Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed Senate Bill 898 (SB 898), known as “Miya’s Law,” into effect, strengthening apartment security measures through the requirement of background screenings of employees.

The bill is named after Miya Marcano, a 19-year-old Orlando college student who was discovered dead on October 2 after going missing a week earlier. Orange County Police attributed Miya’s death to a maintenance worker at her apartment complex, leading lawmakers to draft legislation imposing new hiring requirements on apartment complexes in Florida.

The law directs landlords of apartments to require that all employees undergo a background screening, reinforces rules on an employee or landlord’s access to individual units, increases the required notice before entry of a unit to 24 hours, and requires apartments to maintain a key log monitoring the issuance and return of all keys granting access to each unit.

While the focus of the law is tenant safety, it also includes a provision prohibiting hourly rentals of public lodging establishments to discourage sex trafficking.

“As a mother of a college student, the loss of Miya is incomprehensible,” said Bartleman.  “I am grateful for Miya’s mother and father’s courage and strength.  In the wake of their personal tragedy, they were committed to ensuring that this never happens to another family.  Although this legislation will not bring Miya back, it will help save lives and bring a greater sense of security to college students moving into their first apartment, seniors residing in apartment communities, and all the 2 million renters in Florida. I am also grateful for my colleagues… for signing this common-sense legislation into law.”

The bill received widespread unanimous support, as noted by bill sponsor Sen. Linda Stewart.

“Today is the day we have all been waiting for! Miya’s Law, a bill enhancing renter protections, has been signed into law! This was a huge bipartisan effort,” said Stewart.