's requirements for obtaining an insurance customer representative license. It expands qualifying pathways by adding specific industry designations (like AAI, CIC, or CPSR) and mandating a new high school course in insurance and personal finance. The bill requires Florida schools to develop a 0.5-credit course by 2027, covering property and casualty insurance basics, for use starting in the 2027-2028 school year. This directly affects current license applicants seeking alternative qualifications and future students who may complete the high school course. The changes take effect July 1, 2026.
