New Florida Laws

Prohibiting a person, a state agency, or a political subdivision from using a drone to capture an image of privately owned real property or of the owner, tenant, occupant, invitee, or licensee of such property with the intent to conduct surveillance without his or her written consent if a reasonable expectation of privacy exists; authorizing the use of a drone by a person or entity engaged in a business or profession licensed by the state in certain circumstances, etc.

Adds certain substances to Schedule I list of controlled substances; reenacts provisions.

Prohibiting electronic benefits transfer cards from being used or accepted to purchase an alcoholic beverage; providing requirements for a licensed manufacturer of malt beverages to sell such beverages directly to consumers; authorizing a licensed manufacturer, distributor, or importer of malt beverages to conduct a malt beverage tasting, etc.

Providing that certain local governments are not required to amend their comprehensive plans or maintain a work plan under certain circumstances; providing that conservation easements may be based on digital orthophotography prepared by licensed surveyor and mapper and may include a right of adjustment subject to certain requirements; subdividing the state into specified geographic regions for the purpose of regional comprehensive planning, etc.

Florida College System Boards of Trustees; Amending provisions relating to the membership requirements for the Florida College System institution boards of trustees; requiring the St. Johns River State College board to have a specified number of trustees; providing for staggered terms of board members, etc.

Providing that certain local governments are not required to amend their comprehensive plans or maintain a work plan under certain circumstances; providing that conservation easements may be based on digital orthophotography prepared by licensed surveyor and mapper and may include a right of adjustment subject to certain requirements; subdividing the state into specified geographic regions for the purpose of regional comprehensive planning, etc.

Providing for the effect and enforceability of orders of no contact as a part of pretrial release; requiring that the defendant receive a copy of the order of no contact prior to release; specifying acts prohibited by a no contact order, etc.

Revising methods by which a labor pool is required to compensate day laborers; requiring a labor pool to provide certain notice before a day laborer’s first pay period; specifying requirements for a labor pool that selects to compensate a day laborer by payroll debit card; authorizing a labor pool to deliver a wage statement electronically upon request by the day laborer, etc.

Providing an exemption from public records requirements for e- mail addresses collected by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles; providing for future review and repeal of the exemption; providing a statement of public necessity, etc.

Providing an exemption from public records requirements for e-mail addresses obtained by a tax collector for the purpose of electronically sending certain tax notices or obtaining the consent of a taxpayer for electronic transmission of certain tax notices; providing for future review and repeal of the exemption; providing a statement of public necessity, etc.

Revising the list of officials who are prohibited from being falsely personated; prohibiting the sale or transfer of specified badges bearing in any manner or combination the words “fire department” and the ownership or operation of vehicles marked or identified by the words “fire department”, etc.

Authorizing certain veterans to provide the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles alternative documentation for renewal or replacement of a disabled parking permit, etc.

Regulation of Health Care Facilities and Services; Revising the information that a home health agency is required to submit to the Agency for Health Care Administration for license renewal; removing the requirement that a home health agency submit quarterly reports; providing an exemption from a certificate-of-need review for applicants that were previously licensed within a specified period as a health care facility or provider and that meet certain criteria; providing an exception for an applicant whose license expired during a specified time period to apply for an exemption from the review, etc.

Providing additional forms for the mandatory offer of nonforfeiture benefits in long-term care insurance policies, etc.

Revising the definition of the term “expenditure”; specifying that the term does not include use of a public facility or public property that is made available by a governmental entity to a legislator for a public purpose, to exempt such use from legislative lobbying requirements, etc.

Providing a procedure for adopting or humanely disposing of impounded stray livestock, except cattle, as an alternative to sale or auction; requiring a county animal control center to establish fees and be responsible for damages caused while impounding livestock; authorizing certain municipal animal control officers to take custody of an animal found neglected or cruelly treated or to order the owner of such an animal to provide certain care at the owner’s expense, etc.

Deleting a requirement that the division issue a regular newsletter to certain parties which addresses local and state bonds, etc.

Revising legislative intent with respect to citizen ombudsmen; deleting references to ombudsman councils and transferring their responsibilities to representatives of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program; revising the duties and authority of the state ombudsman; requiring the state ombudsman to designate and direct program districts; providing conditions under which a representative of the program could be found to have a conflict of interest, etc.

Revising the methods available for verifying documents; defining the term “reliable electronic means”; authorizing specified officers to administer oaths by reliable electronic means when engaged in the performance of official duties, etc.

Creates City of Panacea; provides city charter; provides for council-manager form of government; provides for city council; requires referendum.

Authorizing the court, if costs and attorney fees are to be paid from the estate under specified sections of law, to direct payment from a certain part of the estate or, under specified circumstances, to direct payment from a trust; requiring a personal representative to be removed and the letters of administration revoked if he or she was not qualified to act at the time of appointment; providing that a governing instrument may not direct that taxes be paid from property other than property passing under the governing instrument, except under specified conditions, etc.

Creating the “Computer Abuse and Data Recovery Act”; prohibiting a person from intentionally committing specified acts without authorization with respect to a protected computer; specifying remedies for civil actions brought by persons affected by a violation; providing that the act does not prohibit specified activity by certain state, federal, and foreign law enforcement agencies, regulatory agencies, and political subdivisions, etc.

Adopts 2015 version of Internal Revenue Code; incorporates reference to recent federal act into state law for purpose of defining “adjusted federal income”; revises treatment by this state of certain depreciation & expensing of assets that are allowed for federal income tax purposes; authorizes DOR to adopt emergency rules; provides retroactive applicability.

Designating counties and municipalities as traffic enforcement agencies for purposes of the section and prohibiting them from establishing traffic citation quotas; requiring a county or municipality to submit a report of its traffic citation revenue and its expenses for operating a law enforcement agency during a fiscal year to the Legislative Auditing Committee under certain circumstances, etc.

Providing requirements for transitional living facility policies and procedures governing client admission, transfer, and discharge; prohibiting a licensee or employee of a facility from serving notice upon a client to leave the premises or taking other retaliatory action under certain circumstances; providing a penalty for certain misuse of a client’s personal funds, property, or personal needs allowance; requiring the agency, the Department of Health, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, and the Department of Children and Families to develop electronic information systems for certain purposes, etc.

Requiring a resident of a licensed facility to be assessed for eligibility for pneumococcal vaccination or revaccination by a specified date and, if indicated, to be vaccinated or revaccinated by a specified date, etc.