JACKSONVILLE, Fla. —Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation aimed to strengthen protections for children against sexual crimes. “Florida has zero tolerance for criminals who exploit children,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Throughout my time in office, we’ve worked with the legislature to strengthen penalties for child abuse, hold predators accountable, and ensure that Florida remains a safe place to raise a family.”

Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 777, House Bill 1351, House Bill 1455 and House Bill 1161 into law; and committed to signing Senate Bill 1804 into law in the coming days.

House Bill 777 Offenses Involving Children strengthens Florida’s laws against luring or enticing children. The bill:

• Expands victim age: Applies the offense to any child under 14, instead of a narrower age group.
• Expands offense scope: Includes luring or enticing a child out of a structure, dwelling, or vehicle—not just into one.
• Eliminates certain defenses: Ignorance of the child’s age, misrepresentation of the child’s age and bona fide belief about the child’s age.
• Enhances Penalties: First offense is raised from a 1st-degree misdemeanor to a 3rd-degree felony and second or subsequent offenses are raised from 3rd-degree felony to 2nd-degree felony.

House Bill 1351 Registration of Sexual Predators and Sexual Offenders enhances registration, reporting, and verification requirements for sexual predators and offenders in Florida. The bill: Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Governor Ron DeSantis, Attorney General James Uthmeier, and Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson approved the protection of more than 78,000 acres of lands through Florida, including over 76,000 in rural Florida within the Ocala-to-Osceola Wildlife Corridor. These key acquisitions close the final, major gap in a 100-mile, 1.6-million-acre network of public and private lands connecting the Ocala and Osceola National Forests.

“Under my administration, Florida has significantly expanded its land conservation efforts and today’s conservation is a major milestone for the Florida Wildlife Corridor,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “By prioritizing conservation, we are not only supporting our natural resources, but also our rural economies and the future of our state.”

Since 2019, the state has invested more than $1.4 billion in land conservation through the Florida Forever Program. This consistent funding has enabled the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to acquire over 374,000 acres for conservation, 90% of which are within the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.— From Monday, June 16, through Wednesday, June 18, Governor Ron DeSantis will lead an international trade and business development mission to France. The mission will highlight Florida’s status as a global hub for aerospace, aviation, defense, and emerging technologies, while promoting expanded trade and investment opportunities for businesses interested in Florida markets.

As part of the mission, Governor DeSantis will attend the 55th International Paris Air Show—one of the world’s premier events for aerospace innovation. The show features more than 2,500 exhibitors from 48 countries and draws over 300,000 visitors annually. More than two dozen leading Florida-based companies will be in attendance, showcasing the state’s cutting-edge capabilities in aviation, aerospace, and defense.

“Our next trade mission delegation is headed to France and the 55th International Paris Air Show,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Florida’s focus on manufacturing, aviation, and the space industry already makes it a global leader in aerospace. Our efforts on this trip will be to promote further investment in our state and bring more high-paying jobs to Florida.” Continue reading →

Building An Emergency Supplies Kit

Being prepared means having your own food, water and other supplies to last for at least 72 hours. A disaster supplies kit is a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency.
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Download the FEMA app to receive real-time alerts from the National Weather Service.

• Sign up for community alerts in your area and be aware of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) – which requires no-sign up.
• Visit Ready.gov/hurricanes or Ready.gov/es/huracanes (en Español) for more readiness tips.

Basic Preparedness Tips

• Know your zone.
• If you are ordered to evacuate, know the local hurricane evacuation route(s) to take and have a plan for where you can stay. Contact your local emergency management agency for more information.
• Snap photos of important documents and save them online or in a secure place you can access during an emergency
• Put together a go-bag: disaster supply kit, including a flashlight, batteries, cash, first aid supplies, medications, and copies of your critical information if you need to evacuate
• If you are not in an area that is advised to evacuate and you decide to stay in your home, plan for adequate supplies in case you lose power and water for several days and you are not able to leave due to flooding or blocked roads.
• Make a family emergency communication plan.
• Many communities have text or email alerting systems for emergency notifications. To find out what alerts are available in your area, search the Internet with your town, city, or county name and the word “alerts.

Continue reading →

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Representatives Kat Cammack (FL-03) and Kevin Hern (OK-01) introduced the Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act to ensure that Americans with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and rare conditions are not devalued in federal health care decisions. This legislation prohibits the use of Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs)—a metric that assigns lower value to lives with disabilities— in federal programs like Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and ACA exchanges. 

“The use of so-called cost-effective measures like QALYs threatens access to lifesaving care for the most vulnerable Americans,” said Congresswoman Cammack. “I am honored to lead this legislation alongside my colleague Rep. Kevin Hern to ensure that no patient is denied treatment simply because a mathematical formula decided their life is worth less. Every American—regardless of disability, chronic illness, or rare condition—deserves equal access to care.” Continue reading →

Titusville, Fla.—Attorney General James Uthmeier is warning would-be rioters and doxers that violence and intimidation against ICE and Border Patrol officers will not be tolerated in Florida. Over the past several days, violent displays of aggression against those officers occurred in and around Los Angeles, California, where leftist mobs obstructed major roadways, set vehicles on fire, and looted stores.

“Florida is the anti-riot state, and unlike California, we support law enforcement,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “Border Patrol and ICE agents enforcing immigration law deserve protection from leftists trying to harm them. If the left doxes these agents, we will have their backs. Whether you make the poor choice to riot or publish an agent’s personal information online to bring harm, you are committing a crime in Florida. We will find you and hold you accountable.” Continue reading →

Lynn Haven, Fla.—Attorney General James Uthmeier joined Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford to announce the takedown of an illegal alien driver’s license scheme, with eight individuals arrested so far. A joint BCSO and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operation uncovered two compromised DMV employees offering illegal aliens driver’s licenses in exchange for cash.

“Florida’s Sheriffs are on the front lines of our state’s fight against illegal immigration, and Sheriff Ford is rooting out the corruption they bring into our state,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “My warning to any illegal alien coming to Florida to commit further crimes: we are going to find you, hold you accountable, and then send you back to where you came from.”

“We appreciate our partners that keep our state safe,” said Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford.

Over the course of the investigation, authorities learned that two DMV employees were issuing an unusually large number of driver’s licenses. When investigators reviewed the in-house video at the DMV, they confirmed that the individuals receiving the licenses bypassed the required tests to obtain a license legally. These individuals traveled across Florida to Bay County to receive their driver’s licenses. Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General James Uthmeier is announcing the statewide results of Florida’s participation in a nationwide organized retail theft blitz operation. Working with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, authorities made 44 arrests, including three illegal aliens, and recovered more than $207,000 in stolen assets. The Florida Organized Retail Crime Exchange (FORCE) played a significant role in this crackdown. The nationwide blitz operation targeted criminals, and organized crime rings that prey on retailers.
“Due to great coordination among our state law enforcement and Florida Organized Retail Crime Exchange, 44 criminals were arrested as part of a nationwide organized retail theft blitz,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “The rule of law means something in Florida; this is another example of our state working with law enforcement to stop criminals.”

“FDLE was proud to take part in the National Organized Retail Crime Blitz in support of Attorney General James Uthmeier’s initiative to crack down on retail crime across the state,” said FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass. “We are a law-and-order state, and together with our local and state partners are committed to protecting Florida’s businesses and communities.” Continue reading →