On July 1st, over 193 new laws will take effect in Florida. Here are a few of the laws that will go into effect this Sunday.
The Hope Scholarship Program / Education / Bullying and Unions (HB 7055). As part of the “Hope Scholarship Program,” this law, along with other things, allows you to send your child to a private school if your child is bullied at a Florida public school. This bill also requires unions that fail to have 50 percent of eligible employees who opt-in to pay union dues to have to undergo a costly and lengthy re-certification process that may result in many Floridians being left without fair representation for wages and other issues.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act (SB 7026 / HB 165). This law requires every school in the state to have sworn law enforcement officers. It also requires schools to host active shooter training once per semester and requires School Boards to establish threat assessment teams to assess and intervene with people whose behavior may pose a threat to the school’s safety.
Controlled Substances (HB 21). In response to the opioid crisis killing at least 16 Floridians every day, this bill limits most painkiller prescriptions to a three-day supply.
Possession of Real Property / Restricting Public Beach Access (SB 804 / HB 631). Gives private businesses and homeowners the decision to restrict the public from using the portion of beach on their property. The portion refers to the sand from the high tide water line and up. (Essentially, the dry sand adjacent to their building or home could be deemed private, while the wet sand will remain public.).
Marriage Licenses (SB 140 / HB 71). This law restricts persons under the age of 18 from obtaining a marriage license and getting married unless they meet certain circumstances.
The entire list of new laws can be viewed at http://laws.flrules.org or by clicking the link below.
Referring to the new laws Florida Representative Shevrin Jones, Democrat representing District 101 that includes south-eastern Broward County said, “It’s my hope that knowing these laws will help to make us all more informed and better prepared.” Continuing, he said, “While some of the laws are good for Florida, many are not. Our state still has not fully-funded our public education system. And, we have yet to fully address our growing need for affordable healthcare and mental health issues.”
