What Floridians need to know about the new laws going into effect July 1

Disclosing AI in political ads: Political candidates will now need to disclose if they use artificial intelligence in printed and electronic advertisements to voters. Failure to do so would result in a first-degree misdemeanor, with a penalty of up to a year in jail.

HIV prevention in pharmacies: Florida is among the states with the highest number of new HIV cases in the country. As of Monday, pharmacists can prescribe and dispense medicine that can prevent an HIV infection after exposure if taken within 72 hours.

New rules for medical debt collections: Patients in Florida will soon get clearer information up front on their care costs and whether their copay is more expensive than paying out of pocket. They will also be able to more easily dispute those charges under the new law.

Free swimming lessons: Florida will now have a new program that will offer swimming lessons at no cost to families with a household income of less than $45,180 a year and who have at least one child who is four years of age or younger, according to a new law creating the Swimming Lesson Voucher Program. Florida is the state with the highest rates of child drowning deaths. In 2023, 97 kids drowned, according to data from the Department of Children and Families.

Alternative education: Students who withdrew from high school prior to graduation can now enroll in a new program, the Graduation Alternative to Traditional Education (GATE), to earn career education credentials while also completing a standard high school diploma. The new law also establishes opportunities for scholarships to attend.

Religious chaplains an option for schools: Florida school districts can now authorize religious chaplains to serve as counselors for students whose parents approve. The new law has fueled heated debates over the separation of church and state.

Classical education for educators: Florida education officials now have the green light to set rules for prospective educators who want to earn a “classical education teacher certificate.” In recent years, DeSantis and Republican lawmakers have put an emphasis on the classical education model, largely followed by private Christian schools and charter schools. The curriculum focused on Western traditions and values.

‘Anti-woke’ teacher training program: Teacher training courses will now be prohibited from including courses of “identity politics” and theories based on the idea that systemic racism, sexism, oppression and privilege are “inherent in the institutions of the United States and were created to maintain social, political and economic inequities.” It is a continuation of DeSantis’ push to eliminate what he has characterized as liberal orthodoxy in the state’s education system, and embed the governor’s anti-”wokeness” ethos into the way the state grants certificates to educators.

Mothers get a pass on jury duty: Starting Monday, women can be excused from jury duty if they have given birth within 6 months of the reporting date on a summons.

Safe haven for surrendered babies: Florida law allows parents who are unwilling or unable to care for their newborn infants to safely surrender their babies at a hospital, fire station or an emergency medical service station. The new law going into effect Monday will increase the age an infant may be surrendered from 7 days old to 30 days old. Parents are granted immunity from criminal prosecution under the “safe haven law” unless there is suspected child abuse or neglect.

Florida lets the wine flow: A new law will allow wine to be sold in larger containers, including 9-, 12- and 15-liter glass bottles. Previously, state law prevented the sale of wine containers that held more than one gallon — or about 3.79 liters.

More transparency on violent offenders: County courts and clerks will now offer website links and a searchable database to identity adults who are subject to restraining orders due to repeat violence, sexual violence, dating violate, stalking or because a minor needed to be protected from domestic violence.

Shielding the identities of school guardians: Following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting in 2018, Florida created a program that allows some school staff members and classroom teachers to be armed to try to protect students from active shooters. Starting Monday, any information that would be able to identify those who have been certified to participate in the program will no longer be a public record.

Restrictions on identification cards: A new law prohibits a county or a municipality from accepting as identification any card or document that is issued by any person, entity, or organization that knowingly issues identification cards or documents to individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States. In the past, several counties partnered with local organizations to offer a community identification card to enable residents to provide a form of identification to law enforcement, schools, organizations, and social service agencies.