Sen. Colleen Burton’s bills addressing senior living, the affordable housing crisis and stablecoin regulations passed the Legislature and are awaiting Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signature.
One successful bill (SB 1404) creates a new assisted living facility specialty license for memory care services for people who have been diagnosed with memory loss, such as dementia. The bill orders the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to create rules by June 1, 2027, to establish minimum standards for memory care services licenses, according to Senate staff analysis of the bill.
“So often when securing assisted living facility arrangements for our loved ones, it is difficult to determine what level of memory care is available for our seniors, with no uniformity in what constitutes memory care,” said Burton, a Lakeland Republican, in a statement spotlighting her legislative accomplishments.
“I am proud this legislation secured bipartisan and unanimous support in both the House and Senate and look forward for this legislation to become law to ensure those facilities offering memory care services are licensed and, indeed, offer exemplary care across our state.”
SB 594 requires county or city local housing assistance plans to include ways to provide lot rental assistance for mobile home owners. The bill addresses what Burton called a loophole.
“Mobile homeowners throughout our state do not qualify for rental assistance for their lot rental nor rehabilitation and emergency repairs for their home unlike traditional renters and homeowners,” Burton said. “This legislation, which secured unanimous and bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, now authorizes local government to expend these much-needed funds, which is only fair to the hundreds of thousands of Florida mobile homeowners.”
The bill “does not appear to require counties and municipalities to expend funds or further limit their authority to raise revenue or receive state-shared revenues,” a Senate analysis explained.
In addition, Burton’s SB 314 also advanced during Session, with several provisions including updating the Florida Control of Money Laundering in Money Services Business Act to include payment stablecoins and “prohibiting persons from engaging in the activity of a qualified payment stablecoin issuer without being licensed or exempted from licensure,” Burton said.
“Florida continues to lead the nation in innovation, and the issue of stablecoin is one such example,” Burton said in a statement. “Establishing guidelines related to stablecoin, which is tied to currency, not only aligns with our federal partners’ request for processes and procedures but also supports robust economic development initiatives in our business-friendly state,” she added.
