Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Makes Five Appointments and Signs 12 Bills

Many Bills Taking Effect in July

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been busy this week working for the benefit of the state. He has made five official appointments and signed 12 bills this week.

On June 13, DeSantis announced the appointment of Fox “Reynolds” Henderson to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation.

Henderson is a Principal and Managing Partner of Continental Pacific, LLC., and the Founder of Henderson Barrett, LLC., and FRH Holdings, LLC.

Active in his community, he currently serves as a member of the DeFuniak Springs Community Redevelopment Agency, the Loft at Rosemary Beach Board of Directors, and the University of West Florida Small Business Development Corporation Advisory Board.

Henderson earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Alabama.

This appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

DeSantis announced the appointment of David Biddle to the School Board of Gilchrist County.

Biddle is a Certified Operator for McCall Service. Active in his community, he was previously appointed to the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council. A resident of Gilchrist County for 20 years, Biddle previously served as a member of the Gilchrist County Economic Development Committee.

On June 13, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Lyndsi Stevens and the reappointment of Cory Fosdyck and Jack “Tanner” Peacock to the Northwest Florida State College District Board of Trustees.

Stevens is the Chief Marketing Officer for Celerium, Inc. Previously, she served as an Adjunct Professor at Northwest Florida State College.

Stevens earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations from Florida State University, her master’s degree in communication from Georgetown University, and is currently working towards her doctorate in leadership from Liberty University.

Fosdyck is the Owner of Krueger, Fosdyck, Brown, McCall & Associates Private Wealth Management. Active in his community, he is a member of the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center and the Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital Florida Board of Directors.

Fosdyck earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Western Illinois University.

Peacock is a Broker Associate for Scenic Sotheby’s International Realty. Active in his community, he previously served as a member of the Walton County Planning Commission, the Walton County Design Review Board, and the City of Destin Local Planning Agency. Peacock earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Auburn University.

These appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

DeSantis signed the following bills:

HB 6521 – Relief/Jacob Rodgers/City of Gainesville
A contested local claim authorizing the City of Gainesville to appropriate $10.8 million to compensate Jacob Rodgers for catastrophic injuries from a 2015 vehicle accident involving a city employee-operated vehicle. Includes limits on attorney’s fees.

CS/HB 1549 – Financial Services
Amends financial-regulatory laws:
● Broadens definition of “control person” in money-services businesses.
● Eliminates the surplus‑lines “diligent‑effort” requirement (no longer need three admitted carrier denials before using surplus insurers).
● Requires credit unions to reimburse elected officers for business expenses, and removes their “regular reserve” obligation.
● Imposes semiannual assessments on financial institutions to be paid to the Office of Financial Regulation under specified timing and methods.

CS/HB 1145 – Workforce Education
● Expands the Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive Grant Program to include charter schools, allowing them direct access.
● Doubles the number of workforce education programs, from 3 to 6, that school districts and Florida College System institutions must offer through a money-back guarantee, and aligns reporting requirements accordingly.

CS/CS/HB 1091 – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Care
● Expands mental-health crisis services by designating the 988 hotline as part of the state system.
● Improves involuntary outpatient procedures: allows discharge of guardian advocates on patient discharge.
● Requires clinical psychologists making involuntary placement decisions to meet specified experience criteria.
● Authorizes facilities to retain patients under certain conditions for public safety.
● Effective July 1, 2025.

CS/CS/HB 987 – Transportation Facility Designations
● Provides honorary “named” designations of memorial names for various transportation facilities, such as highways, bridges, streets in specific counties.
● Requires the Department of Transportation to erect appropriate markers.

CS/HB 897 – Timeshare Plan Management
● Clarifies that community association managers (CAMs) and firms managing timeshare plans are governed under chapter 721.
● Revises conflict-of-interest rules: exempts certain CAMs/firms if they disclose interests and act in good faith.
● Requires annual board meetings for timeshare condo boards and specific disclosures regarding affiliated business relationships.
● Provides liability exemptions for CAMs/firms on actions taken in good faith.

CS/HB 847 – Expedited DNA Testing Grant Program
● Establishes a grant program within FDLE to fund expedited processing of DNA evidence at accredited private labs per ISO 17025 and FBI standards.=
● Grants awarded annually to cover testing when state/local labs lack technology or speed is critical to investigations.
● Requires annual reporting by recipients; effective July 1, 2025.

CS/CS/CS/HB 683 – Construction Regulations
● DEP must set standards for synthetic turf installation; local governments can’t prohibit compliant installations.
● Local governments must approve/deny contractor change orders within 35 days.
● Prohibits state or political subdivisions from penalizing or favoring contractors based on the volume of work.
● Exempts spaceport territory equipment from the building code.
● Restricts local governments from requiring contract documents for permit applications.
● Authorizes private plan reviewers and inspectors, including virtual inspections, with set permit issuance timelines.

CS/HB 681 – Apprenticeship and Preapprenticeship Program Funding
● Revises standards governing apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, mandating partnerships between local educational agencies (LEAs) and program providers.
● Requires the Department of Education to create a standard contract template for these partnerships.
● Expands and shifts the annual DOE report deadline to November 30, adding details on funding use, administrative hours, and partner roles.
● Establishes a publicly accessible online transparency tool for apprenticeship funding by July 1, 2026.
● Formalizes public Steering Committee meetings, requiring published workpapers and remote access.
● Takes effect July 1, 2025.

HB 653 – Aggravating Factors for Capital Felonies
● Adds that a capital felony committed against a head of state, such as President, Vice President, Governor qualifies as an aggravating sentencing factor.
● Expands this aggravator to include attempts against a head of state that result in capital felonies against others.
● Makes this factor applicable at the jury phase to determine eligibility for death or life-without-parole sentencing.
● Effective July 1, 2025.

CS/CS/HB 633 – Behavioral Health Managing Entities
● Requires the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to contract biennially for audits/recommendations regarding managing entities’ transparency.
● Mandates standardized, electronic monthly reporting from managing entities on financial, operational, and client outcome measures.
● DCF must publish these metrics publicly and produce a report by December 1, 2025.
● Establishes defined performance measures and standardized data formats; implementation depends on legislative appropriations.
● Has a significant fiscal impact on DCF.

HB 211 – Farm Products
● Amends the definition of farm product under s. 163.3162, F.S., to include all plants and plant products, regardless of edibility.
● Adds that the collection, storage, processing, and distribution of farm products are activities of a bona fide farm operation.
● Prohibits local governmental regulations from restricting these farm activities.
● Passed unanimously (Senate 37‑0, House 114‑0); effective July 1, 2025.

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