STATEWIDE — With a new school year, comes a new law in Florida public schools after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 529 into law in June enacting a mandatory moment of silence at the beginning of each day.

Bill Sponsor Republican State Representative Randy Fine from Brevard County is encouraging all parents to talk to their kids about how to use the time.

“It is a time of quiet. You can use the time to figure out what homework you have that day. You can use the time to pray if you want, but you have to do it quietly, and the school can’t tell you how to use the time," Fine said. "The data shows that our kids are suffering in many ways that they never have and part of it is because they don’t have any time to reflect and get centered.”

Although the law prohibits teachers from making suggestions on how to use the time, civil rights group American Atheists is concerned since non-disruptive prayer is already allowed in schools.

“It’s unacceptable. This is just another way to ram a Christian nationalist agenda into the public sphere, and in a place where it absolutely shouldn’t be," Devon Graham, Florida Assistant State director of American Atheists said.

Fine argues that about 18 other states have similar moment of silence legislation that has been ruled constitutional.

Volusia County mother Kim Short has already talked to her kids about it.

"You can do whatever you want, just take a minute to think about your day. There’s something that’s upsetting you or bothering you, maybe just take a minute to think about it,” she suggested to her children.

Short is optimistic about the new year, with this addition to the school day.

“I don’t see a harm in it. I don’t know if it will be a benefit or not, I guess we’re going to see," she said.