Florida Governor DeSantis signs three more bills and vetoes four others. Here’s what was cut

TALHAASSEE, Fla. – On Wednesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed three more bills into law, although he also vetoed four others.

One of the approved bills will come into effect on July 1, alongside almost 180 other new laws. For a complete list of these laws, click here.

As for the seven bills DeSantis addressed Wednesday, they are as follows:

HB 133 – Criminal history of hairdressers (VETO)

House Bill 133 sought to amend state statutes regarding criminal history reviews of people applying for licenses as barbers or cosmetologists.

Under this bill, the period that government officials have to deny such a permit based on a criminal conviction would be reduced from five to three years.

In his veto letter, DeSantis wrote the following:

“HB 133 selects beautician and barber applicants from a list of 14 types of business license applicants to change the process of criminal record review by the licensing board. The bill categorically prohibits the board from considering an applicant’s criminal history within three years of an applicant’s application for a permit, but there may be a good reason for the board to have this information before making a decision on a particular applicant.

Ron DeSantis, HB 133 Veto Letter

HB 165 — Beach waters (VETO)

House Bill 165 aimed to require — rather than simply allow — the FDOH to adopt regulations and issue health advisories regarding water quality problems at beaches or public resorts.

Additionally, the FDOH should close these sites if they do not meet water quality standards to protect public health.

In his veto letter, DeSantis wrote the following:

“HB 165 suffers from a fatal blight: It gives the Florida Department of Health the authority to close beaches, waterways and swimming pools. Health departments such as DOH can serve a valuable function, but they should not be given the power to replace local jurisdictions regarding beach operations. “I have made water quality and protecting Florida’s natural resources a priority, and my administration will continue to do so, but this grant of power to DOH over Florida’s beaches is unwise.”

Ron DeSantis, HB 165 Veto Letter

HB-473 — Cybersecurity liability (VETOED)

House Bill 473 addressed cybersecurity training standards in the state.

Current law requires local governments to implement such standards, and HB 473 would shield local governments that comply with the rules from liability in the event of a “cyber security incident.”

This liability waiver would also apply to third-party companies that store personal data if their standards comply with state and federal regulations.

In his veto letter, DeSantis wrote the following:

“HB 473 provides broad liability protections for state and local governments and private companies that only substantially comply with minimum cybersecurity standards in the event of a data breach or other cybersecurity incident.

If passed, the bill could make Floridians’ data less secure because the bill provides blanket protections for only substantially complying with the standards. This encourages doing the minimum when protecting consumer data. Although my administration has prioritized policies to reduce frivolous lawsuits, the bill before us today could leave a consumer with inadequate recourse if a breach occurs.

I encourage interested parties to work with the Florida Cybersecurity Advisory Council to assess potential alternatives to the bill that provide a level of liability protection while ensuring that critical data and operations are protected to the greatest extent possible from cyberattacks – and the disruption comes with the release of potentially sensitive information.”

Ron DeSantis, HB 473 Veto Letter

HB-799 — Easements (APPROVED)

House Bill 799 would allow property owners to establish an easement on their property, even in areas where the owner already owns the affected property.

The law took effect after signing.

HB 1063 – Chiropractic medicine (APPROVED)

House Bill 1063 requires the Board of Chiropractic Medicine to adopt new requirements regarding chiropractic medicine.

Specifically, the board will be required to establish minimum practice standards and training requirements for chiropractic physicians to perform dry needling – a technique used to relieve pain and increase a patient’s range of motion.

The law took effect after signing.

SB 674 – Iron and steel produced in the US (APPROVED)

Senate Bill 674 requires that iron or steel products used in public works be produced in the US

This requirement is waived under the following conditions:

The iron or steel products required for the project are not produced in sufficient quality in the U.S., are not reasonably available, or are not of satisfactory quality.
Using these products will increase the total cost of the project by more than 20%.
Compliance with this requirement is contrary to the public interest.

Foreign manufactured iron or steel materials may be used for minimal use in these projects if they are complementary to the primary product and the cost of the materials does not exceed 0.10% of the contract cost (or $2,500 – whichever amount is the largest).

These provisions also do not apply to contracts under the FDOT.

The law comes into effect on July 1.

SB-1078 — DOFS Public Records (VETO)

Senate Bill 1078 aims to provide a public records exemption for cell phone numbers submitted to the Department of Financial Services as part of the application process for two-factor authentication of credentials.

In his veto letter, DeSantis wrote the following:

“SB 1078 exempts the cell phone number of all insurance agents; agencies; damage experts, including public experts; service representatives; include licensees submitted to the Department of Financial Services as part of the licensing process. The insurance market in Florida is becoming increasingly competitive and hurricane season is upon us; it is not clear how this special exemption would serve the public interest.”

Ron DeSantis, SB 1078 Veto Letter

Receive today’s news in minutes with Your daily Florida news: