JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a series of bills that aim to increase protections for children against sexual crimes at an event Tuesday. 

What You Need To Know

  • DeSantis signed four new bills into law Tuesday

  • The legislative package boosts protections for children, and enhances penalties for offenders

  • One bill goes into effect immediately, while the other three will go into effect October 1, 2025

The bills included HB 777, HB 1351, HB 1455, and HB 1161. He also pledged to sign SB 1804, “in the coming days.”

“Florida has zero tolerance for criminals who exploit children,” said 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.”

HB 777 is titled Offenses Involving Children. That new law first works to expand the age group of children that are protected by currently existing law. It also includes language that provides punishment for luring children out of a structure, not just into one, that widens the possible crimes that can be charged with this new law.

Additionally, HB 777 “eliminates certain defenses,” according to the Office of the Governor. The new law also increases penalties related to covered offenses.

HB 1351 is titled Registration of Sexual Predators and Sexual Offenders. This proposal enhances the required registration information of sexual offenders, including their employer’s name and phone number.

It also will require offenders must register in-state travel within 48 hours, as well as requires address verification by law enforcement.

The next bill, HB 1455, is called “Sexual Offenses by Persons Previously Convicted of Sexual Offenses. The new law provides mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment for sexual offenses when committed by already registered offenders or predators.

The next bill, HB 1161, otherwise known as “Brooke’s Law,” protects victims of digital sexual abuse by providing an enforceable process to remove deepfake material from online platforms.

The legislation requires online platforms to remove nonconsensual, sexually explicit, AI-generated content — commonly referred to as deepfakes — within 48 hours of a takedown request. Online platforms may face civil penalties for any failure to comply with requests.

The law is named after Brooke Curry, a Jacksonville teenager whose picture was manipulated to become sexually explicit. Brooke is the daughter of Lenny Curry, a former Jacksonville Mayor.

The Department of Homeland Security estimates roughly 90% of deepfakes online are pornographic. Moreover, roughly 95% of victims are women.

HB 1161 took effect immediately after signing, but the other three new laws will take effect October 1 of 2025.