Compliance Stuff

UPDATED July 7, 2025 The bill became law on July 4, 2025. Florida lawmakers recently passed the  Florida Contracts Honoring Opportunity, Investment, Confidentiality and Economic Growth (CHOICE) Act  (the “Act”), which would create a presumption that covered non-compete and garden leave agreements are enforceable. If it is approved by Governor Ron DeSantis, or allowed to become law without his signature, the Act will take effect on July 1, 2025. The Act bucks the trend of states (e.g.,  Virginia  and  Wyoming ) passing laws limiting the enforceability of restrictive covenants. According to the Act’s “Legislative findings,” the Legislature was motivated to pass the measure due to its findings that: “strong legal protections in contracts between employers and contracted personnel which encourage optimal levels of information sharing and training and development” are a proper and legitimate state interest; “alternative means of protecting confidential information an...

Florida has long been where people go to unwind – and soon it will also be a place where businesses can operate with more peace of mind, thanks to a new law that will make it the most enforcement-friendly state in the country for non-compete and garden leave agreements . The “Florida Contracts Honoring Opportunity, Investment, Confidentiality, and Economic Growth (CHOICE) Act,” passed both the Florida House and Senate on April 24 and expected to be signed by Governor DeSantis, will reshape the state’s laws on restrictive covenants starting on July 1, 2025. T he Act does not amend any current statutes, but instead provides more certainty to employers looking to enforce certain non-compete agreements and agreements offering “garden leave” (a period of time where an employee is not required to perform any work but is still paid their salary and benefits in return for not accepting employment elsewhere) . Here is what employers should know about the CHOICE Act and three steps you can take ...