A dozen new Florida laws take effect on Oct. 1.
One of them is called Meg's Law, named after Kathleen Dial's sister.
"Meg was the baby of our family," Dial said. " [She] sadly passed away at age 29 as a result of her addiction to nitrous oxide. She was actually found behind a smoke shop in Orange County."
Nitrous oxide, also called laughing gas, does have legitimate uses, like for dental anesthesia and culinary purposes like making whipped cream. Selling it so people can get high is a crime.
ALSO READ: Florida bill would ban laughing gas from smoke shops
But smoke shops and gas stations commonly sell the substance in brightly-colored canisters, with catchy names and flavors ranging from blue raspberry to cotton candy.
The measure, SB 432, bans it from being sold at those establishments.
"We're glad to see Meg have a legacy, something positive that she leaves behind on this earth that hopefully will help other families from suffering the same fate that our family has suffered," Dial said.
Here are the other laws taking effect:
Specialty license plates
When a specialty license plate becomes law, the organization behind it must submit, within 60 days, the proposed art design as well as a five-year financial projection to the state.
That information must include expected expenses and where the money will go. Summaries will later be shared with the governor and the Legislature. The proceeds from the plates are often meant to go to designated causes and projects.
ALSO READ: More than just a tag: Florida sea turtle plates fund rescues
The measure, SB 246, also says the state "shall develop” the following new plates: a Miami Northwestern Alumni Association plate, a Christopher Columbus High School plate, an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) plate, a United States Naval Academy plate, a United States Military Academy license plate, a Miami Dade College plate, a Florida Film Legacy plate, a St. Petersburg College plate.
(To be manufactured, all of these will need to get 3,000 presales within two years before they’re manufactured.)
It also paves the way for a motorcycle version of the Endless Summer plate, which is Florida’s most popular specialty license plate. The plate’s purpose is to support beach preservation and to "sustain the surfing lifestyle."
Rental fraud
Let’s say someone in Florida lies about their identity, provides false documents or impersonates someone when they rent a place to live. Under this new law, HB 1293, that would be a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison.
Gang criteria
This measure, HB 429, changes the criteria for determining whether someone’s a “criminal gang member.”
There’s already a list of indicators the state uses — people meet the designation if they check at least two of the boxes. The list is now longer, and some of the indicators have been changed.
The criteria now include when someone admits online to being a gang member and uses “gang-related language in furtherance of criminal gang-related activity on an online platform or social media.” A spouse can now identify someone as a member. A gang identifying or claiming someone as one of its members can also count.
It also reduces the number of times someone must be observed with known gang members for that association to count as an indicator, from four to two.
According to a bill analysis, these changes “may result in an increase in persons who fall within the definition, and thus may result in an increase in prosecutions for criminal offenses that are committed to benefit, promote, or further the interests of a criminal gang.”
Animal welfare
This measure, HB 559, toughens Florida’s animal cruelty laws.
A minor who commits animal cruelty must undergo a psychological evaluation — and counseling and treatment if recommended. It also adds penalties for adults who commit aggravated animal cruelty in front of a minor, or cause or entice a minor to commit it.
The measure also pushes back the publishing deadline for the state’s animal abuser database until January 2027. The law additionally sets standards for how long people appear on it. It includes three years for a first conviction of a misdemeanor offense, five years following the first conviction of a felony offense and a decade for a second conviction of either.
It also increases the sentencing severity for animal fighting and baiting.
Pretrial release
Lawmakers titled this law, HB 397, as the "Victim Safety in Pretrial Release Act."
It adds penalties for a person accused of violent crimes — including aggravated assault, stalking and sexual battery — who “willfully violates a condition of pretrial release": a no-contact order. Someone who does so can be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor, which comes with up to a year behind bars. More violations would lead to third-degree felonies, punishable by up to five years in prison.
The violator will remain in custody until their first court hearing, where a judge will decide whether to release them, with priority given to the victim’s and the public’s safety.
Transportation
Under this measure, SB 488, drivers involved in a crash resulting in $2,000 in apparent damages must report the incident to police. That report threshold previously was $500.
It also clarifies that license plate frames and decorative borders are allowed, as long as it doesn’t block the license plate number or registration sticker. There was confusion and controversy about this last year.
This broad transportation bill, which is 68 pages, also changes how new vehicle brands can enter the state’s market.
ALSO READ: How lobbying and campaign donations shaped a Florida transportation law
Career offender registration
This law, SB 1332, significantly rewrites Florida's career offender registration system standards.
Career offenders are defined as “any person who is designated as a habitual violent felony offender, a violent career criminal, or a three-time violent felony offender… or as a prison releasee reoffender”
They’re already on a registry. Under the law, they must reregister in person with their local sheriff’s office every year during their birth month, updating identifying information.
More information must be reported — and more quickly. Vehicle changes, for example, must be reported in 48 hours. The law also requires career offenders to report places where they stay for three consecutive days, down from the previous threshold of two weeks.
Those people’s driver licenses must be marked with that status.
There are also bigger consequences for not complying with registration and reporting requirements.
Lewd or Lascivious Acts
This law, HB 1525, creates a new felony offense for indecent exposure or certain sexual acts while “observing” someone younger than 16 years old for the purpose of sexual arousal or gratification.
Such acts include someone exposing a sexual organ in a “lewd or lascivious manner,” or someone who “intentionally performs any sexual act that does not involve actual physical or sexual contact with the child, including, but not limited to, sadomasochistic abuse, sexual bestiality, masturbation, or the simulation of any act involving sexual activity.”
Under the new statute, it’s not an acceptable defense to say the minor was not aware of the conduct or didn’t see a sexual organ.
Transportation public records exemption
This measure expands a public records exemption for email addresses collected by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
“The department’s use of e-mail as a method for corresponding with customers has steadily increased in recent decades,” reads the measure, SB 490.
“E-mail addresses are unique to each individual and, when combined with other personal identifying information, can be used for identity theft, consumer scams, unwanted solicitations, or other invasive contacts,” it continues. “The public availability of personal e-mail addresses puts the department’s customers at increased risk of these problems.”
ALSO READ: You asked, we answered: Your Florida breaks down the state's Sunshine Laws
Broward County solid waste disposal facility
This law, HB 4039, requires a feasibility study before there can be an expansion of a solid waste disposal facility in Broward County.
There must also be a public hearing within five miles of that facility, called the Monarch Hill Landfill.
ALSO READ: Broward County narrowly approves contentious expansion of Monarch Hill Landfill
Indian River County’s Fellsmere Water Control District
This law, HB 4093, puts the Fellsmere Water Control District, which is currently independent, under the control of the Indian River County Commission. It also changes the district boundaries.
There had been concerns about flooding and canal maintenance, according to media reports.
If you have any questions about state government or the legislative process, you can ask the Your Florida team by clicking here.
This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
