With the calendar rolling over to October, several new laws are going into effect.
Here are the bills that were recently passed and are now officially Florida law:
HB 205 - Unlawful Use of Uniforms, Medals, or Insignia - Prohibits certain misrepresentations concerning military service when made for specified purposes.
HB 333 - Bail Pending Appellate Review - Prohibits bail to specified offenders pending review following conviction for offense requiring sexual offender or sexual predator registration if victim was minor.
HB 387 - License Plate Fees - Providing for collection of a uniform annual use fee for a specialty license plate unless otherwise specified, etc.
HB 675 - Exposure of Sexual Organs - Increases criminal penalties for exposure of sexual organs for second or subsequent offense; authorizes warrantless arrests when law enforcement officer has probable cause to believe that person has unlawfully exposures sexual organs.
HB 915 - Commercial Service Airports - Directing the Auditor General to conduct specified audits of certain airports; requiring certain members of the governing body of a large-hub commercial service airport to comply with certain financial disclosure requirements; requiring the governing body of a municipality, county, or special district that operates a commercial service airport to establish and maintain a website; requiring the governing body to post or provide links to certain information on the website; requiring commercial service airports to comply with certain contracting requirements; requiring governing body members and employees of a commercial service airport to comply with certain ethics requirements; requiring the department to review such information and submit an annual report to the Governor and Legislature; prohibiting the expenditure of certain funds unless specified conditions are met, etc.
HB 1135 - License Plates - Authorizing election of a permanent registration period for certain vehicles if certain conditions are met; revising presale requirements for issuance of a specialty license plate; prohibiting annual use fees received by any entity from being used for certain purposes; requiring that certain documentation be on file with the department prior to the development of certain license plates, etc.
HB 7015 - OGSR/Body Camera Recordings- Removes scheduled repeal of exemption from public records requirements for body camera recordings.
HB 7019 - OGSR/Human Trafficking Victims - Removes scheduled repeal of exemption from public records requirements for certain criminal intelligence & criminal investigative information that reveal identity of certain human trafficking victims.
SB 294 - Crimes Against Veterans - Citing this act as the "Florida Veterans Protection Act"; providing an enhanced sentence for any person who commits aggravated white collar crimes against a certain number of veterans by obtaining or attempting to obtain a specified amount of money; providing criminal penalties, etc.
SB 680 - Shark Fins - Citing this act as the “Kristin Jacobs Ocean Conservation Act”; prohibiting the import, export, and sale of shark fins in this state; providing exceptions; requiring the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to evaluate the potential economic impacts to the commercial shark fishing industry in this state; requiring the commission to review the potential impact on shark populations; requiring a report to the Legislature by a specified date; authorizing the Legislature to impose a ban on the domestic production of shark fins based upon the findings of the report, etc.
SB 1286 - Contraband in Specified Facilities - Prohibiting the introduction of certain cannabis related substances, cellular telephones and other portable communication devices, and vapor-generating electronic devices inside specified facilities of the Department of Children and Families or of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities; providing criminal penalties; prohibiting the introduction of certain cannabis related substances and vapor-generating electronic devices inside a state correctional institution, etc.
