New Florida laws on murder witnesses, miscarriages, religion

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) There are 121 new laws going into effect in Florida.

Saturday marked the start of the state’s new fiscal year and nearly half of the bills the Legislature passed this year will become law.

That includes statewide regulations for ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft, pay raises for state employees, protections for religious expression in public schools, a mandatory recess requirement for elementary school students, stricter notification requirements for pollution spills and state-issued certificates for women who have miscarriages.

The budget that goes into effect will also boost funding by $100 per student in grades K-12 and provide more money for charter schools to locate near struggling public schools.

Lawmakers passed 249 bills during their annual session and a four-day special session held in June.

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