Florida’s Newest Laws That Impact You
Bottom Line: It’s always been the case in Florida that most of our state’s new laws kick in on July 1st – the date of Florida’s new fiscal year. But the second most prominent day for new laws is January 1st. The new year featured several new laws that will have a meaningful impact on many Floridians. Key among those now in force which will impact you are a mix of laws which were passed in last years’ state legislative session and one which was just passed in December’s special legislative session addressing Florida’s property insurance crisis – again. Hopefully they were able to stick the landing this time. Let’s take a closer look at the five which will likely have the biggest impact on you.
- Toll Relief: The new legislation provides a 50% break on tolls for drivers who accumulate 35 or more Florida tolls within a month – this pilot program will last for one year
- Legal Notices: Local government notices are now able to be legally posted on county websites, in lieu of publishing in newspapers
- Property Insurance: Ends the practice of assignment of benefits, where property owners can sign the rights for property insurance claims over to third parties. The rule change applies to all new property insurance policies as of January 1st. The law also ends one-way attorney fees and forces increased responsiveness to claims by insurance companies. There will also be increased state oversight of insurance companies' handling of claims following hurricanes.
- Miya’s Law/Lodging Standards: The law requires apartment landlords to conduct background checks on all employees.
- Parental Rights in Education: As part of landmark legislation passed last year there was a phased-in provision whereby all public-school library staff are to undergo training regarding age-appropriate reading materials.