With most people just settling down after the holidays and schools just getting back to the new year last week, many residents were too busy to realize some of the new laws that took effect at the beginning of this year.
Five new Florida laws just started, ranging from changes in animal welfare to health care and housing.
While many measures approved during the 2025 Legislative Session have already been implemented, a handful of notable provisions become active on January 1, 2026, and are noteworthy.
Among the changes are new protections for animals and pet owners. The state is rolling out a public registry of individuals convicted of serious animal abuse under a law known as Dexter’s Law, named after a dog whose killing prompted renewed attention to cruelty cases (HB 255).
In addition, Florida is formally regulating pet insurance for the first time, placing those policies under clearer oversight, strengthening consumer protections, limiting waiting periods, and preventing companies from marketing routine “wellness” plans as full insurance coverage (HB 655).
Other laws address health care costs and condominium governance.
State-insured Floridians will now face no out-of-pocket charges for medically necessary diagnostic breast cancer testing, particularly for individuals at higher risk (SB 158).
Condominium associations are also subject to new transparency requirements aimed at improving accountability as owners face rising costs tied to safety reforms (HB 913).
Finally, health care providers must return patient overpayments within 30 days or risk financial penalties or professional discipline (SB 1808). Together, these changes reflect a broader effort by lawmakers to increase consumer protections, transparency, and accountability across multiple sectors.
The reason some Florida laws happen in July is because that is when the fiscal year begins.
Other laws that begin at later dates in October and January do so to give the public and businesses time to adapt before they kick in.
* Liberty Partners contributed to this story
