TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The 2025 Legislative Session is less than two months away, and lawmakers are already busy filing bills that could become law later this year.
These pieces of legislation cover a wide variety of subjects, including gun ownership, charter schools, business practices and affordable housing.
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As of Friday, there have already been nearly 140 bills filed. You can find the full list here.
But below is a list of the 37 new bills that were filed last week — from Jan. 6 through Jan. 10.
NOTE: In order for a bill to pass the Florida Legislature, for the most part, there needs to be a bill in each chamber — the Florida House and the Florida Senate. In the end, only one bill is passed and becomes law. So while you may see two bills that appear to be the same, that’s just part of the procedure for passing a bill.
HB 101 — Hearing Aids
House Bill 101 seeks to let consumers in Florida receive prescription hearing aids through the mail.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
HB 103 — Smoke Protection
House Bill 103 would require hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to use smoke evacuation systems during surgical procedures that could produce surgical smoke.
Surgical smoke is a byproduct of things like lasers and electrosurgical devices often used during surgery, and a “smoke evacuation system” entails equipment that can capture surgical smoke before it makes contact with someone’s eyes or respiratory tract.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1, though the requirements would have to be implemented in these medical centers by Jan. 1, 2026.
HB 105 — Thoroughbred Permitholders
House Bill 105 would remove requirements that a thoroughbred permitholder must conduct live racing.
In addition, the bill would remove certain slot machine licensure requirements for thoroughbred permitholders.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
HB 107 — Chanda Cheeseborough Bridge
House Bill 107 seeks to designate the “Chanda Cheeseborough Ribault River Bridge” in Duval County.
More specifically, the designation would apply to the bridge on Moncrief Road West over Ribault River.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
HB 109 — Early Voting Sites
House Bill 109 would allow photography in polling rooms or early voting areas so long as the area is not considered “open.”
For the purposes of the bill, polling rooms and early voting areas would be considered open until any elector who is in line has been allowed to cast a vote. The bill would not remove a provision in state law allowing voters to photograph their own ballots.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
HB 111 — Sales Tax Exemption
House Bill 111 seeks to create a sales tax exemption for disabled veterans.
Under this bill, such veterans would have to apply to the state for a tax-exemption certificate to be eligible.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
HB 113 — Fleeing From Law Enforcement
House Bill 113 seeks to amend state statutes regarding the crime of fleeing or trying to elude a law enforcement officer.
The bill would reclassify these violations of the law as follows:
| No. of Offenses | Level of Offense Severity Ranking |
|---|---|
| First Offense | Ranked in Level 7 |
| Second Offense | Ranked in Level 8 |
| Third Offense Onward | Ranked in Level 9 |
If approved, the bill would take effect on Oct. 1.
HB 115 — Clinical Laboratory Personnel
House Bill 115 seeks to remove the following provisions from state law:
- Requirements that the DOH conduct examinations for clinical lab personnel testing and register clinical lab trainees
- A requirement that the Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel approve training curricula for licensing clinical lab personnel
- Provisions about approving lab personnel training programs
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
HB 117 — Consumer Protection
House Bill 117 involves people who provide home repair services for money without a license.
Under the bill, such vendors must apply for a permit within two weeks after receiving payment and begin work within 14 days of receiving the proper permit.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
HB 119 — Free School Meals
House Bill 119 seeks to establish a “universal free school breakfast and lunch program” across the state.
The program would offer breakfast and lunch meals to all public school students in grades K-12 at no cost to the students or their families.
In doing so, the bill would require school districts statewide to participate in the National School Breakfast and School Lunch Programs.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
HB 121 — Grandparent Visitation Rights
House Bill 121 seeks to let grandparents of minor children petition a court for visitation with their respective grandchild.
Under this bill, grandparents could make such a petition when the child’s parent is dead, missing or in a “persistent vegetative state” and if:
- The child lived in the same household as the grandparent for at least six months during the 12-month period immediately preceding the parent’s death, disappearance or vegetative state.
- The child didn’t live in the same household as the other parent for at least six months during that preceding 12-month period.
- Eliminating the child’s contact with the grandparent would pose a substantial threat to the child’s well-being.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
HB 123 — Charter Schools
House Bill 123 seeks to amend state statutes regarding charter schools.
More specifically, the bill would revise who can apply for a conversion charter school from district school boards, principals and teachers, to parents whose children are enrolled in public school.
In addition, a municipality located in a school district that has received a grade below “A” from the state over five consecutive years would be allowed to seek a charter.
If approved, the charter would be designated a “job engine charter,” the school of which would be responsible for attracting “job-producing entities” to the municipality.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
HB 125 — Religious Colleges
House Bill 125 seeks to amend state statutes regarding the list of institutions that fall outside the purview of the Commission for Independent Education.
More specifically, the bill aims to bring religious colleges under the commission’s jurisdiction “to prohibit the granting of false or misleading educational credentials.”
If approved, the bill would take effect on Oct. 1.
HB 127 — Exceptional Student Education
House Bill 127 seeks to establish a workforce credential program for students with autism.
Under this bill, the state’s DOE would have until Jan. 31, 2026 to develop the program, which would help students with autism find employment after graduation.
“The program must allow for such students to earn badges that designate that the students have acquired specific skills that meet employer needs,” the bill reads.
Each of those badges would require the student to demonstrate five discrete skills or behaviors, such as workplace safety.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
HB 129 — Florida Pesticide Law
House Bill 129 seeks to prohibit product liability actions under the Florida Pesticide Law.
The exceptions to this rule include situations where a distributor, dealer, applicator, registrant or agricultural employer:
- “Exercised substantial control” over the creation of a product that led to the alleged harm
- Modified the product, which was a substantial factor behind the alleged harm
- Mishandled or misused the product, which caused the alleged harm
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
HB 131 — Dense Breast Tissue Screenings
House Bill 131 involves patients who’ve been found to have dense breast tissue in a mammography report.
Under this bill, such patients could receive an ultrasound or other additional screening tests without first having a conventional mammogram.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
HB 133 — Public Accountants
House Bill 133 seeks to amend state statutes involving licensure for certified public accountants.
The bill would add some additional educational provisions for CPA licensure, with coursework requirements prescribed by the Board of Accountancy.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
HB 135 — Educational Dollars for Duty Program
House Bill 135 seeks to establish an “Educational Dollars for Duty Program.”
Under this bill, the program would set aside $500,000 each fiscal year to give financial assistance for up to 50% of tuition to spouses and children of active duty military members with the Florida National Guard.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
HB 137 — HOA Ombudsman
House Bill 137 seeks to create the Office of the HOA Ombudsman, with an ombudsman appointed by the governor to investigate potential maladministration.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
HB 6503 — Employee Crash Victim
House Bill 6503 seeks to provide relief to Mande Penney-Lemmon, a woman whose vehicle was struck from behind by an employee of Sarasota County in 2018.
According to the bill, Penney-Lemmon was driving her car at the time, and the impact caused “significant physical and neurological injuries.”
As a result, the bill would authorize Sarasota County to pay over $2.2 million to Penney-Lemmon as compensation.
If approved, the bill would take effect immediately.
HB 6505 — Tractor Crash Victim
House Bill 6505 seeks to provide relief for the estate of Mark LaGatta, a man who was critically injured after a crash with a tractor in 2020.
According to the bill, LaGatta and his daughter had been lawfully riding a motorcycle together on State Road 24 in Levy County, with his daughter as the passenger.
LaGatta came upon a work zone along the highway that was repairing sinkhole damage, and a flagger directed him into the eastbound lane to continue on, the bill states.
However, a state employee operating a tractor with a box-blade attachment backed up into the lane directly ahead of LaGatta, causing a crash that severely injured LaGatta’s legs.
Afterward, LaGatta’s left leg had to be amputated, he underwent several surgeries, and he was placed into a medically induced coma, per the legislation. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, none of his children was allowed to visit him in the hospital.
LaGatta later died in 2024 after being awarded over $2 million in a civil case against the county.
As a result, the bill would provide over $2 million to LaGatta’s estate as compensation.
If approved, the bill would take effect immediately.
SB 142 — Public Employees Using Marijuana
Senate Bill 142 seeks to prohibit public employers from disciplining workers or job applicants due to their use of medical marijuana, just so long as the person in question is a qualified patient.
However, the bill provides exceptions for situations where an employee’s use of medical marijuana may impair their ability to work.
If approved, the bill would take effect immediately.
SB 144 — Same-Sex Marriage
Senate Bill 144 seeks to delete a state statute which maintains that the state of Florida doesn’t recognize same-sex marriages.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
SB 146 — Parental Rights
Senate Bill 146 would prohibit a court from denying or restricting a parent’s visitation rights solely due to being a qualified marijuana-using patient.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
SB 148 — Legal Representation
Senate Bill 148 would prohibit the Department of Legal Affairs from entering into a legal representation contract until the attorney general has determined that the representation is both cost-effective and in the public’s interest.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
SB 150 — Animal Cruelty
Senate Bill 150 seeks to amend state statutes regarding animal cruelty.
Under this bill, if someone commits animal cruelty during a declared state of emergency, it would constitute a third-degree felony.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
SB 152 — Smoke Protection
Senate Bill 152 would require hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to use smoke evacuation systems during surgical procedures that could produce surgical smoke.
Surgical smoke is a byproduct of things like lasers and electrosurgical devices often used during surgery, and a “smoke evacuation system” entails equipment that can capture surgical smoke before it makes contact with someone’s eyes or respiratory tract.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1, though the requirements would have to be implemented in these medical centers by Jan. 1, 2026.
SB 154 — Commission on Human Relations
Senate Bill 154 would delete a requirement that the Florida Commission on Human Relations send certain information to people via registered mail.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
SB 156 — Safe Waterways Act
Senate Bill 156 — dubbed the “Safe Waterways Act” — would transfer certain obligations from the Department of Health to the Department of Environmental Protection.
These duties relate to the bacteriological sampling of beach waters and public bathing places.
If approved, the bill would take effect immediately.
SB 158 — Breast Exams
Senate Bill 158 aims to prohibit the group insurance program for state workers from imposing any cost-sharing requirement on an employee over diagnostic or supplemental breast exams.
If approved, the bill would take effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
SB 160 — Public Accountants
Senate Bill 160 seeks to amend state statutes involving licensure for certified public accountants.
The bill would add some additional educational provisions for CPA licensure, with coursework requirements prescribed by the Board of Accountancy.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
SB 162 — Consumer Finance Loans
Senate Bill 162 aims to prohibit people from using devices or schemes to evade the requirements of the state’s consumer finance statutes.
This includes actions like arranging for a borrower to obtain a consumer finance loan with a higher rate of interest than authorized by state law (18% per annum) by use of mail, phone or the Internet.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
SB 184 — Affordable Housing
Senate Bill 184 would require — rather than simply permit — local governments to allow accessory dwelling units without any corresponding increase in parking requirements.
This rule wouldn’t apply to a planned unit development or master planned community, though.
In addition, the bill would establish a mezzanine finance model program to push local housing authorities to stimulate the supply of affordable housing for owner occupancy. The Florida Housing Finance Corporation would be responsible for selecting the counties in which to implement the program.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
SB 186 — Storing Firearms in Cars
Senate Bill 186 seeks to establish a new misdemeanor regarding firearms storage.
According to the legislation, anyone who leaves his/her gun — whether loaded or unloaded — or ammo in his/her vehicle while not actually being in the car would be required to keep the firearm/ammo locked inside a secure area like the trunk or glove box.
Under this bill, someone who violated this rule could be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor.
If approved, the bill would take effect immediately.
SB 188 — Firearms in Sensitive Locations
Senate Bill 188 aims to prohibit the possession or use of firearms in a “sensitive location.”
According to the bill, a “sensitive location” includes the following areas:
- Health care facilities
- Government buildings and schools
- Parks, playgrounds and recreational facilities
- Churches and other places of worship
- Public libraries
- Homeless shelters
- Bars or cannabis vendors
- Museums, stadiums, theaters and concerts
Under this bill, anyone who violates the rule could be charged with a second-degree felony.
If approved, the bill would take effect on Oct. 1.
SB 190 — Storing Handguns in Cars
Senate Bill 190 seeks to amend state statutes regarding firearm storage.
Under this bill, owners would not be allowed to store a handgun — regardless of whether it’s loaded — in their car unless it’s out of view and properly secured, such as through being locked in a trunk or glove box.
In addition, HB 15 requires each county in the state to adopt an ordinance that would sanction parents whose underage children are discovered stealing a handgun from someone’s vehicle. These sanctions can include parent education classes, community service, and/or family counseling.
If approved, the bill would take effect immediately.
SB 192 — Revenue Administration
Senate Bill 192 seeks to prohibit the levy of non-ad valorem assessments on agricultural lands under certain circumstances.
In addition, the bill specifies that non-ad valorem assessments may become delinquent and bear penalties just like county taxes. The bill would also allow for non-ad valorem assessments to be levied to pay certain issued bonds.
If approved, the bill would take effect on July 1.
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