These new laws go into effect in Florida on Monday, July 1.
These laws include:
HB 117 - Disclosure of Grand Jury Testimony: The legislation will allow the release of grand jury testimony to media or an interested as long as:
- The subject of the grand jury investigation is dead
- The investigation was about sexual activity with a minor
- The testimony was previously disclosed by a court order
- The state attorney is notified
This bill has been tied to the Jeffrey Epstein case of alleged sex trafficking of minors.
HB 21- Dozier School for Boys and Okeechobee School Victim Compensation Program: A compensation program totaling $20 million. It will allow a living person who was confined to the Dozier School for Boys or the Okeechobee School to apply for compensation by Dec. 31, 2024.
The program is designed to provide compensation to victims who were at the schools between 1940 and 1975 who were subject to mental, physical, or sexual abuse perpetrated by school personnel while they were confined.
HB 187 – Antisemitism: The bill will define “antisemitism,” which is a certain perception of Jewish individuals which may be expressed as hatred toward such individuals. The bill will provide assistance in monitoring and reporting antisemitic hate crimes and discrimination and to make residents aware of and to combat such incidents in the state.
HB 385 - Safe Exchange of Minor Children: The bill will provide designated neutral exchange zones for parents to hand off a child to comply with a court-ordered time a child is with each parent.
One of the requirements of the law is that every sheriff’s office must have a designated space in a parking lot where the exchange occurs.
HB 1109: Security for Day Schools and Preschools: The Florida Department of Education is required to establish a program to provide funds to Jewish day schools and preschools for specified security purposes.
SB 1264 – History of Communism
: The bill will require public schools to provide instruction on the history of communism. Instruction will begin in the 2026-2027 academic year. The bill will establish the Institute of Freedom in the Americans at Miami-Dade College to preserve the ideals of a free society and promote democracy in the Americas.