This is a preliminary post-2002 legislative session report addressing the major issues engaged by the Conference.  More in-depth, topical reports are being prepared by associates.  For more information on:  Education issues, contact lkeough@flacathconf.org; on Social Concerns/Respect Life issues, contact pchivers@flacathconf.org; on Health issues, contact msheedy@flacathconf.org.

LIFE AND DEATH

WOMEN’S HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT - SB 1690 (Cowin) & HB 1223 (Kilmer and Bean):  For  women who make the choice of abortion, this bill protects their health and raises the level of safety to be similar to procedures of other comparable standards required in doctors' offices and ambulatory surgical centers. [SB 1690 passed three committees and died in Senate Rules and Calendar Committee.  HB 1223 passed the House on a vote of 71-44, but died in the Senate.]

PROHIBITION of HUMAN CLONING - SB 1164 (Villalobos) & HB 805 (Kallinger):   Comprehensively bans human cloning and makes no distinction between so-called “therapeutic” and research cloning.  [HB 805 passed the House on a vote of 70-42, but died in the Senate.  SB 1164 died on the  Senate Calendar.]

DEATH SENTENCE - CS/SB 1212 (Crist) & HB 1615 (Bilirakis):  Relates to prohibiting the sentencing of death if convicted of a capital crime committed when the person was younger than 18 years of age.  [SB 1212 passed the Senate on a vote of 34-0, but died in the House.  HB 1615 died in committee.]

INTERSTATE COMPACT/ADOPTION/MEDICAL ASSISTANCE - SB 592 (Peaden):   Relates to creating the Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance to provide for agreements between this state and other states for payment of adoption/medical assistance for special needs children. [SB 592 passed the House and Senate and is sent to the Governor.]

ADOPTION - CS/SB 1518 (Campbell) & HB 775 (Mahon):  Relates to reducing from 2 years to 1 year the time period within which action must be filed to nullify an adoption, terminating parental rights on grounds of fraud or creating a parent registry. [CS/SB 1518 was not taken up by the Senate.  HB 775 passed the House on a vote of 117-0, but died in the Senate.]

A special Session on Education is scheduled for April 2 through Midnight April 5, 2002.

CORPORATE TAX SCHOLARSHIPS - SB 426 (Campbell):  Provides for kindergartners and first graders to be eligible for corporate tax scholarships.  [SB 426 passed the Senate and House and is sent to the Governor.]

RECITATION OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE - HB 885 (Melvin):  Creates a "Celebrate Freedom Week" that requires a minimum of three hours of instruction concerning the Declaration of Independence.  In addition, recitation by students of the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal..." [HB 885 passed the House and Senate and is sent to the Governor.]

HEALTH EDUCATION - SB 1094 (Meek):  Authorizes school based acquired HIV grants for teachers to better educate students about the disease.  [SB 1094 passed the Senate, but died in the House.]

SCHOOL SAFETY ZONE - HB 1423 (Ryan):  Allows principals in public and private schools to make a determination if anyone within 500 feet of the school is loitering.  [HB 1423 passed the House and Senate and is sent to the Governor.]

SCHOOL CODE REWRITE - HB 2017 (Council for Lifelong Learning):  Rewrites the education statutes by Chapter and reinstates provisions for nonpublic schoolteachers to obtain state certification and for nonpublic schools to develop alternative certification plans for their teachers. [HB 2017 died in the House.]

SCHOOL BUS TRANSPORTATION - SB 1874 (Senate Education and Miller, L) & HB 611 (Slosberg):  Relates to school bus drivers and was amended to provide “Private-school students may be transported on public-school buses, and public-school students may be transported on private-school buses when there is mutual agreement between the local school board and the applicable private school.  Any agreement for private-school students to be transported on public-school buses must be in accordance with section 768.28 (9) (a), Florida Statutes, and section 316.6145, Florida Statutes.  Any agreement for public-school students to be transported on private-school buses must be contingent on the private school bus driver’s having adequate liability insurance through his or her employer.”  [SB 1874 passed the Senate, but died in the House.  HB 611 died in the House.]

SCHOOL GOVERNANCE - HB 1927 (House Judicial Oversignt):  This bill dealing with school governance was amended to allow undergraduate students majoring in education to receive student forgiveness loans if they teach in a public school or in a nonpublic school that is recognized by the Florida Association of Academic Nonpublic Schools.  [HB 1927 died in the House.]

EMERGENCY TREATMENT FOR RAPE VICTIMS - CS/SB 2246 (Wasserman Shultz) & CS/HB 125 (Gannon):  Requires that health facilities either provide or immediately refer rape victims for emergency contraceptive treatment.  Several attempts in the House and Senate to amend the bill onto other vehicles failed.  [CS/SB 2246 died in the Senate.  CS/HB 125 died in House Health Regulation.]

ANATOMICAL GIFTS - CS/SB 334 (King):  Revises the prescribed manner of executing anatomical gifts in an effort to increase the number of available organs.  Removes the spouse as a witness to the revocation or modification process.  Provides family members, guardians, or health care surrogate may not modify a decedent’s wishes to make organ donations.  [CS/SB 334 passed the Senate, but died in the House.]

HEALTHY KIDS - SB 1044 (Posey) & HB 1137 (Rich):  Relates to eliminating provisions of local government matching fund requirements under the Florida Healthy Kids Program and provides for use of voluntary local contributions for obtaining federal funds for the program.  [SB 1044 died in Senate Aging and Long-Term Care.  HB 1137 died in Health and Services Appropriations.]

HEALTHY KIDS OPERATING FUND - SB 968 (Silver):  Relates to allowing the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation to establish and manage an operating fund in the amount of 25 percent or less of annualized operating expenses.  [SB 968 passed the House and Senate and is sent to the Governor.]

DIGNITY AND RIGHTS OF WORKERS/SOLIDARITY

FARM LABOR CONTRACTORS - CS/HB 565 (Peterman):  Relates to prohibiting farm labor contractors from making any charge or deduction from wages for tools, equipment, transportation, or recruiting fees determined under federal Labor Standard Act that benefits the employer.  [CS/HB 565 passed the House and Senate and is sent to the Governor.]

IDENTIFICATION CARD/DRIVER’S LICENSE - CS/SB 520 (Brown-Waite):  Relates to revising application requirements for identification card and driver’s license for immigrants; provides that such card expires 3 years after date of issuance.  [CS/SB 520 passed the House and Senate and is sent to the Governor.]

NON-CITIZENSHIP/MARRIAGE LICENSES - SB 696 (Brown-Waite) & HB 873 (Davis):  Relates to requiring  a non-citizen of the U.S. who does not have a Social Security number or alien registration number to provide a valid passport and valid visa to the county court judge in order to obtain a marriage license.  [SB  696 and HB 873 died in Committees.]