HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — On Oct. 1, a slew of new laws go into effect in Florida. We are highlighting the ones you told us matter most to our community.
There are about 30 new laws, but we are looking into three that are generating a lot of attention. They are Trooper's Law, the Flood Disclosure Law and Trenton's Law.
WATCH full report by Keely McCormick
Senate Bill 150: Trooper's Law
Trooper's Law makes it a third-degree felony to restrain or abandon a dog outside during an emergency or evacuation order. It was inspired by a heartbreaking case. A dog was found tied up and abandoned on I-75 last October as people were evacuating for Hurricane Milton.
Heidi Acuna with Mercy Full Project said she hopes this law will both educate the public and protect animals in the future.
"When you’re asked to evacuate your pets are part of your family and you need to take your animals with you. If you’re not leaving a human behind why would you leave an animal behind,” said Acuna
Those who break this new law could face up to five years in jail and a $10,000 fine.
Senate Bill 948: Flood Disclosures law
The Flood Disclosures Law could help protect renters and home buyers.
The new law requires landlords and sellers to disclose any flooding risks before a lease is signed or a property is sold.
This comes after major flooding last year damaged many homes and apartments during the hurricanes.
Some residents at the Cinnamon Cove Complex in the University Area tell Tampa Bay 28 they had no idea their first-floor units were at risk.
With this new law in effect, sellers must disclose to buyers any past flood damage and whether they have received any type of flood assistance.
Landlords must share if they are aware of prior flood damage, if they have filed flood claims, or received assistance. They must also clearly state that renters' insurance does not cover flood damage.
Senate Bill 138: Trenton's Law
Finally, we turn to Trenton's Law. This law increases penalties for repeat DUI and vehicular homicide cases. It makes refusing a breathalyzer or urine test a criminal offense. The law also doubles the maximum sentence for a repeat DUI offender who causes a deadly crash from 15 years to 30 years.
Larry Coggins with Mothers Against Drunk Driving said the new law is a step forward.
Coggins said, “It's a little bit bittersweet in the fact that we’re able to get more teeth in the law and make Florida a safer place… But unfortunately, like many of the pieces of legislation M.A.D.D. promotes, it comes with a name, and today it's Trenton."
Trenton’s Law is named after Trenton Steward. The 18-year-old was killed in a wrong-way DUI crash in 2023 by a driver who already had a prior DUI manslaughter conviction.
We first told you about this law back in July. Tampa Bay 28 interviewed the best friend of Dana Rivera, another young woman tragically killed by a drunk driver. Her friend was pushing for tougher penalties to prevent others from experiencing similar tragedies.
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