Palm Beach County; Revises requirements for examinations administered by Palm Beach County Construction Industry Licensing Board for certificates of competency; revises Board's applicant review process.
Maddy summaryHB 253 clarifies eligibility for Florida's Veterans Dental Care Grant Program, which provides dental care to veterans residing in the state. The bill specifies that veterans must have incomes at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty level to qualify for the program. Administered by the Department of Veterans' Affairs, the program ensures access to oral health care for eligible veterans. This clarification takes effect on July 1, 2026.
Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances; Prohibits, beginning on specified date, certain use & sale, purchase, or distribution of aqueous film-forming foam; requires, beginning on specified date, certain entities to submit aqueous film-forming foam inventories & disposal plans to DEP; prohibits, beginning on specified date, possession & use of aqueous film-forming foam; authorizes DEP to administer certain grants or cost share programs; provides penalties & injunctive relief; requires certain public entities disposing of domestic wastewater biosolids and treated effluent to quarterly conduct specified samplings & submit results to DEP; limits purpose such samplings until specified standards are established by EPA & adopted by DEP.
Domestic Violence and Protective Injunctions; Reclassifying penalties for committing a domestic violence offense if a person has a prior conviction for domestic violence; providing that sentencing and incentive gain-time eligibility determinations are made without regard to a penalty enhancement; establishing an electronic monitoring pilot program in a specified county; requiring the sheriff, in consultation with certain persons, to design and implement the pilot program; providing requirements for the pilot program; requiring the Department of Corrections to complete an evaluation and provide specified reports to the Legislature; requiring the Department of Law Enforcement to enter injunctions against dating violence and sexual violence into a statewide verification system, etc.
Homeowner's Insurance Premium Reductions; Requires premium reductions to be applied to homeowners who maintain certain claim-free periods; provides requirements for such premium reductions; provides that homeowners who file major storm claims remain eligible for premium reductions; requires OIR to determine premium reduction schedules for such homeowners; prohibits homeowners' insurers from treating major storm claims as certain other claims; requires homeowners' premium reductions for mitigation upgrades.
Instructional Personnel and School Administrator Salaries; Revises provisions relating to school district salary schedules & certain FEFP funding relating to instructional personnel salary increases & school district, charter school, & DOE responsibilities.
Affordable Housing; Revises upwards length of time that certain rental units must remain affordable in order to qualify for specified zoning variance; requires certain incentives be used for construction of affordable housing; revises downward maximum median income used to determine eligibility for certain tax incentives; specifies that certain taxes do not apply to first-time homebuyers.
Government Waste and Misconduct; Requires specified parties prepare a report investigating & evaluating specified subjects & identifying certain funds; requires AG to take certain actions to recover specified funds; requires such recovered funds be used for certain purpose; requires specified funds be transferred & used for certain purpose; creates Working Floridians Tax Rebate Program within DOR for certain purpose; requiring the program be funded in a specified manner; granting state funds to certain people who have received federal Earned Income Tax Credit.
Community Associations; Provides requirements for terminating dissolved HOA governing documents; provides requirements relating to easements of dissolved HOA; provides retroactive applicability; requires condominium & homeowners' associations to include specified statement in their governing documents or to hold meeting by date certain to vote to amend governing documents to include such statement; revises provisions relating to official records, electronic ballots, turnover inspection reports, & roofs; provides disclosure requirements for conflicts of interest; removes presuit mediation requirements; requires that specified arbitrators conduct arbitration proceedings; authorizes HOA's to be terminated; provides requirements for termination of HOA; provides duties & responsibilities of HOA board, & termination trustee; provides for distribution of HOA assets & paying lawful debts after termination; authorizes circuit court to create & administer community association court program; provides duties of chief judge; provides jurisdiction of community association court program; authorizes community association court program to take certain actions; requires each judicial circuit to submit to Legislature specified report annually by specified date; provides duties of OSCA; provides for funding & additional judges.
Responsible Firearm Safety Awareness Month; Designates month of June as "Responsible Firearm Safety Awareness Month" for specified purpose; encourages FDLE, local governments, & other agencies & organizations to sponsor certain events.
