Update: An earlier version of this story said the law had been signed. This was based on a Senate website that was erroneously updated to say the law had been signed. The Senate president's office called the mistake an "administrative error."
Governor Ron Desantis is set to sign a law giving local governments the ability to ban smoking on Florida beaches.
The Florida Legislature passed House Bill 105 back in March. The Ocean Conservancy, the nation's oldest conservation nonprofit, was a big advocate for achieving this effort.
"This is a major victory for the health of our beaches and seas throughout the Sunshine State," said Jon Paul Brooker, director of Florida Conservation at Ocean Conservancy. "Cigarette butts may be small, but they have a lasting, harmful effect on our environment."
According to Ocean Conservancy, cigarette butts add to the microplastics problem that impacts wildlife. Ocean conservancy said the plastic fibers in the cigarette butts erode into smaller bits and accumulate in fish and other wildlife.
Once signed, the law will go into effect on July 1.
