New Florida laws take effect in 2026: Here's how they may impact you
New Year's Eve celebrations have come to an end, but new laws passed by Florida lawmakers are now in effect as of Jan. 1.
From a new animal cruelty database to refunds for medical overpayments, here's how some of the new laws could impact you this year.
Animal Cruelty Database
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is now required to provide an online database regarding people convicted of animal cruelty offenses.
The law, HB 255, is called Dexters Law. Named after a 2024 case in which a man adopted a dog named Dexter from a shelter and then decapitated it days later.
The database will be available online for people to access.
Pet Insurance and Wellness Programs
HB 655 is a law that now requires pet insurers to make certain disclosures to pet insurance applicants and policyholders, including a summary of their bases or formulas for determination of claim payments under the pet insurance policy.
It also allows for people buying a policy to cancel it for any reason within a certain timeframe and allows pet insurance companies to issue policies that exclude coverage on the basis of preexisting conditions.
Breast examinations
SB 158 requires state health insurance plans for its employees to fully cover breast exams and will not require workers to pay anything extra out of pocket, like a co-pay or deductible.
Refunds of Medical Overpayments
SB 1808 requires health care practitioners, facilities, providers and anyone else who accepts payments from insurance for services rendered by health care practitioners to refund any overpayment made by the patient within 30 days.
If they fail to do so, they could face a $500 fine.
Condo Associations
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 913 into law in 2025.
The law makes changes to the regulation of condos and cooperatives, increases transparency and accountability on condominium associations and provides needed financial relief for condo owners, according to information provided by DeSantis.
Condo associations must now provide more information and records online to make it easier for residents to access records and understand how their community is being managed and how money is spent.