TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — One of Florida’s biggest new-law days of the year arrives Wednesday, July 1, as roughly 140 measures take effect with the start of the new fiscal year. The changes touch everything from the state budget and massive data centers to restaurant fees, pet sales, school requirements, local government power and airport names.
Before we get into it— here’s a complete list of news laws lawmakers passed this year with a July effective date.
The biggest item coming online, Wednesday— the new state budget. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Fiscal Year 2026-27 spending plan Monday, totaling about $117.6 billion after nearly $810 million in line-item vetoes. The budget, HB 5001-E, takes effect as the new fiscal year begins July 1.
Data centers, utilities and business
One of the higher-profile new laws is CS/CS/SB 484, dealing with large-scale data centers. The law sets new utility rules for “large load” customers, including tariff requirements, and directs a state review of data-center impacts. Supporters framed it as planning for Florida’s growing digital infrastructure; critics have raised concerns about water and energy demand.
Restaurants also face new transparency rules under SB 606, a 2025 law with a delayed July 1, 2026 provision. Restaurants that charge mandatory “operations charges” — such as automatic service charges, delivery fees or credit-card surcharges — must disclose them on menus, contracts and online ordering platforms, and list them separately on receipts.
A delayed 2025 law, CS/HB 999, also moves Florida toward recognizing certain gold and silver coins as legal tender, subject to required rule ratification. Another business law, CS/SB 316, creates a framework for “protected series” limited liability companies in Florida.
Local government limits
Local governments will see new restrictions on what they can regulate. CS/CS/CS/SB 290 bars counties from banning or restricting certain gasoline-powered farm and landscape equipment, including equipment such as gas-powered leaf blowers, in covered circumstances.
Another measure, CS/HB 1217, blocks local governments and other public entities from adopting certain “net zero” or greenhouse-gas-related policies. The broader July 1 wave also includes new rules affecting agricultural enclaves and other local-government powers.
Public safety and terrorism designations
CS/CS/HB 1471 creates a process for Florida officials to designate certain groups as domestic terrorist organizations. Under the law, the state’s Chief of Domestic Security can seek approval from the governor and Cabinet for those designations, with consequences tied to criminal justice and education provisions.
Other public-safety measures taking effect include CS/SB 52, which allows certain armed security volunteers at houses of worship without requiring private security licensure, and CS/CS/HB 445, known as “Missy’s Law,” dealing with detention after someone is found guilty or pleads to certain dangerous crimes.
Schools and students
Students will see changes, too. Under CS/HB 453, two years of marching band can satisfy certain high school graduation requirements, including physical education and performing arts credits.
Another education bill, CS/CS/SB 182, requires cursive-writing instruction in specified grades and, subject to funding, calls for public schools to display portraits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Other education-related laws in the July 1 wave deal with coaches, school board members and school operations.
Pets and consumers
Pet buyers will get new protections under CS/SB 1004. The law expands remedies for people who purchase animals later found to be unfit, requires pet dealers to provide medical records, and directs state agencies to provide more information related to certain animal-cruelty convictions.
A separate delayed 2025 law, CS/CS/HB 961, makes several Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles changes, including provisions related to disabled parking permits, driver-license services and tax collector operations.
Roads, airports and state symbols
Several transportation and naming measures also take effect. CS/CS/HB 919 puts the state in control of naming major commercial service airports and points to renaming Palm Beach International Airport as President Donald J. Trump International Airport, subject to federal approval and required agreements.
Other transportation-related measures in the July 1 group include new road designations, specialty license plates, cruise-operation rules near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, and funding provisions tied to vertiports.
More changes on the way
And the July 1 wave is not the end of this year’s new-law calendar. More measures from the 2026 session come online later, with October bringing new rules for payment stablecoins, fraudulent entry into homes, animal-welfare enforcement, specialty license plates and several criminal-justice changes. January brings another round, including election-law updates, virtual-currency kiosk regulations, electronic-payment requirements for local governments and new limits tied to local impact fees.
Friends remember Hillsborough woman stabbed to death in Palm River
Deputies say Amanda Roark, 37, was stabbed to death by her boyfriend.
