New Florida laws take effect in January, including from recent special session / SFPMA

New Florida laws take effect in January.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — The new year means a few new Florida laws will go into effect, after passage during the 2022 legislative session, as well as the bills passed in December’s special session.

Eight new laws go into effect on Jan. 1, 2023. Among the various bills’ effects, Floridians can expect changes to newborn healthcare, public notices, and ways to file taxes in 2023.

Arguably the least controversial is a bill that requires newborns to be tested for congenital cytomegalovirus within three weeks of birth. CMV is the most common infectious cause of birth defects in the United States.

The virus affects one in every 200 babies each year. Senate Bill 292, passed with widespread support in the March 2022 legislative session, aims to catch long term health problems that cmv causes like hearing and vision loss.

Also taking effect in January is a bill allowing local government agencies the option to publish legal notices on a publicly accessible website instead of in a print newspaper.

House Bill 7049 also takes effect Jan. 1, 2023, but hasn’t seen the uniform support that the newborn screening bill did. Lawmakers weighed in on the impacts.

“This is the most available legal notices will be for people in the history of Florida,” Sen. Jason Brodeur (R-Lake Mary).

However, former Sen. Gary Farmer (D-Broward), the former Senate minority leader, argued against the bill.

“The bottom line is the underlying intent of bills like this throughout the country are to weaken news outlets and close the vice grip of corporate control over the news,” Farmer said.

Another piece of legislation, Senate Bill 2514 allows more taxpayers to file taxes electronically by authorizing the Florida Department of Revenue to lower the payment threshold from $20,000 to $5,000.

Those were just a few of the laws going into effect next year. Also starting in January are the bills passed during the December special session of the legislature focused on property insurance, toll relief, and Hurricane disaster recovery.

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2022 Laws Already in Effect:

• HJR 1: Additional Homestead Property Tax Exemption for Specified Critical Public Service Workforce
• SB 58: Relief of Yeilyn Quiroz Otero by Miami-Dade County
• SB 70: Relief of Donna Catalano by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
• SB 74: Relief of Harry Augustin Shumow/Public Health Trust of Miami-Dade County, d/b/a Jackson Memorial Hospital
• SB 80: Relief of Christeia Jones/Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
• SB 96: Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund
• SB 98: Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund
• SB 156: Loss Run Statements
• HB 159: Pub. Rec./Lottery Winners
• SB 282: Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
• SB 288: Electronic Dissemination of Commercial Recordings and Audiovisual Works
• SB 350: Procedures for Petitions for Utility Rate Relief
• HB 395: “Victims of Communism Day”
• HB 397: Court Fiscal Administration
• SB 364: Specialty License Plates
• SB 430: Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children
• SB 434: Florida Tourism Marketing
• SB 438: United States Space Force
• HB 455: Rupert J Smith Law Library, St. Lucie County
• HB 457: St. Lucie County
• HB 461: Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program Student Service Requirements
• HB 471: Town of Lake Clarke Shores, Palm Beach County
• SB 494: Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
• HB 513: Comprehensive Review Study of the Central and Southern Florida Project
• SB 514: Substitution of Work Experience for Postsecondary Educational Requirements
• SB 518: Private Property Rights to Prune, Trim, and Remove Trees
• SB 520: Public Records and Public Meetings
• SB 524: Election Administration
• SB 534: Prescription Drugs Used in the Treatment of Schizophrenia for Medicaid Recipients
• HB 535: Barefoot Bay Recreation District, Brevard County
• HB 539: Nursing Home Financial Reporting
• SB 542: Evidentiary Standards for Actions Arising During an Emergency
• HB 543: Uterine Fibroid Research and Education
• SB 544: Drug-related Overdose Prevention
• SB 566: Mental Health Professional Licensure
• SB 638: Early Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot Program
• SB 704: Substance Abuse Service Providers
• HB 749: Fraud Prevention
• SB 846: Florida Statutes
• SB 848: Florida Statutes
• SB 850: Florida Statutes
• SB 852: Florida Statutes
• HB 873: Pub. Rec./Execution Information
• HB 893: Child Welfare Placements
• HB 895: Lakewood Ranch Stewardship District, Manatee and Sarasota Counties
• HB 925: Benchmark Replacements for London Interbank Offered Rate
• SB 926: Licensure Examinations for Dental Practitioners
• HB 927: Downtown Crystal River Entertainment District, Citrus County
• HB 929: City of West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County
• SB 934: Public Records/Homelessness Counts and Information Systems
• SB 962: Residential Development Projects for Affordable Housing
• SB 968: Individual Retirement Accounts
• SB 988: In-person Visitation
• HB 993: Sebring Airport Authority, Highlands County
• HB 1045: West Villages Improvement District, Sarasota County
• SB 1046: Public Records/Law Enforcement Geolocation Information
• HB 1047: Cedar Hammock Fire Control District, Manatee County
• SB 1048: Student Assessments
• HB 1057: Evidence of Vendor Financial Stability
• SB 1058: Property Insurer Reimbursements
• SB 1062: Service of Process
• SB 1078: Soil and Water Conservation Districts
• HB 1103: North River Ranch Improvement Stewardship District, Manatee County
• HB 1105: Lake County Water District, Lake County
• HB 1107: City of Inverness, Citrus County
• HB 1135: Santa Rosa County
• HB 1189: Firefighters’ Relief and Pension Fund of the City of Pensacola, Escambia County
• SB 1222: Acute and Post-acute Hospital Care at Home
• HB 1231: East Lake Tarpon Community, Pinellas County
• SB 1239: Nursing Homes
• SB 1380: Real Property Rights
• HB 1423: City of Edgewood, Orange County
• HB 1427: Hillsborough County Aviation Authority
• HB 1429: City of Ocala, Marion County
• HB 1431: City of Apopka, Orange County
• HB 1433: Orange County
• HB 1435: Code and Traffic Enforcement
• HB 1475: Cleanup of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
• HB 1495: Immokalee Water and Sewer District, Collier County
• HB 1497: City of Jacksonville, Duval County
• HB 1499: City of Key West, Monroe County
• HB 1563: Homestead Property Tax Exemptions for Classroom Teachers, Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters, Emergency Medical Technicians, Paramedics, Child Welfare Professionals, and Servicemembers
• HB 1581: Jackson County Sheriff’s Office
• HB 1583: Emerald Coast Utilities Authority, Escambia County
• HB 1591: Hernando County
• SB 1614: Public Records/Motor Vehicle Crashes/Traffic Citations
• SB 1658: Executive Appointments
• SB 1808: Immigration Enforcement
• SB 2516: Office of the Judges of Compensation Claims
• HB 6513: Relief/Kareem Hawari/Osceola County School Board
• SB 7014: Civil Liability for Damages Relating to COVID-19
• HB 7027: The Judicial Branch

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Taking Effect in July:

• HB 3: Law Enforcement
• HB 5: Reducing Fetal and Infant Mortality
• HB 7: Individual Freedom
• HB 31: Firefighter Inquiries and Investigations
• HB 45: Educational Opportunities for Disabled Veterans
• HB 105: Regulation of Smoking By Counties and Municipalities
• SB 144: Identification Cards
• SB 160: Transportation-related Facility Designations
• HB 173: Care of Students with Epilepsy or Seizure Disorders
• HB 195: Juvenile Diversion Program Expunction
• SB 196: Florida Housing Finance Corporation
• HB 197: Pub. Rec./Nonjudicial Arrest Record of a Minor
• SB 222: Swimming Pool Specialty Contracting Services
• SB 224: Regulation of Smoking in Public Places
• HB 225: Charter School Charters
• SB 226: Care for Retired Police Dogs
• SB 235: Restraint of Students with Disabilities in Public Schools
• SB 236: Children with Developmental Delays
• SB 254: Religious Institutions
• HB 255: Private Instructional Personnel Providing Applied Behavior Analysis Services
• SB 266: Motor Vehicle Insurance
• SB 282: Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
• SB 288: Electronic Dissemination of Commercial Recordings and Audiovisual Works
• SB 312: Telehealth
• SB 350: Procedures for Petitions for Utility Rate Relief
• SB 352: Construction Liens
• HB 357: Pharmacies and Pharmacy Benefit Managers
• HB 375: Structural Engineering Recognition Program for Professional Engineers
• HB 381: Breach of Bond Costs
• HB 397: Court Fiscal Administration
• SB 418: Assistive Technology Advisory Council
• HB 423: Building Regulation
• SB 442: Powers of Land Authorities
• HB 453: Officer and Firefighter Physical Examination Requirements and Records
• SB 454: Florida Commission on Offender Review
• HB 469: Patient Care in Health Care Facilities
• SB 474: Recreational Off-highway Vehicles
• HB 481: Temporary Underground Power Panels
• HB 459: Step-therapy Protocols
• HB 469: Patient Care in Health Care Facilities
• SB 514: Substitution of Work Experience for Postsecondary Education Requirements
• SB 518: Private Property Rights to Prune, Trim, and Remove Trees
• SB 534: Prescription Drugs Used in the Treatment of Schizophrenia for Medicaid Recipients
• HB 539: Nursing Home Financial Reporting
• SB 542 Evidentiary Standards for Actions Arising During an Emergency
• HB 543: Uterine Fibroid Research and Education
• SB 544: Drug-related Overdose Prevention
• SB 562: Military Occupational Licensure
• HB 593: Telecommunicator Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
• SB 596: Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsels
• SB 598: Public Records/Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel Office
• SB 606: Boating Safety
• HB 615: Human Trafficking
• HB 631: Airport Funding
• SB 632: Occupational Therapy
• SB 634: Judicial Notice
• HB 689: Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
• SB 706: School Concurrency
• SB 722: Education for Student Inmates
• SB 752: Probationary or Supervision Services for Misdemeanor Offenders
• SB 758: Education
• SB 768: Department of Health
• SB 806: Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Forms of Dementia Education and Public Awareness
• HB 817: Emergency Medical Care and Treatment to Minors Without Parental Consent
• HB 837: Hurricane Loss Mitigation Program
• SB 838: Fire Investigators
• SB 854: Florida Statutes
• HB 855: Managed Care Plan Performance
• SB 856: Private Provider Inspections of Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems
• SB 882: Inventories of Critical Wetlands
• SB 896: Educator Certification Pathways for Veterans
• SB 898: Lodging Standards
• HB 899: Mental Health of Students
• HB 909: Pollution Control Standards and Liability
• SB 914: Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
• HB 915: Commercial Motor Vehicle Registration
• HB 921: Campaign Financing
• HB 959: Department of Financial Services
• HB 963: Funding for Sheriffs
• HB 965: Environmental Management
• HB 967: Golf Course Best Management Practices Certification
• SB 1000: Nutrient Application Rates
• SB 1006: State Symbols
• SB 1012: Victims of Crimes
• HB 1023: Insolvent Insurers
• SB 1038: Florida Seaport Transportation and economic Development Council
• SB 1048: Student Assessments
• SB 1054: Financial Literacy Instruction in Public Schools
• HB 1097: Florida Citrus
• HB 1099: Living Organ Donors in Insurance Policies
• SB 1110: Grease Waste Removal and Disposal
• HB 1119: Grandparent Visitation Rights
• SB 1140: Alarm Systems
• SB 1186: Agritourism
• SB 1190: Two-way Radio Communication Enhancement Systems
• HB 1209: Administration of Vaccines
• SB 1222: Acute and Post-acute Hospital Care at Home
• SB 1236: County and Municipal Detention Facilities
• SB 1244: Statutes of Limitation for Offenses Relating to Sexual Performance by a Child
• SB 1246: County and Municipal Detention Facilities
• HB 1249: Treatment of Defendants Adjudicated Incompetent to Stand Trial
• SB 1262: Mental Health and Substance Abuse
• SB 1304: Public Records/Trust Proceedings
• HB 1349: Guardianship Data Transparency
• SB 1360: Governor’s Medal of Freedom
• SB 1368: Trusts
• SB 1374: Clinical Laboratory Testing
• HB 1411: Floating Solar Facilities
• HB 1421: School Safety
• SB 1432: Vessel Anchoring
• HB 1445: OGSR/Dependent Eligibility Information/DMS, contingent upon SB 7026
• HB 1467: K-12 Education
• HB 1469: Transportation Facility Designations
• SB 1474: Online Training for Private Security Officers
• SB 1502: Estates and Trusts
• SB 1526: Public Records/Annuity Contract Payees
• SB 1552: Direct-support Organization for the Florida Prepaid College Board
• HB 1557: Parental Rights in Education
• HB 1577: Homeless Youth
• SB 1680: Financial Institutions
• SB 1712: Veteran Suicide Prevention Training Pilot Program
• SB 1764: Municipal Solid Waste-to-Energy Program
• SB 1770: Donor Human Milk Bank Services
• SB 1844: Mental Health and Substance Abuse
• SB 1950: Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Program
• SB 2510: Florida Gaming Control Commission
• SB 2518: Information Technology
• SB 2524: Education
• SB 2526: Health
• SB 2530: Motor Vehicle Title Fees
• HB 5001: General Appropriations Act
• HB 5003: Implementing the 2022-2023 General Appropriations Act
• HB 5005: Collective Bargaining
• HB 5007: State-administered Retirement Systems
• HB 5009: State Group Insurance Program
• HB 5301: Capitol Complex
• SB 7026: OGSR/Dependent Eligibility Verification Services
• HB 7029: Time Limitations for Preadjudicatory Juvenile Detention Care
• SB 7034: Child Welfare
• SB 7036: Lifeline Telecommunications Service
• SB 7044: Postsecondary Education
• HB 7053: Statewide Flooding and Sea Level Rise Resilience
• HB 7055: Cybersecurity
• HB 7057: Pub. Rec. and Meetings/Cybersecurity, contingent upon HB 7055
• HB 7065: Child Welfare
• HB 7071: Taxation

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Laws Taking Effect in 2023

• HB 273: Money Services Businesses, takes effect Jan. 1, 2023
• SB 292: Newborn Screenings, takes effect Jan. 1, 2023
• SB 336: Uniform Commercial Code, takes effect Jan. 1, 2023
• SB 754: Mobile Home Registration Periods, takes effect Sept. 1, 2023
• HB 7049: Legal Notices, takes effect Jan. 1, 2023