New state health laws impact memory care, Parkinson’s registry

More than 200 new Florida laws went into effect on July 1, including some significant health laws. However, two high-profile bills passed by the Florida legislature, on naturopathy and e-bike safety, were vetoed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

New licensure for memory care service providers

Demand for memory care services has surged across the country, but too often residential memory care does not meet minimal standards. The Florida legislature hopes to remedy that by creating a new type of license for assisted living facilities that offer memory care for people with Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia.

The bill requires the Agency for Health Care Administration to create rules no later than June 1, 2027, establishing minimum standards for licensure. Licensing will address minimum requirements for staffing, training, safety, facility design, resident contracts and advertising.

The law should considerably strengthen protections for families seeking high-quality memory care services by raising standards of care and preventing assisted living facilities from falsely claiming to offer memory care services. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, about 580,000 Floridians are living with Alzheimer's disease, the most common type of dementia.

The Florida Senior Living Association said the law gives families criteria to choose appropriate care for their loved ones.

“This landmark legislation establishes a dedicated memory care services specialty license for ALFs, ensuring higher standards and transparent care for residents living with Alzheimer's and related dementias,” FSLA leaders said in a statement.

State launches Parkinson’s Disease Registry

The Florida Institute for Parkinson’s Disease at the University of South Florida will establish a statewide registry to collect and monitor data on Parkinson’s disease and atypical Parkinsonism, following the passage of HB 1443, signed into law on March 27.

Beginning on Jan. 1, 2027, healthcare providers must report Parkinson’s cases to the registry. In 2028, the Florida Institute for Parkinson’s Disease will begin issuing reports on the demographics of the disease in Florida, including individual county data.

Florida leads the nation with the highest percentage of residents with Parkinson’s Disease, a progressive disorder of the central nervous system that primarily affects movement and cognitive function. Almost 80,000 Floridians live with the disease, according to the Parkinson’s Association of Southwest Florida.

Proponents of the legislation sought funding to advance research on the disease, but the funding provision was stripped from the bill. The registry, however, is the start of a consortium that can continue to pursue research on the disease, according to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

Naturopathic practitioners remain unregulated

The practice of naturopathy has been illegal in Florida since 1959 — and it will remain that way. While the Florida legislature passed CS/HB 688 in March, DeSantis vetoed the bill on June 26. The practice, which is characterized by the use of natural remedies to address the root cause of disease, cannot be practiced in Florida.

The bill called for licensing naturopathic doctors who complete a four-year naturopathic school and pass a national board exam. Proponents of the bill said the legality of naturopathy could help relieve some of the shortage in healthcare providers in the state. Advocates also said the bill represented “freedom of choice” in healthcare.

But DeSantis said Floridians already have access to natural remedies and the bill would add unnecessary regulation and bureaucracy.

“Floridians can already access natural remedy treatments because they do not require a prescription or U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval,” he said. “If enacted, this legislation may negatively impact Floridians who currently work in alternative medicine by mandating post-graduate education that cannot be obtained in Florida and require them to pay costly licensure fees to do the work they are already performing. There is no need to create additional bureaucratic hurdles.”

The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians called the veto a step backward for natural medicine practices.

"Governor DeSantis’s rationale for vetoing CS/SB 688 is confusing,” said Todd Robinson, president of the Florida Naturopathic Physicians Association, in a statement released by the AANP. “As Florida law stands after this veto, all activity related to naturopathy and naturopathic medicine remains both regulated and a felony as it has been since 1959. This bill would have removed that barrier to accessing naturopathy and opened the marketplace. It’s a baffling choice for a governor who claims to support deregulation and health freedom.”

No statewide rules for e-bikes but local ordinance is pending

Both chambers of the state legislature unanimously passed a uniform set of rules for e-bikes and electric scooters, but DeSantis rejected the bill. The bill, SB 382, would have set a maximum e-bike speed at 10 mph when riders are within 50 feet of pedestrians in Florida. The legislation also proposed e-bike operators on shared-use pathways yield and signal before passing and would have required the creation of a state task force to monitor e-bike usage and recommend future policies to ensure safety.

In his veto, DeSantis said the bill would require the kind of measurements that would lead to increased surveillance of citizens and that the proposed task force could “recommend limitless regulations related to e-bikes.”

The veto leaves local governments free to enact their own e-bike regulations, which many Florida cities are undertaking. Fernandina Beach City Commissioners will hear a third reading of a proposed e-bike ordinance at its July 7 meeting. The local ordinance permits a roadway speed limit for bicycles, e-bikes and personal mobility devices of 25 mph, or the posted speed limit if lower. The ordinance would limit speeds to 10 mph on trails, beaches and multi-use paths.

The ordinance would require human-powered operation on sidewalks and unpaved portions of public rights-of-way.

The ordinance was prompted by a surge in injuries involved e-bikes and scooters, said City Attorney Teresa Prince.