Sen. Ileana Garcia

Community Associations; Revising conditions that constitute a violation of certain provisions related to certain records of a condominium association; revising how associations that have not adopted electronic voting are required to receive electronically transmitted ballots; revising a requirement that a developer, before turning over control of a cooperative association to unit owners, have a turnover inspection report for all buildings on the cooperative property, rather than only for buildings that are three stories or higher; providing that the official records of a homeowners’ association are open to inspection by certain persons at all reasonable times, etc.

Maddy summarySB 1422 designates Florida's coral reefs as "critical natural infrastructure" and a nature-based solution for mitigating climate risks like storms and flooding, specifically protecting reefs in Broward, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach Counties. The bill establishes a tiered penalty system for reef damage: fines start at $225 for minor damage (≤1 sq. m) and rise to $1,500 per square meter for extensive harm (>10 sq. m), with multipliers for repeat offenses (up to quadruple penalties). It also clarifies the Department of Environmental Protection as the state's lead agency for reef protection and allows habitat equivalency analysis for calculating compensation. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.

Structure and Legislative Oversight of Executive Agencies; Providing that divisions, offices, bureaus, sections, and subsections in an executive department may be established only by specific statutory enactment; providing that certain appointments made by the Secretary of Business and Professional Regulation are subject to review and approval by the Legislature; providing that certain appointments made by the Secretary of Transportation are subject to review and approval by the Legislature; providing that certain appointments made by the heads of departments are subject to review and approval by the Legislature, etc.

Coverage for Orthotics and Prosthetics Services; Authorizing the Agency for Health Care Administration to authorize and pay for specified orthotics and prosthetics services for Medicaid recipients who are eligible individuals; requiring the agency to seek federal approval and amend contracts as necessary to implement the act; requiring individual health insurance policies; group, blanket, and franchise health insurance policies; and health maintenance contracts, respectively, to provide coverage for specified orthotics and prosthetics services for eligible individuals, etc.

Prohibited Contracting with Covered Foreign Entities; Defining the term “covered foreign entity”; providing that a covered foreign entity is ineligible to bid or submit a proposal for a contract with an agency for certain goods or services; requiring an entity to certify in its bid or proposal that it is not a covered foreign entity; requiring a contracting state agency to immediately terminate its contract with an entity that submitted a false certification or that is determined to be a covered foreign entity, etc.

Handling of Animals; Requiring the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to develop and adopt rules, best management practices, and other measures for dog breeding in this state; deleting a limit on veterinary costs under certain provisions; specifying requirements for retail stores that offer animals for sale; requiring dog breeders to apply to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation for a certificate of registration and to renew the certificate at specified intervals, etc.

Labor Pool Act; Prohibiting a labor pool from charging a certain fee to a third-party user if such user directly employs a laborer for work; requiring a labor pool to register annually with the Department of Commerce; revising the remedies, damages, and costs a court may award the prevailing party in certain actions, etc.

Grandparent Visitation Rights; Authorizing a grandparent of a minor child to petition a court for court-ordered visitation with the child in certain circumstances, etc.

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

Boating Safety; Revising the conditions upon which the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles must include a certain symbol on identification cards; requiring the department to issue original, renewal, or replacement identification cards that include a certain symbol in certain circumstances; authorizing the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to provide the department with certain information relating to the applicant; providing a mandatory minimum sentence for a person who willfully commits such violation resulting in the death of another while boating under the influence (BUI), etc.