CLAY COUNTY – One of the most productive legislative sessions in Florida history resulted in nearly 150 new laws – most of which took effect on Friday, July 1.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the …
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CLAY COUNTY – One of the most productive legislative sessions in Florida history resulted in nearly 150 new laws – most of which took effect on Friday, July 1.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the $116.5 billion budget on June 15, which included nearly $54.3 million for Clay County projects. The budget included record spending, which was offset by unexpectedly higher state tax revenues and federal stimulus money. It also included $2.7 billion in tax relief for families dealing with high inflation.
Some of the new laws included:
• The creation of a series of sales tax holidays for back-to-school clothes and supplies.
• The “Stop WOKE Act” that restricts how race-related concepts are taught in schools and training classes.
• Replacing the Florida Standards Assessments testing with three exams each year.
• Created a 12-year term limit on school board members.
• Prohibiting sexual orientation and gender identity studies from kindergarten-through-third grade. It also requires instruction to be age appropriate in older grades.
• Requires state universities and colleges to re-evaluate accreditation and tenures of professors at the end of each accreditation cycle.
• Requires financial literacy be taught in high school.
• Prevents abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
• Expands the authority of physicians to prescribe controlled substances through telemedicine.
• Offers $5,000 bonuses for law enforcement offers and other first responders.
• Dissolved Walt Disney Company’s Reedy Creek Improvement District and five other districts in the state as the result of Disney’s opposition to laws about gender identity and sexual orientation.
• Prohibits municipalities from making payments related to ransomware attacks.
• Expands the ability of minors to have their criminal records expunged if they complete a diversion program, as long as they weren’t involved in a forcible felony that includes the manufacturing, purchase, transport, possession or use of firearms.
• Requires landlords to complete background checks of all employees.
• Requires special training for school librarians and media specialists who select library material to ensure they are “age appropriate.”