The following bills have been signed by Governor DeSantis:
FIREFIGHTERS Sixteen years after initial introduction of a version of this bill, legislation passed which requires employers to provide cancer insurance to firefighters and death benefits to the surviving families.
SERVICE ANIMALS This bill strengthens penalties for people who willfully injure or kill dogs or horses that work with first responders, and increases potential prison time from five to 15 years.
MEDICAL MARIJUANA Fulfilling a campaign promise of the Governor, the Legislature passed a bill early in session that allows smokeable medical marijuana for patients 18 and older, resolving a dispute over the intent of the 2016 Medical Marijuana Act constitutional amendment.
EDUCATION School Choice Senate Bill 7070, which passed largely along party lines, expanded school choice and scholarship opportunities, and created the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program. It also made changes to the Best and Brightest Teacher and Principal bonus program; and eased testing requirements for teacher certification. The Legislature set aside $250,000 for legal fees, anticipating that aspects of the bill will be challenged in court.
School Safety A school safety bill, which carries out the recommendations of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, passed, but not without controversy and hours of debate. In addition to expanding mental health services, the legislation allows school districts to decide if they wish to permit classroom teachers to voluntarily carry firearms. Other components of the bill include: expanding access to school guardians by allowing private schools and charter schools to employ them; increasing information-sharing among schools and school districts by requiring schools to transfer student records, including mental and behavioral records maintained by the school; and requiring schools to consult with law enforcement when an act poses a threat to school safety.