Sen. Barbara Sharief

Maddy summarySB 1624 clarifies and updates Florida's legal definitions of "harass" and "cyberstalk" in the criminal code. It defines "harass" as conduct causing substantial emotional distress with no legitimate purpose, and "cyberstalk" as sending electronic communications causing distress or accessing someone's online accounts without permission. These changes directly affect victims of harassment or cyberstalking, as well as law enforcement and courts applying these definitions. The bill also updates related laws in schools (for bullying) and religious/ethnic harassment to align with these new definitions, effective July 1, 2026.

Compensation of the Descendants of Charles Greenlee, Walter Irvin, Samuel Shepherd, and Ernest Thomas; Providing that certain facts are found and declared to be true; providing that a sum is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of State for specified relief; requiring that a specified percentage of such relief be provided to certain individuals and estates; providing that specified persons are ineligible for further compensation, etc. APPROPRIATION: $4,000,000

Practice of the Profession of Pharmacy; Authorizing pharmacists who meet specified criteria to, at the direction of a licensed physician, administer medications at a Level I or Level II trauma center under certain circumstances; requiring trauma centers to retain certain documentation to employ pharmacists to perform such tasks, etc.

Education; Repealing a provision relating to prohibited training or instruction in specified concepts which constitutes discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, or sex; repealing a provision relating to personal titles and pronouns; deleting a prohibition against classroom instruction, in specified grades, on sexual orientation and gender identity; authorizing and encouraging Florida College System institutions, state universities, and direct-support organizations to develop programs based on diversity, equity, and inclusion principles; authorizing school library media centers to provide materials and information presenting all points of view, etc.

Medicaid Coverage of Blood Pressure Monitoring Devices; Defining the terms “blood pressure cuff” and “validated at-home blood pressure monitor”; requiring the Agency for Health Care Administration, subject to the availability of funds and certain limitations and directions, to provide coverage for validated at-home blood pressure monitors and blood pressure cuffs for certain Medicaid recipients; providing construction; providing requirements for Medicaid recipients to continue receiving coverage for their validated at-home blood pressure monitors and blood pressure cuffs, etc.

Disclosure of Estimated Ad Valorem Taxes; Defining the terms “listing platform” and “property”; requiring that certain property listings include estimated ad valorem taxes; requiring the Department of Revenue to maintain on its website a table of links to each county’s property appraiser’s homepage and tax estimator; requiring the department to develop a formula that may be used by listing platforms to calculate the estimated ad valorem taxes; requiring the department to annually develop a countywide aggregate average millage rate for each county for use by listing platforms, etc.

Parity for Nonnursing Services Under Long-term Managed Care Plans; Beginning on a specified date, requiring the Agency for Health Care Administration to reimburse nonnursing services provided by licensed providers at the same rate or higher than the rate it reimburses unlicensed providers for such services under the Medicaid long-term managed care program; requiring the agency annually to adjust the rate for licensed providers, etc.

Suicide Prevention for Active and Former Members of the United States Armed Forces, the National Guard, and their Reserve Components; Requiring a facility conducting an involuntary examination to include in its report to the Baker Act Reporting Center whether the individual examined is an active or former member of the United States Armed Forces, the National Guard, or their reserve components, etc.

Rate Filings for Property Insurers; Revising the powers of the consumer advocate; specifying that failure to obey certain court orders may be punished as contempt; authorizing a circuit court to order a person to pay certain expenses; prohibiting the Office of Insurance Regulation from approving certain rate filings, etc.

Mandatory Human Reviews of Insurance Claim Denials; Requiring that insurers’ decisions to deny a claim or any portion of a claim be made by qualified human professionals; prohibiting the use of algorithms, artificial intelligence, or machine learning systems as the sole basis for determining whether to adjust or deny a claim; authorizing the Office of Insurance Regulation to conduct market conduct examinations and investigations under certain circumstances, etc.