A gavel with the Floridan flag in the background. Photo: niroworld/Shutterstock.com
On January 1, 2025, nine new Florida laws will go into effect, ranging from prohibiting children under the age of 14 from having social media accounts to prohibiting them from pestering first responders.
Safeguarding Children Online
This law forbids regulated social media companies from granting accounts to anyone younger than 14. It permits 14 and 15-year-old kids to open accounts, but only with parental or guardian approval.
Additionally, the bill mandates that regulated social media companies delete accounts for users under the age of 14. It does, however, give account holders or their parents or guardians the ability to close their accounts.
Unless otherwise mandated by law, social media companies are expected to permanently destroy all personal data they may have about accounts that have been closed.
Putting first responders in danger
According to this rule, if a first responder in action warns someone not to approach, they must keep 25 feet away and refrain from:
hinder or obstruct the first responder’s capacity to carry out this responsibility
Make physical threats to the first responder.
Make fun of the first responder
Breaking the law is a second-degree misdemeanor.
Applications for Voter Registration
Only registered voters who designate and consent to the change in writing are permitted to change their party affiliation under this law.
Additionally, the law modifies the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ (DHSMV) voter registration responsibilities by:
Prohibiting the DHSMV from altering an applicant’s party affiliation when they are updating their voter registration record unless the applicant gives written permission to do so.
Requiring the DHSMV to give the applicant a printed receipt that contains the information they supplied for voter registration and records any changes to their party affiliation after confirming their information and obtaining their electronic signature.
Requiring the DHSMV to make sure that updates and technological procedures don’t change an applicant’s party affiliation without the applicant’s written approval.
Rules for Buildings
According to this law, local governments have deadlines for processing applications for building permits and informing applicants of any shortcomings.
The qualifying standards for taking a test to get certified as a building code inspector or plans examiner are also altered, among other things.
Under the Workers’ Compensation Law, Medical Care
This statute alters physician and surgical reimbursement allowances and raises the maximum amount that health care practitioners can be paid during a deposition.
Safeguarding of Specified Adults
For some persons (those 65 years of age or older or vulnerable adults) who have accounts with financial institutions and may be the targets of suspected financial exploitation, the law offers extra protection.
Claims for Dental Insurance
The bill modifies the Florida Insurance Code’s clauses pertaining to contractual agreements, covered dental services, and the payment of dental claims by a health insurance company, prepaid limited health service organization (PLHSO), or health maintenance organization (HMO).
Uniform Fiduciary Income and Principal Act of Florida
The Florida Uniform Fiduciary Income and Principal Act, which would replace the existing Florida Uniform and Principal Income Act, would do the following:
Makes it possible to invest for total return using the “modern portfolio theory.”
Allows for the creation of a unitrust from an existing trust.
Allows for greater customization in estate planning.
Reduces conflicts over jurisdiction by providing a controlling law provision.
Bonds for Private Activity
State laws pertaining to private activity bonds are updated under this bill. In addition to that, it outlines legislative aim to optimize the yearly utilization of private activity bonds for funding public projects, initiatives, and enhancements that enhance Floridians’ social and economic well-being; updates the bond allocation regions, pools, and schedules in order to streamline bond consumption and combine rarely utilized pools; permits all volume caps set in a confirmation to be carried forward, without restriction to particular project kinds or based on the confirmation’s quantity; substitutes an electronic application for the current procedures for requesting and allocating a volume cap. All notices and issuance reports will be filed online by the division rather than by certified or overnight mail.
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Melissa’s career in writing started more than 20 years ago. Today, she lives in South Florida with her husband and two boys.
