/>iThe Florida Regular Legislative Session began on March 4, 2025, and ended on June 6, 2025. Below is a summary of health care legislation scheduled to take effect upon becoming law, contingent on constitutional procedure. The most impactful bills are listed first. The remainder represent the broader balance of health care-related legislation passed during the 2025 session.
1. Medical Debt
Bill HB 547 revises provisions relating to hospital and ambulatory surgical center (ASC) billing practices; expands the definition of extraordinary collection actions (ECAs) to actions for payment of any bill of care, including care outside of a hospital’s or ASC’s financial assistance policy; authorizes hospitals and ASCs to sell medical debt without providing 30-day notice if (1) the debt has no interest or fees, and (2) the purchaser does not take any further ECAs and (3) the debt is returned because the debt qualifies as charity care under the financial assistance policy. This bill was signed into law by Governor DeSantis and will become effective on July 1, 2025.
2. Department of Health
Bill HB 1299 enacts comprehensive changes to Department of Health operations; prohibits discrimination based on mRNA vaccine status; addresses NPDB entries; updates background screening rules for medical marijuana treatment centers; and requires such centers to report theft, diversion or loss of marijuana to law enforcement and notify the Department of Health. This bill was signed into law by Governor DeSantis on June 2, 2025, and will become effective on July 1, 2025, except for the provisions relating to the mRNA vaccine, which went into effect upon becoming law.
3. Home Health Care Services
Bill HB 1353 authorizes a single administrator to oversee up to five home health agencies with identical controlling interests; permits the use of contracted personnel for certain patient visits; and expands eligibility for participation in a home health agency quality recognition program. This bill was signed into law by Governor DeSantis and will become effective on July 1, 2025.
4. Stem Cell Therapy
Bill SB 1768 authorizes licensed physicians to perform non-FDA-approved stem cell therapies for orthopedic conditions, wound care and pain management under strict regulatory standards; mandates that stem cells be sourced from FDA-registered and accredited facilities; requires a post-thaw viability report before use; mandates informed consent detailing the unapproved status of the therapy, associated risks and alternatives; mandates a prominent disclaimer for advertising material; and establishes criminal penalties and disciplinary actions for violations, particularly for the use of stem cells derived from aborted fetal or embryonic tissue. This bill was signed into law by Governor DeSantis and will become effective on July 1, 2025.
5. Refund of Overpayments Made by Patients
Bill SB 1808 requires health care providers to refund patient overpayments within 30 days of identification (excluding overpayments made by insurers) and authorizes disciplinary action and administrative penalties for noncompliance. This bill was signed into law by Governor DeSantis and will become effective on January 1, 2026.
6. Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Services
Bill HB 647 authorizes advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) providing hospice services to file and certify death certificates in the absence of a funeral director and permits APRNs to correct information on death certificates. This bill was signed into law by Governor DeSantis and will become effective on July 1, 2025.
7. Foreign Countries of Concern
Bill SB 768 prohibits public health labs from using genetic sequencing software produced in or by (1) foreign countries of concern (COC), (2) entities that are state-owned by a COC, or (3) an entity domiciled in a COC; the list of COCs include but are not limited to Russia, China, Iran and Cuba; and limits disciplinary action to cases involving actual knowledge. This bill was signed into law by Governor DeSantis and will become effective on July 1, 2025.
8. Type 1 Diabetes Early Detection Program
Bill SB 958 requires the Department of Health to develop and distribute educational materials on Type 1 diabetes to parents of elementary school students and specifies content requirements. This bill was signed into law by Governor DeSantis and will become effective on July 1, 2025.
9. Home Health Aide for Medically Fragile Children Program
Bill SB 1156 expands training and certification requirements for home health aides serving medically fragile children, including CPR and HIV/AIDS education; increases Medicaid reimbursement hours from 8 to 12 per day; establishes a minimum hourly rate; and requires adverse incident reporting within 48 hours. This bill was signed into law by Governor DeSantis on June 23, 2025, and went into effect upon becoming law.
10. Fentanyl Testing (Gage’s Law)
Bill HB 1195 requires hospitals to conduct fentanyl testing when performing urine drug screens in emergency settings and mandates documentation of results in the patient’s medical record. The law is named after Gage Austin Taylor, a 29-year-old Orlando resident who was discharged from a hospital without a fentanyl test and ultimately passed away from fentanyl toxicity. This bill was signed into law by Governor DeSantis and will become effective on July 1, 2025.
11. Improving Screening for and Treatment of Blood Clots (Emily Adkins Family Protection Act)
Bill HB 1421 requires hospitals and ASCs to conduct venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessments, implement treatment protocols and train CNAs on VTEs; and establishes a statewide VTE registry. The law is named after Emily Adkins, a 23-year-old Fernandina Beach resident who was receiving medical care following a gallbladder surgery and a broken ankle—both of which are known risk factors for blood clots—when a blood clot formed in her right leg, broke loose, and traveled to her lungs, causing a massive pulmonary embolism that proved fatal. Please note that this bill is still pending gubernatorial approval as of this writing.
12. OGSR/Parental Consent Requirements Before Terminating a Pregnancy
Bill SB 7018 stops the scheduled repeal of a public records exemption that protects the identity of minors seeking judicial waivers of parental consent for abortion. Please note that this bill is still pending gubernatorial approval as of this writing. If signed by the Governor or allowed to become law without his signature, it will become law on October 1, 2025.
13. Administration of Controlled Substances by Paramedics
Bill HB 519 amends Florida Statutes to authorize certified paramedics to administer controlled substances during the administration of emergency services under the direction and supervision of a licensed health care practitioner who is authorized to prescribe such substances. This bill was signed into law by Governor DeSantis on May 23, 2025, and went into effect upon becoming law.
14. Surrendered Infants
Bill HB 791 authorizes hospitals, EMS stations and fire stations to install and operate infant safety devices for the lawful surrender of newborns; mandates 24/7 surveillance, regular checks and alarm testing for these devices; requires continuous monitoring and response protocols; and extends legal protections and procedures for infant surrender. This bill was signed into law by Governor DeSantis and will become effective on July 1, 2025.
15. Newborn Screenings
Bill HB 1089 mandates statewide newborn screening for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy starting January 1, 2027, subject to appropriations. This bill was signed into law by Governor DeSantis and will become effective on July 1, 2025.
16. Children’s Medical Services Program
Bill SB 1490 eliminates advisory councils and requires an independent evaluation and Medicaid waiver redesign to support children needing private duty nursing. This bill was signed into law by Governor DeSantis on May 23, 2025, and went into effect upon becoming law, except as otherwise expressly provided in the bill.
17. Parkinson’s Disease
Bill HB 1545 establishes the Florida Institute for Parkinson’s Disease at the University of South Florida and creates a research board and statewide consortium to coordinate research initiatives. This bill was signed into law by Governor DeSantis and will become effective on July 1, 2025.
