Florida
Florida Senate passes new social media bill with parent permission provision
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A new version of the measure to force children off social media passed the Florida Senate Monday, setting up a final vote in the Florida House before the end of the legislative session this week.
The Senate passed HB 3 on a 30-5 vote. The bill, which requires third-party age verification on websites with material deemed harmful for minors, now contains provisions that ban children under 16 from social media. Children would not be able to make new accounts and existing accounts would have to be shut down.
The measure also contains a provision that allows parents to give consent for 14 and 15-year-olds to have accounts if they wish. This change is part of a compromise to get Gov. Ron DeSantis to sign the bill.
The Florida Legislature last month passed HB 1, which forced children off social media with provisions for parental consent. DeSantis vetoed that bill, after expressing his concern about First Amendment violations and the lack of parental consent.
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Supporters of the bill say social media companies are knowingly designing their platforms to be addictive and are harming children’s mental health. The bill does not mention specific platforms but does list characteristics like user tracking, auto-play, infinite scrolling, and live-streaming as features of those sites.
“We have to do something, and we can’t stand by any longer and allow these companies to own our children with this terrible content,” said State Sen. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, the bill’s sponsor.
However, critics say the bill is still problematic and will likely be blocked by the courts.
“For the government to come in and say ‘no, we have decided the age is 14′ I still think runs into all of the constitutional problems that we have discussed and the general issue of parents making the decision,” said State Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton.
The bill is expected to pass the Florida House before Friday.
Information from The News Service of Florida was used in this report.
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RIVERVIEW, Fla. (CBS12) — A Florida man was arrested after investigators linked him to a fatal fentanyl overdose that occurred in December.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded Dec. 29, 2025, to a home on Balm Boyette Road in Riverview, where they discovered the body of a woman identified as 43-year-old Grace Remington. Investigators determined she died from a fentanyl overdose.
See also: Man killed, grandson arrested after family dispute leads to quadruple shooting in PBC
According to the sheriff’s office, the investigation revealed that Aaron Lee Morris had delivered the fentanyl to Remington before her death. Toxicology results showed a fatal amount of the drug in her system.
On Tuesday, HCSO’s Opioid Overdose Investigation Section arrested Morris, 46, and charged him with first-degree murder resulting from the unlawful distribution of a controlled substance.
“Fentanyl continues to destroy lives and devastate families in our community,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “If you choose to distribute this deadly poison, you will be held accountable for the lives lost as a result of your actions.”
From Boston to now Miami, the Tartan Army has been marching through the streets of South Florida preparing for the Scotland v. Brazil World Cup game at 6 p.m. Known for their crowd-drawing shenanigans, the term “Tartan Army” has been trending on people’s For You Page, but who are they exactly?
The term “Tartan Army” is a nickname for Scotland’s fan base who support the country’s national team. The concept of “Tartan” comes from the iconic fabric design on kilts and is recognized as a symbol of Scottish identity.
The army gained attention for their rowdy team spirit, but also because some bars in Boston ran out of beer as the city hosted Scotland’s first two games. Now they have arrived in Miami and have been making their presence known.
On Monday, around 8,000 army followers marched from a bar called Ball and Chain to the Marlins’ game, making their presence known throughout South Florida.
Then on Tuesday, the Scotland fans invaded Miami Beach as the beer company Miller Lite presented the fans with a tartan beer barge that read “Restock the Scots.”
With the game against Brazil set for later tonight, the Tartan Army will now flood Miami Stadium with beer, bagpipes and kilts.
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