made passport renewals a lot easier. Applicants renewing their documents can submit their photo and payment online, bypassing the requirement to print out the documentation and submit it by mail.
DOZIER COMPENSATION Victims of the Dozier School for Boys and the Florida School for Boys at Okeechobee can now apply for compensation for the abuses they suffered while at the school. The program was established this year after the legislature appropriated $20 million from the state’s general revenue fund to compensate living persons who attended the Dozier or Okeechobee reform schools between 1940 and 1975.
TEEN TOBACCO USE Smoking by teens has dropped to an all-time low according to a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who began tracking teen tobacco use in 1999. Only 1.7 percent of high school students say they smoke cigarettes; 25 years ago, that number was 30 percent. The use of e-cigarettes has dropped to 6 percent and hookahs to 0.7 percent.
COVID-19 The Florida Department of Health issued updated guidance for health care providers, advising against getting new COVID-19 boosters ahead of the fall and winter seasons. This is in contrast to the Center for Disease Control recommendations.
STATE UNIVERSITIES Public universities throughout Florida are paring back on core courses to comply with 2023’s House Bill 266 which revised requirements for general education core courses. Curriculums may not include “identity politics” based on theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression and privilege are inherent in the United States. The law does not apply to elective courses.
JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW In August, the Jacksonville University College of Law opened its new 50,000 square-foot location in downtown Jacksonville’s historic former Atlantic Bank building. The college’s inaugural class will graduate in spring 2025. Currently, the law school has 86 students.