New Florida laws affect homes, schools, data centers
Several new Florida laws are now in effect, including Senate Bill 484, which mandates large data centers pay their own electricity costs without burdening residents and preserves local governments' zoning authority over these facilities. Other laws address homeowner permits, pet sales, foreign influence, and education.
On Wednesday, several new Florida laws, passed during the previous legislative session, officially took effect. Among these is Senate Bill 484, a key piece of legislation directly impacting the rapidly growing data center industry within the state. The new law mandates that large-scale data centers are responsible for their own electricity costs, explicitly preventing these expenses from being passed on to nearby residents or small businesses. Furthermore, SB 484 reinforces and "enshrines" the rights of local governments to maintain their existing zoning, planning, and land development authority specifically concerning data center projects.
Beyond data center regulations, the legislative package includes Senate Bill 803, which reduces permit requirements for homeowner projects valued under $7,500, though local permits for core structural or utility work remain. Senate Bill 290 prohibits local governments from restricting the use of gas-powered farm or landscape equipment. Consumer protections for pet sales were enhanced under Senate Bill 1004, mandating financing term disclosure and removing limits on veterinary cost recovery for unfit animals.
Additionally, House Bill 905, known as the Foreign Interference Restriction and Enforcement Act, seeks to limit foreign influence on government operations by banning contributions from foreign countries of concern to public officers and candidates, and prohibiting state entities from accepting grants from such countries. House Bill 1471 grants the Florida Attorney General power to designate terrorist organizations, raising concerns among critics about potential political targeting, though it includes a challenge mechanism. Finally, Senate Bill 182 introduces education changes, requiring cursive writing instruction in elementary schools and mandating the display of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln portraits in school district boards.