On July 1, more than 100 bills signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis will become law. The bills were approved by the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate during the 2026 regular session earlier this year in Tallahassee.CLICK HERE FOR THE ENTIRE LIST OF BILLS THAT WILL BECOME LAW ON JULY 1Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 NewsHere are some notable bills that will become law:HB 35 – Habitual Traffic Offender Designation: The bill amends the definition of “habitual traffic offender” to add the offense of driving a motor vehicle without a valid license to the list of offenses for which a specified number of convictions within a five-year period requires the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to designate a person as a habitual traffic offender. Generally, once a person is designated as a habitual traffic offender, he or she can be prosecuted for a third-degree felony for subsequently driving a motor vehicle.SB 52 – Security Services at Place of Worship: The bill provides that the licensing requirements for private security services are inapplicable to volunteers who provide armed security services on the premises of a church, mosque, synagogue, or other place of worship.SB 178 – Athletics and Public K-12 Schools: The bill, also known as the “Teddy Bridgewater Act,” requires the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) to adopt bylaws authorizing head coaches of athletics teams to support the welfare of the students they coach using personal funds. Head coaches may, in good faith, provide assistance in the form of food, transportation, and recovery services. The bylaws must require a parent to provide written consent before a head coach may provide such assistance to a student. The bylaws must also restrict such use of funds to one head coach per athletic team.The bill requires coaches who provide assistance using personal funds to report it to the FHSAA in a manner provided by FHSAA bylaw. If a coach uses personal funds, it is presumed not to be an impermissible benefit unless the use of personal funds is not reported, reported and deemed not to be in good faith by the FHSAA, or used for recruiting purposes.The maximum amount of personal funds a coach may use per athletic team per year is $15,000.The bill also authorizes any other organization governing interscholastic athletic competition in Florida to adopt similar bylaws.SB 418 – Law Enforcement Officer Interactions with Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: The bill creates the “Blue Envelope and Blue Card Program” within the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (HSMV) to improve communication between individuals with autism spectrum disorder and law enforcement officers during motor vehicle-related interactions.HB 905 – Foreign Influence: The bill creates a “Foreign Influence Restriction and Enforcement Act” that is intended to reduce interference and influence by foreign countries of concern.HB 4085 – Okeechobee Utility Authority, Okeechobee County: The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund shall convey to the Okeechobee Utility Authority the lands in Okeechobee in fee simple, consisting of a parcel of land. The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund shall convey the land to the Okeechobee Utility within 30 days after the bill becomes law. Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —

On July 1, more than 100 bills signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis will become law.

The bills were approved by the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate during the 2026 regular session earlier this year in Tallahassee.

CLICK HERE FOR THE ENTIRE LIST OF BILLS THAT WILL BECOME LAW ON JULY 1

Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News

Here are some notable bills that will become law:

HB 35 – Habitual Traffic Offender Designation: The bill amends the definition of “habitual traffic offender” to add the offense of driving a motor vehicle without a valid license to the list of offenses for which a specified number of convictions within a five-year period requires the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to designate a person as a habitual traffic offender.

Generally, once a person is designated as a habitual traffic offender, he or she can be prosecuted for a third-degree felony for subsequently driving a motor vehicle.

SB 52 – Security Services at Place of Worship: The bill provides that the licensing requirements for private security services are inapplicable to volunteers who provide armed security services on the premises of a church, mosque, synagogue, or other place of worship.

SB 178 – Athletics and Public K-12 Schools: The bill, also known as the “Teddy Bridgewater Act,” requires the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) to adopt bylaws authorizing head coaches of athletics teams to support the welfare of the students they coach using personal funds. Head coaches may, in good faith, provide assistance in the form of food, transportation, and recovery services. The bylaws must require a parent to provide written consent before a head coach may provide such assistance to a student. The bylaws must also restrict such use of funds to one head coach per athletic team.

The bill requires coaches who provide assistance using personal funds to report it to the FHSAA in a manner provided by FHSAA bylaw. If a coach uses personal funds, it is presumed not to be an impermissible benefit unless the use of personal funds is not reported, reported and deemed not to be in good faith by the FHSAA, or used for recruiting purposes.

The maximum amount of personal funds a coach may use per athletic team per year is $15,000.

The bill also authorizes any other organization governing interscholastic athletic competition in Florida to adopt similar bylaws.

SB 418 – Law Enforcement Officer Interactions with Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: The bill creates the “Blue Envelope and Blue Card Program” within the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (HSMV) to improve communication between individuals with autism spectrum disorder and law enforcement officers during motor vehicle-related interactions.

HB 905 – Foreign Influence: The bill creates a “Foreign Influence Restriction and Enforcement Act” that is intended to reduce interference and influence by foreign countries of concern.

HB 4085 – Okeechobee Utility Authority, Okeechobee County: The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund shall convey to the Okeechobee Utility Authority the lands in Okeechobee in fee simple, consisting of a parcel of land.

The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund shall convey the land to the Okeechobee Utility within 30 days after the bill becomes law.

Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.