2025 Florida Legislative Update for Pest Control Professionals

At the Florida Pest Management Association, we want to stay at the forefront of political changes happening in our state. That’s why our team took time this year to work on several issues during the 2025 Legislative Session in Tallahassee, FL, that could affect pest control companies. We’ve had some great conversations this year, and we’re happy to share some of the policies and updates you should know going into 2026. 

 

If you have further questions about how these policies can impact you and your business, please reach out to our team—we’d be happy to answer any questions about FPMA and pest control regulation. 
 

FPMA's Impact in Florida's Capital 

It can be hard to stay up to date on every new piece of legislation—even harder to have your voice heard by the government when a bill may impact your work. At FPMA, we give you a seat at the table. Our team travels to Tallahassee every legislative session to speak on behalf of pest control experts like you and elevate your voice. 

 

From tracking bills you care about and giving you updates on their progress to working with lobbyists to get current issues in front of our representatives, we are in Tallahassee advocating for you. And in the past 2 election cycles, we've had a 74% success rate of supporting candidates who care about the pest industry and will put your concerns first. 

  

Want to learn more about our advocacy efforts in Tallahassee?

Weeks 1 & 2 Summary

During the first two weeks of the 2025 Legislative Session, there were several bills we were watching and having conversations about with our state legislators. Here is a summary of the committee activity for each bill. 

 

Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Bill

Senate Bill 700 (House companion: House Bill 651) was a comprehensive bill that advanced unanimously in committee early in the session and later passed both chambers. While it covered a lot of ground, the main thing we wanted to highlight was the changes made to the pest control certificate examinations. In summary, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services can perform these examinations both remotely and in person through a third-party vendor. 

 

Updated: Senate Bill 700 was put into law on 5/20/2025. 

Minimum Wage

Senate Bill 676 (House companion: House Bill 541) proposed that employees could opt out of minimum wage payments for work-based learning opportunities, such as: 

• Work
• Work-study
• Internship 
• Pre-apprenticeship  
• Apprenticeship 
• Other similar opportunities

It would require the employee to sign a waiver, agreeing not to receive minimum wage. 

 

Update: This bill did not pass. 

Heat Illness

Discussions about heat illness were a big topic last Legislative Session, and this continued into this year. We were watching three bills surrounding heat exposure, including: Senate Bill 510, House companion House Bill 35, and House Bill 1177. Two of these bills were specifically recommending regulations for employees who primarily work outside to avoid heat illness, while one was a general labor regulations bill that could impact heat exposure rules. 

 

Update: None of these bills passed. 

Gulf of Mexico/Gulf of America Naming Issue

There were several bills addressing the change of the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America.” House Bill 575 and Senate Bill 608 addressed whether the change would take effect throughout Florida’s statutes. Senate Bill 1058 and House Bill 549 addressed whether state agencies, libraries, and educational materials must update maps and references from “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America.” 

 

Update: HB 549 and HB 575 passed on 4/17/2025 (effective 7/1/2025).

Week 3 Summary: Appropriations/Budget Conversations

As of the third week in the 2025 Legislative Session, Florida’s budget process is in its crucial middle stage, with subcommittee chairs releasing draft budgets for different areas that will roll into House and Senate bills, get voted on, and then be negotiated into one final plan. We saw the first proposal released, but more are coming. Funding requests may need to be cut. With funds tighter than in recent years and too many requests, this was a tense time for many at the Capitol, and advocacy groups are anxious to see if their efforts have paid off.