A new bill granting state law enforcement officials more power to remove squatters and raising criminal penalties for offenders went into effect Monday, potentially giving Florida homeowners the tools to protect their property while circumventing lengthy court processes.

In a video posted to X, Gov. Ron DeSantis said his state is “ending this squatter scam once and for all” with HB 621.

“While other states are siding with the squatters, we are protecting property owners and punishing criminals looking to game the system,” DeSantis said at a press conference at the Orange County State Attorney’s Office after signing the bill in March. 

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“We’ve got people that will be here for seven months of the year, and then they’ll go to Michigan or New York or even Canada. You come back after the summer and someone’s in your house, and then they just get to stay there for six months. Now in Florida, you call up, you fill out a form, the sheriff comes, and the sheriff kicks him out of your property,” DeSantis previously told Sean Hannity of the law.

“If we don’t have private property rights, we will not have a free society, so it is the bedrock Florida stands by, and we’re proud to do it,” he continued.

Attorney Kevin Fabrikant, supervisor of Florida’s Eviction Law Firm, told Fox News Digital that Florida’s legal process for removing a squatter from a property was among the fastest in the country even before the bill’s passage, typically taking about a month.

Comparatively, squatters in states like New York and California have become a months-long headache for some homeowners.

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But it can be costly for homeowners, Fabrikant said, starting with a $300 filing fee and then, generally, expensive legal representation.

But under the new law, law enforcement officers whose hands were previously tied will be able to circumvent the court process and carry out evictions, so long as the homeowner files an affidavit and the intruder meets several criterion:

“If you’re a squatter, I wouldn’t come to Florida to live.”

— Attorney Kevin Fabrikant

The squatter must have unlawfully entered the property, must have already been asked to leave by the homeowner, cannot be a current or former tenant of the home, and cannot be an immediate relative of the homeowner looking to get them off their property.

“It’s designed for a very narrow situation – if you let somebody into your property and you want them out, it likely may not apply,” Fabrikant said.

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An Atlanta property owner says squatters ripped wires out of the walls and caused tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage. (Fox News)

A standard removal fee with an area sheriff’s department would cost $90 in most Florida counties and $115 in Miami, Fabrikant said.

“If you’re a squatter, I wouldn’t come to Florida to live,” Fabrikant said. 

Once officials verify ownership and deem the complainant eligible, the sheriff must remove the squatter, according to the new legislation.

Those who “encourage or engage in squatting” will face increased penalties under the law, the bill reads. 

Squatters who forge leases or other proof of residence will face a first-degree misdemeanor for false written statements or falsifying documents. 

Anyone who causes $1,000 or more in damages while occupying a property can now face a second-degree misdemeanor.

“Somebody breaks into the house, destroys the house, that’s [the type of person] the governor intended [to police with this law],” Fabrikant said. “Those people cause immeasurable damages to have handymen or contractors fix what these squatters are doing to a property.”

Anyone who knowingly advertises the sale or rent of residential property without permission from the owner will now be subject to a first-degree felony.

“Sometimes, Bob Squatter turns around and finds some people,” Fabrikant said. “Now you have to remove Bob Squatter and all these random people who [may not be aware that they’re illegally living on the property].”

It is unclear how law enforcement in Florida will operate under the new law. 

“They’re on the spot having to make a decision about whether a person qualifies under these scenarios,” Fabrikant said.

“There are times when the sheriffs are put in a tough spot because of the language and the claims that the occupant might make,” Fabrikant said. “In all likelihood, the sheriff’s office will be liable to a civil suit… if they remove someone wrongfully they would tend to get sued.”

Martin County Sheriff William Snyder previously told “Fox & Friends First” that he believes the law will “absolutely” alleviate the situation.

“There’s a real technicality when you go out to a home and somebody proffers that they live there, then the legitimate owner has proved that it’s their house,” he said in March.

“It gives us teeth to enforce the law and to return the home to the rightful owner,” he said. “We’ll go right out there, and it’s our intention here in Martin County to get that home back into the hands of the rightful owner and get the trespasser out… and then I will provide them [the squatter] housing. They will not be unhoused. I’m putting them straight into my jail.”

A Republican lawmaker is sounding the alarm on the latest threat from China – rifle-toting AI robot dogs.

A Chinese state media video, screenshots of which were published by the Military Times, showed that country’s military displaying dog-like robots toting rifles during joint drills in Cambodia.

The AI dogs weigh 110 pounds and can carry and fire automatic rifles autonomously, according to the outlet. 

While drone warfare is not a novel concept, some believe the rise of these new armed automatons should cause concern stateside.

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Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital that advanced AI is the next major economic and military frontier for both the U.S. and its adversaries like China.

Of 18 amendments he authored and successfully saw passed via the House draft of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), one drew attention to the potentially game-changing threat.

Buchanan’s legislation added a provision that would direct the secretary of defense to report on the threat of China’s use of AI in the military, including such robot-dogs, and their national security threat to the U.S.

“If we don’t pay attention to what other countries around the world are doing on the AI front, we risk losing our standing on the global stage and position as the world’s preeminent fighting force,” Buchanan said.

“Anyone that tells you that China will only be using these for purely peaceful purposes has their head in the sand.”

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But, according to a May report from The Warzone, the Marine Corps’ Special Forces Operation Command – or MARSOC – has two similar robotic quadrupeds that it is currently using for perimeter security in unspecified locations.

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Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and commander of the Royal Cambodian Army, General Mao Sophan, inspects drones and a machine gun equipped robot battle dog displayed in front of Chinese soldiers at a military police base in Kampong Chhnang province. (TANG CHHIN SOTHYTANG CHHIN SOTHY/AFP via Getty)

Buchanan said the U.S. has experimented with such similar robotic dogs in the past, but China affixing weapons to them and showing them off via military exercises is worrisome.

“[This] should make everyone take notice and ensure our military is staying one step ahead of them at every turn,” he said.

When asked whether the Democratic-led Senate is likely to strip the provision from its draft for the final compromise legislation, Buchanan said he had no reason to believe so. 

He suggested the “common-sense” reporting requirement should be noncontroversial as a matter of national security.

“We’ve received a lot of positive feedback about our amendment. The fact that it passed without opposition from a single member of Congress on either side of the aisle should tell you everything you need to know,” he added.

Then-Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., listens as Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., speaks. (Getty)

While he alone drafted the amendment to the NDAA, Buchanan said that many other lawmakers are extremely concerned about AI-related threats from China and other adversaries.

Asked about the robot dogs and the reporting amendment, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee who chief-sponsored the NDAA, suggested that such concerns are valid.

“Prioritizing innovation is vital if we want to stay ahead of China,” Rogers said.

“The FY25 NDAA continues to make investments in innovative emerging technologies, like AI, to ensure that our military remains the most capable and lethal force in the world.”

The Senate is due to take up debate on the NDAA in the near term, after House passage of its version fell largely along party lines at 217-199.

A new law creating designated areas at sheriff’s offices for separated parents with split custody to safely exchange children is going into effect in Florida on Monday.

Purple signs at sheriff’s offices across the Sunshine State will designate child exchange zones where parents can drop off their children without fear of harm to themselves or their children. The color purple represents domestic violence awareness.

The designated parking lot, which will be accessible at all times of the day, will have a purple light or sign identifying the area for parents to hand off their children in accordance with their custody plan while deputies watch on camera.

H.B. 385, titled Safe Exchange of Minor Children, requires adequate lighting and video surveillance that records continuously for 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

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At least one camera must be pointed at the parking lot and be able to record the area in the vicinity of the purple light or sign during both day and night, capture pictures that clearly and accurately display the time and date, and retain video surveillance recordings or pictures for at least 45 days.

The law was named for Florida mother Cassie Carli, who vanished in 2022 after meeting her child’s father in a restaurant parking lot during a custody exchange. Her body was discovered buried in Alabama weeks later. 

The child’s father, 35-year-old Marcus Spanevelo, was indicted in connection with her death.

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Cassie Carli (left) vanished in 2022 after meeting her child’s father, Marcus Spanevelo (right), in a restaurant parking lot during a custody exchange before her body was discovered buried in Alabama weeks later. (Photo courtesy Carli family; Santa Rosa County Sheriff)

The legislation also requires parents who share custody of their children to establish a parenting plan approved by a court that details how they will share the daily responsibilities of raising the child.

The plan must include time-sharing schedule arrangements that specify the time the child shares with each parent. It will also designate which parent is responsible for the child’s health care, education and other activities.

H.B. 385 was signed into law by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis last month.