Florida Laws Effective October 1st – Telemundo Bay Area 48

MIAMI, Fla. – Nearly three dozen new state laws took effect in Florida on Tuesday, including a controversial measure that would limit where the homeless can sleep.

Other measures include the creation of a Parrot Heads license plate that recreates the life of the late singer Jimmy Buffett and requirements to disclose flood information to home buyers.

Most bills passed during this year’s legislative session went into effect on July 1, including the 2024-2025 budget. But 34 of them will go into effect on October 1st, and the changes for the homeless (HB 1365) are getting the most attention. See them all here.

10 laws you need to know

• HB 1365: Prohibits public camping or sleeping on public property. This measure has local cities working frantically to find solutions to avoid fines and arrests and get their homeless populations off the streets.
• HB 341: Allows individuals to voluntarily declare on their driver’s record that they have a disability or that they are the parent or legal guardian of a child with a specific diagnosis.
• HB 549: Makes it a third-degree felony to be part of a group of five or more people who overwhelm a merchant to commit retail theft.
• SB 718: Makes it a felony of the second degree for adults who, while in unlawful possession of certain controlled substances, recklessly expose a first responder to such substances and result in an overdose or serious bodily injury to the first responder.
• SB 758: Makes changes to the law regarding the use of tracking devices, with exceptions provided in certain cases for law enforcement officers, parents of minors, caregivers of the elderly, and vehicle owners. Under this law, people are prohibited from placing tracking devices without their consent on another person’s property or using a tracking device to learn their location. In addition, the law increases the penalties for such violations to a third-degree felony.
• SB 86: Creates the Cards of Hope Program for anyone who has been issued a protective order. This is a digital or physical card that has the name of the person who issued the order, the name of the person against whom the order was issued and other information.
• SB 1036: Increases criminal penalties for immigrants who are arrested for serious crimes after illegally returning to the US after being deported for prior crimes.
• HB 1049: Requires disclosure of information to homebuyers, such as whether properties have suffered flood damage and notice that homeowner’s insurance policies do not include coverage for flood damage.
• HB 1389: Makes changes related to digital voyeurism, including increasing criminal penalties if offenders are 19 or older and are family members or in positions of authority over victims.
• HB 403: Creates several potential new license plates, including a “Margaritaville” license plate, honoring Jimmy Buffett, to benefit the SFC Charitable Foundation, Inc. Other possible new signs include Universal Orlando Resort. “Supporting General Aviation,” “Recycle Florida,” “Boat Capital of the World,” and “Lhe Villages: May All Your Dreams Come True.”