Key Legislation
Bills that Matter
US Congress
- In 2025 Trump sold his Big ‘Ugly’ Bill as a “working families tax cut,” but in reality, it provides more tax breaks to the top 1% than to the bottom 60% combined.
- Billionaires get permanent tax breaks, while working Americans receive temporary relief that is wiped out by devastating cuts to health care and food assistance.
- The Republican budget bill is expected to raise costs for the poorest 20% of Americans.
- It enacts $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid.
- It puts over 300 rural hospitals at risk of closing.
- It will force an estimated 10 million Americans to lose their health insurance.
- Trump’s budget is the most unpopular bill in modern history — with an overwhelming majority of Americans opposing it.
- By a more than two-to-one margin, voters believe Trump’s budget will leave their families worse off, and two-thirds say it will primarily benefit the wealthy while hurting working families.
Bills that Matter
Florida
Florida Republicans passed SB1134: Anti Diversity in Local Government Bill into law. Local governments cannot fund, promote, or take any official actions that promote Diversity, Equity, or Inclusion. They are also barred from spending any funds to establish, support, or staff a DEI office or officer. In addition, the bill requires contractors that work for the city must certify that they do not use any local government funding to promote diversity, equity or inclusion efforts.
Florida Republicans HB991: a New Florida Voter ID Law (Save Act) that will require new documentation to prove US citizenship for all Floridians: This law was passed even though there is no proof that voter fraud is a problem in Florida. The Heritage Foundation tracked voter fraud cases in Florida. In the last 43 years, there have been only 93 convictions of voter fraud.
The Heritage Foundation found only 6 convictions in 2024 and 2025, among 13 million registered voters. The breakdown: Only 1 person was not a citizen. Four people had convictions and did not have their voting rights restored, 1 person voted in Alaska and Florida.
This unnecessary law will accomplish one thing: fewer people will vote due to the expense and time involved to jump through these new hoops.
Click on the Florida Voter ID ACT button to see if you are affected by this; and need further documentation.
The Good News: The bill will not impact the midterms, as it doesn’t start until January 1, 2027. The ACLU and other organizations are already engaging in lawsuits to prevent this bill from being enacted. We are hopeful they will prevail. We will update this space as we get more information.
(If you do need to obtain birth certificates, marriage licenses from other states, please check out this USA Vital Records website for information.
Florida’s House and Senate
LABEL POLITICAL GROUPS AS DOMESTIC TERRORISTS? HB1471 SB1632 Passed!
The bill’s vague language around “promoting” designated organizations raises serious First Amendment concerns. The governor effectively controls which groups get designated through his appointment of the Chief of Domestic Security.
MORE RESTRICTIONS ON PUBLIC UNIONS? SB 1296 / HB 995 Passed!
Raises the threshold for public employee union certification. Exempts public safety workers
(police and firefighters). Police and firefighters unions keep their rights, while other unions lose theirs.
TRAINED FACULTY AND STAFF CARRY GUNS AT SCHOOL HB757 Passed!
Summary: Extends armed faculty program from K-12 schools to public colleges and universities, allowing trained employees to carry firearms on campus. Requires active assailant response plans, family reunification plans, mental health training, and annual security risk assessments. No bill was introduced to address or reduce actual school gun violence.
Education Bill SB 182 Passed!
Requires every public school to display portraits of Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Mandates cursive instruction starting in third grade with proficiency by fifth grade. It allows private schools to bypass local zoning without community input, potentially diverting students and resources from public schools while placing private schools in locations not designed for child safety or traffic including commercial and industrial areas, including retail stores and theaters.
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CANNOT REDUCE GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS HB 1217 / SB 1628, Passed!
Prohibits local governments, school boards, universities, and other governmental entities from adopting or funding net-zero greenhouse gas emission reduction policies. Bans cap-and-trade systems at the local level. Prohibits using public funds to support or implement net-zero goals, including procurement preferences.
State Control ReNaming Commercial Service Airports (Trump Airport)
and roads HB 919, Similar Bills, SB 628, HB 33
Passed!
Strips local governments of authority to name airports, and roads. Renames Palm Beach International Airport as “President Donald J. Trump International Airport.” Requires a licensing agreement with the Trump organization for use of the name. Airport code to change to “DJT.” Designates 124 miles of State Road 80 (Palm Beach County to Lee County) as “President Donald J. Trump Highway.” Renames Tallahassee International Airport after FSU football coach Bobby Bowden. Designates Commercial Boulevard in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea as “President Donald J. Trump Boulevard.” Includes additional road designations in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, including naming a road after conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Gainesville Utility Override of Local Voters and Community HB 1451 Passed!
Expands state oversight of municipal utilities. Effectively blocks Gainesville residents from restoring local control of Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU). Overrides two local referendums approved by over 70% of Gainesville voters supporting city control of the utility.
COastal Resiliency SB 302 / HB 1035 Passed!
Promotes nature-based coastal resiliency solutions including mangrove restoration, dune vegetation, and wetland restoration. Directs the Department of Environmental Protection to develop nature-based permitting standards. An amendment added on the Senate floor restricts commercial dredging in the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve in Manatee County, effectively blocking construction of a proposed cruise port.
Conservation Lands HB 441 / SB 546, Passed!
Requires the Division of State Lands to provide at least 30 days’ public notice before proposed sales, swaps, or surplus of conservation lands. Requires publication of appraisals and written justification for any proposed transactions. Filed in response to the 2025 Guana River Wildlife Management Area land swap controversy, in which the state attempted to give conservation land near St. Augustine to a politically connected developer.
Taxation HB 7031 Passed!
Decouples Florida’s corporate income tax from federal changes in the Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” preserving approximately $3.5 billion in state revenue that would have been lost if Florida automatically adopted the federal corporate tax breaks. Also permanently eliminates sales tax on several safety and health-related items.
Drug Prices and Coverage HB 697 Passed!
Restored HIV care access for over 10,000 Floridians who had lost coverage after the DeSantis administration slashed ADAP funding. Note: this is a temporary stopgap through June 30, 2026; longer-term ADAP funding depends on the budget special session. Creates the Prescription Reduction Incentives and Competition Enhancement (PRICE) Act, establishing international benchmark pricing for prescription drugs.
Uterine Fibroid Research Database HB 327 / SB 196 Passed!
Creates a statewide research database on uterine fibroids to improve diagnosis, treatment, and health outcomes. Addresses a condition that disproportionately affects Black women. A rare Democrat-sponsored bill to pass both chambers, addressing a health disparity affecting women of color. Companion public records bill (HB 1515) also passed unanimously
Domestic Violence and Protection Injunctions HB 277 Passed!
Requires FDLE to enter protective injunctions into the statewide database. Increases relocation assistance for domestic violence victims from $1,500 to $2,500 per claim. Adds threats to kill family pets as a factor judges can consider when issuing injunctions. Enhances penalties for repeat domestic violence offenders.
Law Enforcement Officer Interactions with Individuals with Autism Spectrum Passed!
Disorder Program SB 418,
Creates a voluntary program to improve law enforcement interactions with autistic individuals during traffic stops. Provides officers with training and standardized protocols.
Community Planning (4th Attempt) HB 1389 / SB 1548 Passed!
Expands eligible land for affordable housing development to include religious institution-owned land (3+ acres, with house of worship for 10+ years), county-owned land, city-owned land, and school district-owned land. Amends the Florida Fair Housing Act to expressly waive sovereign immunity for local governments that violate affordable housing protections.
Sovereign Immunity HB 145 Passed!
Raises the cap on government liability in phases from $200,000 to $600,000 per individual and from $300,000 to $1.2 million per incident (fully phased in by October 1, 2031). Allowslocal governments to negotiate settlements exceeding caps without requiring a special act of the Legislature.
Data Centers SB 484 Passed!
Requires the Public Service Commission to ensure residential utility customers do not subsidize data center energy consumption. Allows local governments to regulate land development for data centers. A provision that would have restricted non-disclosure agreements between governments and data center companies was removed from the final bill after lobbying pressure.
The Democrat Caucus package is listed below: Regretfully since the Florida GOP has a super majority in the House and Senate, none of these bills had a chance to pass.
Property Insurance
Proposes a property insurance pool with other states to lower premiums.
Lean Government
Cuts wasteful government spending and puts the savings back in Floridians' pockets.
Home Ownership
Helps make home ownership more attainable for first-time buyers by keeping prices low for some starter homes.
Buyer Relief
Reducing the fees associated with buying a home to lower closing costs for first-time buyers.