Florida lawmakers score another list of wins in productive session

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – While Florida’s 2024 Legislative Session was host to plenty of bipartisan and “kitchen table” priorities like health care and education, Florida Republicans still scored a list of conservative victories that Gov. Ron DeSantis will now consider signing into law over the coming days.

Below is a list of major priorities tackling top conservative issues, ranging from protecting children, guarding the state’s financials from China, backing law enforcement and more. Compared to last year, more of these measures obtained Democratic support.

Click through each item to learn more about the bill, including the bills’ sponsors and other major provisions.

• Jeffrey Epstein grand jury documents release: DeSantis quickly signed into law legislation permitting the release of the 2006 grand jury files relating to an investigation into now-deceased, convicted sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein. He was joined by some of Epstein’s victims at the signing. It obtained universal support.
• Banning lab-grown meat: The measure is part of a larger agricultural package, but one of the highest profile provisions of the 2024 Legislative Session is an effort to ban the sale of “cultivated meat.”
• No more mass homeless encampments: Another bill in response to “blue” policies in America’s major cities, lawmakers moved to prevent local governments from permitting homeless camps on public sidewalks, streets and parks. Instead, they can create designated zones in county or municipality-owned property for public camping, and those locations must be held to certain standards of upkeep.
  • The bill comes with the support of DeSantis, who wants to ensure Florida’s cities don’t end up looking like parts of San Francisco or New York.
• Targeting illegal aliens who commit crimes after reentry: Lawmakers passed legislation to increase penalties for illegal aliens who commit crimes after already having been deported, but choosing to reenter the country, and Florida, anyway.
• Teaching the destruction of communism in schools: Legislation has passed requiring public schools, beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, to teach the history of communism accurately. This includes covering the atrocities, its threat to the U.S. political system, revolutions and more.
• The budget: DeSantis has signaled already he plans to trim the already-fiscally conservative budget that has over $10 billion in surplus, but the package passed by lawmakers this year includes a large $500 million debt payoff and plenty of tax holidays for the coming year.
  • A major part of the budget was Senate President Kathleen Passidomo’s, R-Naples, “Live Healthy” package, which received strong support and aims to address health care worker shortages, health care infrastructure and more.
  • Another major part was the “Learn Local“ package, which aims to deregulate public schools, empower teachers and parents, and ensure accountability, transparency and safety in schools.
• Battling retail thieves: DeSantis signaled support for legislation that hikes and declares penalties for lawbreakers organizing and engaging in retail theft. This “tough on crime” measure was dubbed by DeSantis as “ant-California,” and received major support from law enforcement.
• Banning local governments from validating community IDs for illegals: The measure comes as GOP lawmakers expressed concern that those who aren’t supposed to be in Florida are obtaining methods of identification, thus circumventing the legal process to obtain such benefits that come along with it.
• No more ‘identity politics’ in teacher training: The bill prevents teacher certification training from instructing educators that “systemic racism” is inherent to the systems of the U.S., “identity politics,” and “distorting significant historical events.”
• Banning minors under 14 from social media, giving parental control for older teens: DeSantis pushed back on an original form of the bill, but after compromise, lawmakers arrived at a more tempered version that gives parental rights and more internet anonymity for users, while still aiming to protect children from the harms of addictive and predatory social media.
• Protecting first responders from fentanyl exposure: The proposal targets those who put the lives of first responders at risk by exposing them to fentanyl. Offenders can face felony charges.
• Targeting those who harass, obstruct first responders: The proposed law requires onlookers, after being warned, from giving at least 14 feet of distance for active duty first responders to perform their operations without obstruction.
• Chinese investment: The now-passed legislation prevents the State Board of Administration from accepting direct holding of Chinese companies on behalf of the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund. It must also review current holdings to determine if any securities are of a Chinese company.
• Pregnancy hub: The bill simply creates an online resource hub for soon-to-be, or new, parents. These resources include where to obtain prenatal care, maternal health services, social services, childhood development resources and more.
• Returning firearms: The Second Amendment being a priority of Florida leaders, lawmakers passed this year a bill to ensure that law enforcement returns seized firearms to an arrestee, so long as certain legal and safety requirements are met.
• More sheriff budgetary independence: This bill comes as Jacksonville recently obtained a split government, with a Democrat controlling the mayor’s office but Republicans controlling the city council and sheriff’s office. It allows the sheriff slightly more budgetary independence with funds already approved for the department.
• Targeting sexual predators: The bill makes revisions to reporting requirements for sexual predators, to help law enforcement ensure they know the whereabouts of such offenders for the public safety.