LAKELAND, Fla. – As the 2026 Florida Legislative Session wraps up its 60-day run, Senator Colleen Burton (R-Lakeland) is moving three of her major policy wins toward the Governor’s desk. The passed bills tackle a diverse range of issues, from tightening the rules on dementia care to bringing mobile homeowners into state housing programs and regulating digital currency.
A significant shift is coming for the state’s elderly population under CS/CS/SB 1404. The bill mandates that any assisted living facility claiming to provide “memory care” must now obtain a specific license to do so. This move aims to standardize what has previously been a vague service category.
“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,” Burton said. She noted that the legislation received unanimous, bipartisan support, adding that she looks forward to the bill ensuring facilities “indeed, offer exemplary care across our state.”
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On the housing front, SB 594 addresses a long-standing gap in Florida’s assistance programs. For the first time, counties and cities will be allowed to use local housing funds to help mobile homeowners with lot rentals, emergency repairs, and home rehabilitation.
“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 explained. She called the change “only fair” to the hundreds of thousands of Floridians living in mobile home communities.
The Senator also waded into the financial tech sector with CS/CS/SB 314. This bill brings “payment stablecoins”—digital assets pegged to a steady currency—under the umbrella of Florida’s money laundering laws. It requires issuers to be licensed and limits their activities to specific, regulated functions.
“Florida continues to lead the nation in innovation, and the issue of stablecoin is one such example,” Burton said. She stated that the new guidelines align with federal requests for better procedures while supporting “robust economic development initiatives in our business-friendly state.”
All three bills passed both chambers of the Legislature and now await a final signature or veto from Governor Ron DeSantis.
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