TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Close to 100 new laws will go into effect in Florida on July 1.
These bills address a wide range of topics, some dealing with hotly debated propositions like changes to school start times and developments in state parks.
Others relate to the current political climate surrounding immigration and new federal designations. Some of the bills also seek to address issues out on the water and past incidents with “dangerous dogs.”
Below are some of the most notable pieces of legislation that will officially become a part of state law in just a matter of days.
“Boater Freedom Act” ( SB 1388 )
Under the “Boater Freedom Act,” law enforcement will no longer be able to pull a boat over without probable cause or a suspected violation.
Officers were previously allowed to conduct inspections like personal property searches, but now there will be a new system in place. The bill requires the FWC and DMV to create a “Florida Freedom Boater” safety inspection decal that will be issued to boaters after demonstrating they are in compliance with safety equipment carriage and use requirements.
In a press conference, Gov. Ron DeSantis said the changes in the “Boater Freedom Act” are aimed at easing tension between boaters and law enforcement officers. The governor used the example that if you are walking down the street, you can’t be stopped and searched without probable cause.
“To just go in without any basis is not the way we want to do it in the state of Florida, and I think it has unnecessarily caused friction between the boating community and some folks in law enforcement,” DeSantis said.
The bill also prevents local governments from banning the use or sale of gas-powered boats.
“State Park Preservation Act” ( HB 209 )
This bipartisan legislation enacts safeguards to prevent developers from building things like golf courses, hotels and pickleball courts within Florida’s 175 state parks.
The bill doesn’t ban all types of development, but going forward, lawmakers said Florida’s state parks will be preserved exclusively for conservation-based projects supporting activities such as hiking, kayaking, camping and birdwatching.
The passage of the “State Park Preservation Act” marked a significant victory for protestors who spoke out against leaked plans to build on some of the state’s natural lands last summer.
“This may be one of the most monumental environmental laws Florida has ever passed,” said Rep. Gossett-Seidman, who co-sponsored the bill. “Our parks are not for sale — they’re sacred public spaces filled with natural beauty that must be protected for future generations.”
Anti-squatting protections for business owners ( SB 322 )
This bill extends remedies and protections against squatting to commercial property owners. It allows business owners to request that the county sheriff immediately remove an unauthorized person from their property, so long as they can verify ownership.
“Under current law, the remedies to remove unauthorized applicants or occupants of a commercial property can unfortunately be lengthy and time-consuming, which then incentivizes people to take advantage of the situation — and we’re not going to allow that to happen,” DeSantis said during a press conference in Sarasota where he signed SB 322.
The process mimics that for removing an unauthorized person from a residential property — protections that the governor signed into law during the 2024 legislative session. SB 322 also introduces specific penalties for squatters and fraudulent property listings.
“Gulf of America” ( HB 549 )
HB 549 requires state agencies to update geographic materials to reflect the federal designation of “Gulf of America,” as opposed to the “Gulf of Mexico.”
Similarly, starting on July 1, 2025, public and charter schools may only acquire instructional and library materials using the term “Gulf of America.”
In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to rename the Gulf. Florida was the first state to recognize the change.
Abandonment of ‘migrant vessels’ in Florida ( SB 830 )
SB 830 allows federal disaster funds and state funds to be used for the removal of “migrant vessels.” The legislation defines these vessels as ones “designed, intended, or used for the purpose of undocumented immigrant transportation” and created using makeshift materials.
The law also prohibits such vessels from being abandoned in Florida waters and creates a process for their removal. If not gone within five days, law enforcement agencies will have the right to remove and dispose of the vessel.
Dangerous, excessive speeding ( HB 351 )
This bill aims to crack down on “dangerous, excessive speeding” in the state by creating strict penalties for drivers who go 50 mph or more over the speed limit. The law also applies to anyone driving 100 mph or more.
Those caught doing so could end up spending 30 days in jail and paying a fine of up to $500. Repeated offenders could face up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
Driver’s license education requirements ( SB 994 )
This law adds an extra requirement for Florida teens looking to get behind the wheel. Teens ages 15 to 17 must now pass a driver education course approved by the Department of Highway Safey and Motor Vehicles before receiving their learner’s license.
Students will be able to take the course online or in person as part of a semester-long high school program for grades nine to 12, according to the DMV.
Applicants 18 years or older must also complete an approved traffic law and substance abuse education course before earning their driver’s license.
Removal of educators accused of crimes ( SB 1374 )
Under SB 1374, district school boards must adopt a policy requiring instructional personnel accused of certain crimes to be temporarily removed from the classroom within 24 hours of the notification of an arrest.
Crimes that fall under the new law are those listed in Level 2 background screening standards, and include a wide range of sexual, violent and drug offenses such as drug trafficking and child molestation.
The bill also expands law enforcement notification requirements to include misdemeanor offenses under Level 2 background screening and requires educators to self-report within 48 hours of their arrest.
School start times ( SB 296 )
School districts soon would have been facing the summer 2026 deadline to comply with a law having classes start later in the morning, but SB 296 undoes that, leaving it up to local officials to decide when schools start.
The previous legislation, passed by lawmakers in 2023, required middle school classes to start after 8 a.m. and high school after 8:30 a.m. to give students more sleep, but many school boards expressed concerns with how those changes would affect their operations and after-school activities.
Districts can now avoid implementing those start times, as long as they submit reports to the Florida Department of Education that include information on the impacts and unintended consequences of starting classes later.
Those reports must be submitted no later than June 1, 2026.
“Pam Rock Act” ( HB 593 )
HB 593, also known as the “Pam Rock Act,” seeks to hold pet owners accountable for their “dangerous dogs.” It was named in honor of a mail carrier who was attacked and killed by a pack of dogs in 2022.
The law requires an animal that is being investigated as a “dangerous dog” to be confiscated and impounded. Owners will be notified if animal control decides to classify their dog as “dangerous” and will be required to obtain liability insurance of at least $100,000 and implant a microchip in the dog.
The bill also increases penalties for owners of “dangerous dogs” should their pet attack someone. An attack that results in severe injuries or death could land the owner with a second-degree felony.
HB 593 requires animal control to euthanize any dog that has killed or severely injured a person and has been surrendered to authorities.
Protections for historic buildings ( SB 582 )
This new law enacts further protections for historic buildings and structures in Florida. It allows code enforcement boards or private judges to impose fines above the limits specified in statute for the destruction of a structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
There must be substantial evidence that the destruction was “knowing and willful,” and was not permitted, and not the result of a natural disaster, according to the bill’s text. Fines are limited to no more than 20% of the fair market value of the property.
EpiPens and emergency plans in schools ( SB 1514 )
SB 1514 requires staff at Florida elementary and middle schools to be trained on how to use EpiPens or administer epinephrine in the event of a student having a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction.
The bill was championed by an Orange County mother whose 8-year-old son is severely allergic to dairy, peas, chickpeas and lentils. Sherry Isler told NBC affiliate WESH she’d tried to enroll her son in a before and after school program but was denied because the staff would not be able to administer his EpiPen in the event of an emergency.
“Food allergies are on the rise,” Isler said. “There’s an average of two kids in every single classroom with food allergies, so there’s no escaping it.”
The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Department of Health, must identify an approved training curriculum for staff by Oct. 1, 2025.
Click here to see a full list of the 99 new laws that will be going into effect July 1.
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