On the same day that he touted the signing of five bills related to law enforcement, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed another 14 bills into state law.
The laws deal with everything from trust funds and property insurance to crime and how law enforcement interacts with those on the Autism Spectrum.
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Unless otherwise noted, these laws take effect in just two weeks, on July 1.
Here’s the list:
SB 418 – Law Enforcement Officer Interactions with Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder
The bill creates the “Blue Envelope and Blue Card Program” within the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (HSMV) to improve communication between individuals with autism spectrum disorder and law enforcement officers during motor vehicle-related interactions.
The blue envelope is intended to hold a copy of the individual’s important information such as a driver license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance. The exterior of the blue envelope will identify the individual as having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the envelopes will include communication guidelines for officers during interactions with drivers with ASD. The blue card may be digital or a durable wallet sized card and will include communication guidelines for officers during interactions with individuals with ASD. Blue envelopes and blue cards will be available by request from the HSMV or local tax collector beginning January 1, 2027.
The bill creates training for officers relating to individuals with ASD by the Criminal Justice Training Commission to include:
- Techniques for interviewing or interrogating an individual with ASD including legality of statements and protection of rights,
- Techniques for locating an individual with ASD who has run away and is in danger and for returning that individual while causing as little stress as possible to the individual,
- Techniques for recognizing the agency of an individual with ASD while identifying potential abusive or coercive situations,
- De-escalation strategies,
- Techniques for differentiating ASD behaviors from belligerence,
- Impact of officer interactions on ASD individuals, and
- Information on the Blue Envelope and Blue Card Program and “SAFE” designation.
The bill requires that each basic skills course required for law enforcement officers to obtain initial certification include online required training by July 1, 2028. By July 1, 2030, each law enforcement officer must successfully complete such training as part of basic recruit or continued training or education.
CS/CS/HB 177 – Offices of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel
The bill provides that if an Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel is unable to represent an indigent defendant in a death penalty case, the court may appoint a different regional office, in lieu of private counsel, to represent the defendant.
Before the appointment may occur, the original office must notify the court that it has a conflict of interest or that it can no longer represent the defendant. Upon receiving the notice, the court may appoint a different regional office to represent the defendant if the office does not have a conflict of interest and the regional counsel is willing to accept the appointment. If a regional office cannot be appointed to represent the defendant, the court must appoint private counsel.
For clarification, this process does not transfer venue of the case from one circuit to another. Rather, it simply authorizes a different regional office to handle the case.
If a regional office accepts an appointment, and subject to legislative appropriation, all due process costs and services must be paid from funds designated for this purpose and administered by the Justice Administrative Commission. In order to receive payment or reimbursement, the regional counsel, or his or her designee, must certify that the due process costs and services are case related and must submit the appropriate documentation of the expenses.
CS/CS/HB 397 – Violations of Pretrial Release Conditions for Violent Crimes (“Victim Safety in Pretrial Release Act”)
The bill creates a first degree misdemeanor criminal offense when a person willfully violates a no contact order issued as a condition of pretrial release, if the original arrest was for one of the following offenses:
- Murder;
- Manslaughter;
- Assault;
- Aggravated assault;
- Battery;
- Aggravated battery;
- Aggravated stalking;
- Kidnapping;
- False imprisonment;
- Sexual battery;
- Lewd or lascivious offenses committed on or in the presence of persons less than 16;
- Robbery;
- Written or electronic threats to kill or do bodily injury; or
- Any other felony that involves the use or threat of physical force or violence against any individual.
A second or subsequent violation is punishable as a third degree felony. The bill also authorizes a law enforcement officer to arrest a person without a warrant when there is probable cause to believe the person has committed this new crime.
A person who is arrested for this new offense or is on pretrial release for committing one of the above listed offenses and is arrested for a new law violation must be held in custody until his or her first appearance hearing. At such hearing, the court must review the alleged violation and determine whether to order pretrial detention or to grant pretrial release with appropriate conditions. The court must prioritize the safety of the victim and the public, and consider the following factors:
- The nature and severity of the original offense.
- The person’s history of compliance with court orders.
- Any evidence of intent to intimidate, harass, or harm any person.
A law enforcement officer may not be held liable in any civil action for an arrest based on probable cause that the person violated a specified condition of pretrial release.
These provisions take effect on Oct. 1, 2026.
CS/HB 477 – Drug Paraphernalia
The bill amends the definition of “drug paraphernalia,” to exclude narcotic drug testing products that are used to determine whether a controlled substance contains dangerous fentanyl or fentanyl analogues, or xylazine.
CS/CS/HB 1525 – Lewd or Lascivious Acts
The bill creates a third-degree felony offense of indecent exposure of sexual organs while observing a child. A person commits this offense if that person, while observing a child under 16 years of age for the purpose of his or her own sexual arousal or gratification:
- Intentionally exposes his or her sexual organs in a lewd or lascivious manner; or
- Intentionally performs any sexual act that does not involve actual physical or sexual contact with the child, including, but not limited to, sadomasochistic abuse, sexual bestiality, masturbation, or the simulation of any act involving sexual activity.
It is not a requirement that the person being observed be aware of any specific conduct on the part of the offender or see the offender’s sexual organs.
The bill provides an exception for a mother breastfeeding her baby, and an individual who is merely nude in a place provided or set apart for that purpose.
Additionally, the bill repeals s. 800.02, F.S., relating to unnatural lascivious acts.
These provisions take effect on Oct. 1, 2026.
CS/CS/HB 1019 – Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Joe Casello Act)
The bill provides that, effective July 1, 2026, aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) containing intentionally added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may not be used for any nonemergency instruction, training, or testing, and all entities in possession of AFFF must report inventories to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Effective July 1, 2027, the bill prohibits the sale, purchase, or distribution of AFFF and requires entities with remaining inventories to submit a disposal plan to DEP.
Effective July 1, 2029, the bill prohibits the possession and use of AFFF. The bill creates exceptions for (1) airports; (2) military applications where alternatives do not exist; (3) emergency firefighting situations where alternative firefighting foam is not available; and
(4) AFFF retrofit projects submitted under an application with state or local firefighting authorities.
A person who violates these provisions is subject to civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation per day and additional penalties for failure to report inventories or submit disposal plans. The bill authorizes DEP to seek injunctive relief to enforce compliance.
The bill directs DEP to adopt rules governing the containment, collection, and disposal of AFFF; maintain a registry of firefighting foam alternatives that do not contain PFAS; and provide technical assistance and grants to support the transition to PFAS-free products. The bill also authorizes DEP to administer grants or cost-share programs to assist local fire departments and airports with this transition.
The bill also requires public entities that dispose of domestic wastewater biosolids and treated effluent that have a designed average daily flow of 25,000 gallons or more to conduct quarterly sampling for PFAS and submit the results to DEP. Such sampling and reporting are for informational purposes only until national water quality standards are established for PFAS.
HB 5401 – Trust Funds of the State Court System
This bill terminates the Mediation and Arbitration Trust Fund within the State Courts System and provides that all current balances and revenues of the fund be transferred to the State Courts Revenue Trust Fund.
SB 168 – Public Nuisances
The bill authorizes any place or premises that has been used as a gambling house on more than two occasions within a 12-month period to be declared as a public nuisance.
Additionally, the bill revises what an abatement ordinance can include by allowing:
- An increase of daily fines up to $500 if the nuisance activity is not abated within a year with the consideration of the gravity of the public nuisance and any actions taken by the owner when determining the fine amount.
- The removal of the $15,000 cap on fines.
- The nuisance abatement board to award attorney fees, if requested, to include fees for the time and labor of any legal assistants who contributed nonclerical, meaningful legal support to the matter.
- The nuisance abatement board to retain jurisdiction over a place or premises for renewing periods of one year until the public nuisance is abated.
- An appropriate entity to foreclose on a lien if the lien remains unpaid three months after filing, and mandate the foreclosure if the public nuisance activity is unabated after two years.
SB 394 – Reinsurance Intermediary Managers
SB 394 exempts from reinsurance intermediary manager licensing requirements an underwriting manager who manages assumed facultative risks for a reinsurer, if the facultative reinsurance business managed by the underwriting manager is less than 10 percent of the assumed annual gross written premium of the reinsurer. Facultative reinsurance is a type of reinsurance in which each individual risk, such as a specific vehicle or home, is separately negotiated and covered.
The bill does not impact state expenditures or revenues.
CS/CS/SB 1028 – Citizens Property Insurance Corporation
The bill requires Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (Citizens) to establish clearinghouses to facilitate the diversion of applicants for commercial lines coverage and existing commercial lines policyholders away from Citizens and towards authorized insurers or, if there is no offer from an authorized insurer, surplus lines insurers.
These provisions take effect upon becoming law.
Click here for a full summary of the requirements for Citizens established by SB 1028.
SB 7004 – A Review under the Open Government Sunset Review Act
The bill saves from repeal the public records exemption for information and materials generated by a conviction integrity unit while it is reinvestigating cases of previously convicted persons to review plausible claims of actual innocence.
The exemption is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act and will repeal Oct. 2, 2026, unless saved from repeal by the Legislature. The bill removes the scheduled repeal, thereby maintaining the exempt status of information and materials generated by a conviction integrity unit while it is reinvestigating a case.
These provisions take effect upon becoming law.
CS/SB 7014 – A Review under the Open Government Sunset Review Act
The bill delays the repeal dates from October 2, 2026, to October 2, 2031, for two public record exemptions related to investigations into social media platforms. The public record exemptions make confidential and exempt from public inspection and copying requirements information received by the Department of Legal Affairs (DLA) or a law enforcement agency into whether a social media platform has committed an antitrust violation or failed to meet certain transparency and notification requirements.
All information received by the DLA pursuant to an investigation by the DLA or a law enforcement agency is confidential and exempt from public record requirements, until such time as the investigation is completed or ceases to be active. During an active investigation, confidential information may be disclosed by the DLA in the performance of its official duties and responsibilities or to another governmental entity in performance of its duties and responsibilities. Once an investigation is complete or once an investigation ceases to be active, the following information received by the DLA remains confidential and exempt from public record requirements:
- All information to which another public records exemption applies.
- Personal identifying information.
- A computer forensic report.
- Information that would otherwise reveal weaknesses in a business’ data security.
- Proprietary business information.
The bill saves the exemptions from repeal by delaying the scheduled repeal dates, thereby maintaining the confidential and exempt status of the information until October 2, 2031.
These provisions take effect upon becoming law.
CS/HB 4061 – Hillsborough County
Local bill that took effect on June 16, 2026, that creates a Land Reserve Stewardship District; establishes compliance with minimum requirements for creation of independent special district; establishes legal boundaries of district; provides for jurisdiction & charter & governing board; provides method for transition of board from landowner control to control by resident electors of district; provides for district manager, district employees, district treasurer, selection of public depository, & district budgets & financial reports; provides general powers of district; provides special powers of district to plan, finance, & provide community infrastructure & services within district; provides for bonds, borrowing, trust agreements, future ad valorem taxation, special assessments, issuance of certificates of indebtedness & tax liens; provides requirements for termination, contraction, or expansion of district; authorizes mergers; provides for required notices to purchasers of residential units within district; provides for referendum.
CS/CS/HB 4091 – Sarasota and Manatee Counties
Local bill that took effect on June 16, 2026, that creates the University Town Center Improvement District, independent special taxing district, in Sarasota & Manatee Counties; provides purposes of district; establishes boundaries of district; provides powers of district; creates Board of Supervisors; provides for organization, powers, duties, terms of office, & compensation of board; provides for landowners’ meetings & election of supervisors; provides non-ad valorem assessments; provides for issuance of bonds; provides minimum charter requirements; provides boundary changes; requires that certain requirements be set forth under special circumstance.