Current Status - Florida

Last updated: July 8, 2026

Florida remains one of the most restrictive states for reproductive rights, with major policy decisions increasingly shaped by lawmakers and the courts rather than constitutional protections.

Voting rights and political representation remain active areas of dispute after Florida approved new congressional district maps following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais. The maps are already facing legal challenges under Florida’s Fair Districts Amendment.

Florida’s new domestic violence law took effect July 1, strengthening penalties for repeat offenders, expanding protective-order tracking, and creating electronic monitoring pilot programs. At the same time, the 11th Circuit struck down part of Florida’s Stop WOKE Act as applied to public colleges and universities, ruling that restrictions on teaching race and gender in higher education violated the First Amendment.

Florida’s six-week abortion ban remains in effect, and the regular legislative session has ended. Future changes are likely to come through litigation, enforcement, special sessions, or the 2026 elections rather than regular-session legislation.

The regular legislative session has now ended, with lawmakers expected to return in special sessions focused primarily on the state budget.

Top 5 Things to Know

• Voting rights and political representation are changing in Florida.
  Recent voting laws added new registration and verification requirements, and newly approved congressional maps could reshape political representation in future elections.
• Florida strengthened its domestic violence protections. A new law that took effect July 1 increases penalties for repeat offenders, expands protective-order tracking, and creates electronic monitoring pilot programs.
• Efforts to further restrict reproductive care are ongoing. Even with its six-week abortion ban in place, lawmakers continued to introduce proposals this session targeting further restrictions around abortion, fertility treatments, and birth control access. None passed, but similar efforts are likely to continue.
• Court limits Florida’s restrictions on teaching race and gender in colleges. The 11th Circuit ruled that parts of the Stop WOKE Act restricting race and gender instruction in public colleges and universities violate the First Amendment.
• A majority of voters supported abortion rights—but the law did not change. In 2024, 57% of voters backed a constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights, but it fell short of the 60% required to pass.

Women's Health

Reproductive Rights

Abortion is banned after six weeks of pregnancy, with limited exceptions. Patients must complete in-person visits, observe waiting periods, and cannot access medication abortion through telehealth or mail. Parental consent is required for minors, and doctors face civil and criminal penalties for violations.

Medication abortion has become a growing focus, with ongoing legal and policy efforts at both the state and federal levels that could further limit how and where these medications can be prescribed and dispensed.

Recent proposals attempted to go further, including allowing family members to sue over abortions, expanding legal risks for doctors, and introducing new limits that could affect fertility treatments like IVF and access to birth control. None of these measures passed.

In practice, these layers of restrictions make access difficult for most people and have created uncertainty for health care providers, particularly in emergency room situations where the law is not always clear.

Healthcare Access

Access to maternity care varies widely across Florida. Some counties lack nearby maternity care providers or hospitals, and many women face barriers to consistent prenatal care. In some areas, patients must travel significant distances to reach a provider, which can delay care.

A few years ago, Florida expanded its postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months, but did not fully adopt Medicaid expansion. The state is currently expected to receive $210 million in federal rural healthcare funding, which officials hope to use to recruit new doctors and expand primary care access.

Workplace Rights

Florida law prohibits discrimination based on sex and pregnancy, but most protections mirror federal law rather than going beyond it. The state does not require paid family leave, and recent efforts to create paid parental leave for state employees did not pass.

The Individual Freedom Act, signed in 2022, focuses on workplace diversity training and limits how employers approach inclusion and compliance. In 2026, House Bill 641 would have further restricted gender identity policies in the workplace, but ultimately, it did not pass.

In April, Florida also enacted a law restricting county and municipal DEI programs. The law prohibits local governments from funding or maintaining DEI offices, officers, programs, or official actions related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, while preserving limited exceptions for compliance with state and federal law and certain public observances.

Violence & Safety

Florida has recently strengthened its response to domestic violence. New legislation increases penalties for repeat offenders, expands relocation support for victims, and improves how protective orders are tracked and enforced across agencies.

These changes aim to make it easier for victims to seek help and avoid repeat harm. However, implementation and access to services will ultimately determine how effective these protections are in practice.

In July, HB 277 took effect. The law increases penalties for repeat domestic violence offenders, requires dating- and sexual-violence injunctions to be entered into a statewide verification system, expands relocation assistance, and creates electronic monitoring pilot programs for certain offenders.

Voting & Civic Participation

Florida has made several changes to its voting laws in recent years, including a new requirement that voters provide proof of citizenship when registering. Forms of identification that will no longer be valid include student IDs, among others. The new law goes into effect in January of 2027.

Florida approved new congressional district maps following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Louisiana v. Callais decision. Voting-rights groups have challenged the maps under Florida’s Fair Districts Amendment, and a judge declined to temporarily block the maps while litigation continues.

The state also continues to enforce rules related to voter identification, absentee voting, and registration procedures. Critics argue that some of these requirements may disproportionately affect students, older voters, low-income residents, and people who move frequently.

Education

Education policy in Florida has increasingly focused on issues related to gender identity, parental rights, and school oversight. State laws and district policies influence how schools handle topics like student identity, curriculum, and communication with parents.

In July, the 11th Circuit ruled that Florida could not enforce parts of the Stop WOKE Act restricting how race and gender are taught in public colleges and universities. The ruling applies to higher education and does not eliminate Florida’s broader education restrictions, but it limits one major state policy affecting classroom instruction.

Related WRDI Reporting

The states revisiting voting maps after the April VRA ruling (May 26)
Voting in Florida is changing—both access and representation (May 26)
Restrictions changed abortion access—but didn’t eliminate it (May 26)

Resources

Florida Commission on the Status of Women - 2025 Legislative Summary

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