Florida Gov. DeSantis signs 8 bills into law | Here's what they are
By Malcolm Harvey
From giving courts more power in penalizing people at fault in certain hit-and-run crashes to requiring hospitals to conduct mandatory fentanyl testing in cases of suspected drug overdoses – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed eight bills into law on Tuesday.
The following is a list of the new eight laws, what they do and when they are set to take effect.
All 8 new laws going into effect
HB 157: Service of Process
This law deals with service of process, which is how legal documents are formally delivered to a party in a lawsuit. It also modifies the rules around service on businesses and non-residents, and impacts how process is served on entities in receivership.
The law is set to take effect Oct. 1, according to the bill's text.
Click here to read the full law.
HB 479: Leaving the Scene of a Crash Involving Only Damage to Vehicle or Property
This law amends Florida Statute 316.061, pertaining to leaving the scene of a crash involving only damage to a vehicle or property.
Now, a court may order a driver convicted of leaving the scene of a crash to pay restitution to the owner of the vehicle or property damaged in the crash.
The law is set to take effect Oct. 1, according to the bill's text.
Click here to read the full law.
HB 597: Diabetes Management in Schools
This law relates to diabetes management in schools. It authorizes school districts and schools to acquire and maintain a supply of undesignated glucagon, requires undesignated glucagon be stored in a secure location that is immediately accessible, authorizes school districts and schools to enter into agreements with manufacturers and suppliers to obtain glucagon free of charge or at a fair market or reduced price, and more.
The law is set to take effect July 1, according to the bill's text.
Click here to read the full law.
HB 615: Electronic Delivery of Notices Between Landlords and Tenants
This law relates to communication between landlords and tenants. It authorizes a landlord or tenant to deliver notices to the other party via email under certain conditions agreed upon in an addendum, authorizes a party to revoke his or her agreement to be notified via email without invalidating notices previously sent by email and more.
The law is set to take effect July 1, according to the bill's text.
Click here to read the full law.
HB 791: Surrendered Infants
This law revises the definition of "infant" in the Florida Constitution, defines "infant safety device," authorizes select hospitals, EMS stations and fire stations to use infant safety devices to accept surrendered infants if a device meets specified criteria and more.
The law is set to take effect July 1, according to the bill's text.
Click here to read the full law.
HB 1173: Florida Trust Code
This law specifies circumstances in which the attorney general has exclusive authority to represent certain interests relating to a charitable trust having its principal place of administration in Florida, prohibits certain public officers of another state from asserting such rights, amends Florida Statute 736.0106 and more.
The law is set to take effect "upon becoming a law," according to the bill's text.
Click here to read the full law.
HB 1195: Fentanyl Testing
This law requires hospitals or hospital-based off-campus emergency departments to test for fentanyl in urine tests and perform confirmation tests if urine test results are positive for fentanyl. It also requires specific results to be retained as part of a patient's clinical record for a certain timeframe.
The law, also referred to as "Gage's Law," is named after Gage Taylor, who passed away in 2022 due to an accidental fentanyl overdose and combat fentanyl-related deaths, Rep. Jennifer Harris said.
The law is set to take effect July 1, according to the bill's text.
Click here to read the full law.
HB 7003: A Review under the Open Government Sunset Review Act
This law amends a section of the Open Government Sunset Review Act, which provides an exemption from public record requirements for certain information held by the Office of Financial Regulation in Financial Technology Sandbox applications.
The law is set to take effect Oct. 1, according to the bill's text.